By CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/state-selects-rural-entities-to-receive-the-latest-10-million-in-economic-recovery-act-grants/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — Several rural Nebraska 
cities and the University of Nebraska were among winners of $10 million 
in grants that a state agency announced this week for pandemic recovery 
efforts.

The funds came from the Economic 
Recovery Act approved last year as Legislative Bill 1024. That pot of 
funds, largely from the federal American Rescue Plan Act, was to go to 
aid public and private entities in qualified low-income census tracts 
outside of Lincoln and Omaha.&nbsp;

Overall, LB 1024 earmarked $335 million for efforts that respond to the negative economic impacts of COVID-19.

For the $10 million pot, the Nebraska
 Department of Economic Development selected 14 recipients from 30 
applicants whose requests reportedly totaled more than $30 million.

The DED said in a statement that the 
recipients it selected submitted proposals to revitalize public spaces, 
create housing solutions and help with workforce retention and 
recruitment programs in greater Nebraska.

Banisters Leadership Academy — $368,500

Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska, DBA University of Nebraska at Kearney — $400,000

United Way of South Central Nebraska Inc. — $750,000

Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska DBA University of Nebraska at Kearney — $750,000

The Salvation Army DBA The Salvation Army of Norfolk — $1,000,000

By CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/state-selects-rural-entities-to-receive-the-latest-10-million-in-economic-recovery-act-grants/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — Several rural Nebraska 
cities and the University of Nebraska were among winners of $10 million 
in grants that a state agency announced this week for pandemic recovery 
efforts.The funds came from the Economic 
Recovery Act approved last year as Legislative Bill 1024. That pot of 
funds, largely from the federal American Rescue Plan Act, was to go to 
aid public and private entities in qualified low-income census tracts 
outside of Lincoln and Omaha.&nbsp;Overall, LB 1024 earmarked $335 million for efforts that respond to the negative economic impacts of COVID-19.For the $10 million pot, the Nebraska
 Department of Economic Development selected 14 recipients from 30 
applicants whose requests reportedly totaled more than $30 million.The DED said in a statement that the 
recipients it selected submitted proposals to revitalize public spaces, 
create housing solutions and help with workforce retention and 
recruitment programs in greater Nebraska.<h2>Entities the DED selected for grants: </h2>Banisters Leadership Academy — $368,500Center for Rural Affairs — $750,000Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska, DBA University of Nebraska at Kearney — $400,000City of Norfolk — $81,500South Sioux City — $750,000Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska — $750,000United Way of South Central Nebraska Inc. — $750,000City of Fairbury — $750,000City of Fairbury — $1,000,000City of Norfolk — $1,500,000Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska DBA University of Nebraska at Kearney — $750,000The Salvation Army DBA The Salvation Army of Norfolk — $1,000,000Nebraska Enterprise Fund — $750,000City of Beatrice — $400,000

Rural entities to receive latest $10M in Economic Recovery Act grants

By JENNIFER SHUTT <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/07/26/gop-support-for-same-sex-marriage-protections-builds-in-u-s-senate/">States Newsroom</a>

WASHINGTON — The CEO of Moderna on Wednesday defended the company’s decision to drastically increase the price of its COVID-19 vaccine later this year, arguing that an expected drop in demand, changes to its distribution process and the overall benefit of the vaccine warrant the higher cost.

That decision was met with bipartisan condemnation from U.S. senators on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Many criticized the decision before noting the federal government invested nearly $2 billion in Moderna’s development of the vaccine as well as providing a collaboration with the National Institutes of Health.

CEO Stéphane Bancel pledged during the hearing that even with the price increasing from less than $30 to about $130 a dose, Moderna would develop a system to provide uninsured or underinsured Americans with the COVID-19 vaccine and boosters at no cost.

Bancel, however, was unable to answer numerous questions from U.S. lawmakers about how the process would work in practice, indicating the company was still working out the broad parameters as well as the details.

Bancel annoyed several members on the panel when he declined to say directly if Moderna would negotiate the new price with the federal government to reduce the cost to taxpayers for COVID-19 vaccines provided through Medicare, Medicaid, or the Veterans Affairs health care system.

Bancel also declined to say if people in the United States would pay less for the vaccine than those in other countries, whose governments didn’t invest in its development.

“The price will depend on the value in each country,” Bancel said. “The cost of health care is different in each country.”

Wisconsin Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin questioned if Moderna’s decision to increase the price of its COVID-19 vaccine was linked to Bancel receiving a recent performance review in which the board said he “underperformed the company’s target for sales income generated by the COVID-19 vaccine.”

Baldwin said the decision to increase the price of the vaccine “appears tied to the impact of your personal performance assessment on your bonus and how much you would stand to gain personally from increasing the price of the COVID vaccine.”

Bancel contended the two were not linked, saying the price of the vaccine is determined by the value of the product and how much money can be saved in the long term through reduced hospital stays. He noted the cost of a high-dose flu vaccine for the elderly costs about $90 and the pneumonia vaccine costs about $240.

Baldwin also asked about Moderna’s stock buybacks, which totaled $3.3 billion in 2022 and more than $800 million in 2021.

“You are one of the, if not the, largest shareholders in Moderna,” Baldwin told Bancel. “Yet, despite spending significantly to buy back stock over the last two years, Moderna’s share price has actually declined. If you had not spent nearly $5 billion on buybacks when your stock was at the highest price it’s ever been, do you think you would be under less pressure to raise the price of COVID vaccine now?”

Bancel declined any connection, saying the vaccine’s “price is not linked to the company’s performance. The price is linked to the value of the product, to the patient and to the impact on the patient. That’s how we set the price.”

Bancel said Moderna believes the price it charged the U.S. government for the COVID-19 vaccine throughout the last couple of years represents a discount, in part because the company wanted to return the investment it got from the U.S. government to develop the vaccine, and in part because the federal government was purchasing in bulk.

Indiana Republican Sen. Mike Braun told Bancel that Moderna’s price increase “is indicative of a much bigger problem facing health care” and expressed frustration that some facets of the health care industry operate like an unregulated utility by not embracing competition or transparency.

Braun challenged Bancel for saying that one of the reasons the price is going up is to account for Moderna moving from the pandemic model, where it distributed the vaccine to the U.S. government through three Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warehouses, to a regular distribution process where it will need to get the vaccine to thousands of locations throughout the country.

“A 400% price increase is preposterous, especially when you’ve been given all this government largess,” Braun said.

Bancel testified Moderna is trying to figure out how it could best set up the new distribution network, noting the company has never had a commercial product.

Christopher Morten, associate clinical professor of law at Columbia Law School, said during his testimony on a second panel that Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine costs just $3 to make. He also criticized the price increase decision, saying Moderna benefited significantly from U.S. taxpayer investment.

“Mr. Bancel claims the value of these vaccines justifies Moderna’s proposed price increase. But his testimony ignored a key question — who created that value?” Morten said. “It was the U.S. government, the American taxpayer that spent billions. It was government scientists that toiled alongside Moderna’s.”

Moderna wasn’t the primary inventor of the three key scientific features of the vaccine, with the federal government providing the company with the specific mRNA sequence used in the vaccine, according to Morten.

The U.S. government also designed and ran the early clinical trials and provided Moderna with money and resources to expand its manufacturing, he said.

“To be clear, Moderna’s scientists and engineers made many contributions of their own, as did many academic scientists. These people and their work deserve credit and celebration too,” Morten said. “But Moderna cannot claim the vaccine’s value for itself.”

By JENNIFER SHUTT <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/07/26/gop-support-for-same-sex-marriage-protections-builds-in-u-s-senate/">States Newsroom</a> WASHINGTON — The CEO of Moderna on Wednesday defended the company’s decision to drastically increase the price of its COVID-19 vaccine later this year, arguing that an expected drop in demand, changes to its distribution process and the overall benefit of the vaccine warrant the higher cost.That decision was met with bipartisan condemnation from U.S. senators on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Many criticized the decision before noting the federal government invested nearly $2 billion in Moderna’s development of the vaccine as well as providing a collaboration with the National Institutes of Health.CEO Stéphane Bancel pledged during the hearing that even with the price increasing from less than $30 to about $130 a dose, Moderna would develop a system to provide uninsured or underinsured Americans with the COVID-19 vaccine and boosters at no cost.Bancel, however, was unable to answer numerous questions from U.S. lawmakers about how the process would work in practice, indicating the company was still working out the broad parameters as well as the details.Bancel annoyed several members on the panel when he declined to say directly if Moderna would negotiate the new price with the federal government to reduce the cost to taxpayers for COVID-19 vaccines provided through Medicare, Medicaid, or the Veterans Affairs health care system.Bancel also declined to say if people in the United States would pay less for the vaccine than those in other countries, whose governments didn’t invest in its development.“The price will depend on the value in each country,” Bancel said. “The cost of health care is different in each country.”<h2>Baldwin questions motives</h2>Wisconsin Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin questioned if Moderna’s decision to increase the price of its COVID-19 vaccine was linked to Bancel receiving a recent performance review in which the board said he “underperformed the company’s target for sales income generated by the COVID-19 vaccine.”Baldwin said the decision to increase the price of the vaccine “appears tied to the impact of your personal performance assessment on your bonus and how much you would stand to gain personally from increasing the price of the COVID vaccine.”Bancel contended the two were not linked, saying the price of the vaccine is determined by the value of the product and how much money can be saved in the long term through reduced hospital stays. He noted the cost of a high-dose flu vaccine for the elderly costs about $90 and the pneumonia vaccine costs about $240.Baldwin also asked about Moderna’s stock buybacks, which totaled $3.3 billion in 2022 and more than $800 million in 2021.“You are one of the, if not the, largest shareholders in Moderna,” Baldwin told Bancel. “Yet, despite spending significantly to buy back stock over the last two years, Moderna’s share price has actually declined. If you had not spent nearly $5 billion on buybacks when your stock was at the highest price it’s ever been, do you think you would be under less pressure to raise the price of COVID vaccine now?”Bancel declined any connection, saying the vaccine’s “price is not linked to the company’s performance. The price is linked to the value of the product, to the patient and to the impact on the patient. That’s how we set the price.”Bancel said Moderna believes the price it charged the U.S. government for the COVID-19 vaccine throughout the last couple of years represents a discount, in part because the company wanted to return the investment it got from the U.S. government to develop the vaccine, and in part because the federal government was purchasing in bulk.<h2>Braun: ‘preposterous’ increase</h2>Indiana Republican Sen. Mike Braun told Bancel that Moderna’s price increase “is indicative of a much bigger problem facing health care” and expressed frustration that some facets of the health care industry operate like an unregulated utility by not embracing competition or transparency.Braun challenged Bancel for saying that one of the reasons the price is going up is to account for Moderna moving from the pandemic model, where it distributed the vaccine to the U.S. government through three Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warehouses, to a regular distribution process where it will need to get the vaccine to thousands of locations throughout the country.“A 400% price increase is preposterous, especially when you’ve been given all this government largess,” Braun said.Bancel testified Moderna is trying to figure out how it could best set up the new distribution network, noting the company has never had a commercial product.<h2>Taxpayer investment</h2>Christopher Morten, associate clinical professor of law at Columbia Law School, said during his testimony on a second panel that Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine costs just $3 to make. He also criticized the price increase decision, saying Moderna benefited significantly from U.S. taxpayer investment.“Mr. Bancel claims the value of these vaccines justifies Moderna’s proposed price increase. But his testimony ignored a key question — who created that value?” Morten said. “It was the U.S. government, the American taxpayer that spent billions. It was government scientists that toiled alongside Moderna’s.”Moderna wasn’t the primary inventor of the three key scientific features of the vaccine, with the federal government providing the company with the specific mRNA sequence used in the vaccine, according to Morten.The U.S. government also designed and ran the early clinical trials and provided Moderna with money and resources to expand its manufacturing, he said.“To be clear, Moderna’s scientists and engineers made many contributions of their own, as did many academic scientists. These people and their work deserve credit and celebration too,” Morten said. “But Moderna cannot claim the vaccine’s value for itself.”

Senate rebukes plan to hike COVID vaccine price to $130 a dose

WASHINGTON (AP) — First lady Jill Biden on Wednesday used a Women's History Month event at the White House to call on men to step up and fight to protect women's rights.

(click below to watch the event at the White House)

The first lady, speaking ahead of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, didn't mince words as she lamented that women find themselves relitigating “battles that we thought we had won a long time ago.”

“We need more men to hold each other accountable when women are being hurt or being left behind,” she said.

The Supreme Court declared last June that states can ban abortion. Since then, Republican-controlled legislatures across the country have rolled out regulations shortening the period when a woman can get an abortion and otherwise restricting abortion access.

"The fight for women’s equality should have an end," the first lady said.

President Biden in his remarks vowed that his administration remained focused on improving the economic status of women, and argued that all major issues facing the nation — from public safety to public health — are directly tied to improving women’s economic security and wellbeing.

“We have to recommit to the work ahead to deliver a better future for our nation’s daughters," Biden said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — First lady Jill Biden on Wednesday used a Women's History Month event at the White House to call on men to step up and fight to protect women's rights.(click below to watch the event at the White House)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F158894350383896%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=299" 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 first lady, speaking ahead of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, didn't mince words as she lamented that women find themselves relitigating “battles that we thought we had won a long time ago.”“We need more men to hold each other accountable when women are being hurt or being left behind,” she said.The Supreme Court declared last June that states can ban abortion. Since then, Republican-controlled legislatures across the country have rolled out regulations shortening the period when a woman can get an abortion and otherwise restricting abortion access."The fight for women’s equality should have an end," the first lady said.President Biden in his remarks vowed that his administration remained focused on improving the economic status of women, and argued that all major issues facing the nation — from public safety to public health — are directly tied to improving women’s economic security and wellbeing.“We have to recommit to the work ahead to deliver a better future for our nation’s daughters," Biden said.

🎥 Jill Biden: It's time for men to step up for women's rights

By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/03/23/scott-frost-house-sold-for-a-capital-city-record-of-3-5-million/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — Scott Frost’s success as a football coach at the University
 of Nebraska wasn’t a record-breaker, but the sale of his home in South 
Lincoln was.

Frost’s five-bedroom, eight-garage home in The Ridge neighborhood 
sold for $3.5 million in late November, according to Lancaster County 
property records.

That is the highest price paid for a home in Lincoln since 1997 and 
is probably an all-time record, according to Kyle Fischer of the 
Realtors Association of Lincoln.

Fischer said there’s a chance there might have been a private sale — 
one not listed in the multiple listing service used by Realtors — that 
was higher, but he was not aware of one.

“Prices in Lincoln overall are at an all-time high,” he said. “This is highest we’ve ever seen.”

The median sale price for an existing home in Lincoln was $259,900 in
 February, according to MLS records, which was 13% higher than a year 
ago.

Fischer said there has been some buzz in the industry over the recent
 sale of at least three condominiums in downtown Lincoln for more than 
$1 million each.

MLS records show 2022 was a banner year for sales in the Capital City, with four homes selling for $1.9 million or higher.

Frost, a star quarterback for NU and national coach of the year prior
 to being hired at Nebraska, had 16 wins and 31 losses in nearly five 
seasons as coach of the Huskers.

He was fired in September after a stunning loss to Georgia Southern. 
But he left with a $16.4 million buyout of his contract, according to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wowt.com/2022/09/19/buying-out-scott-frosts-contract-before-october-cost-university-nebraska-millions-more/">wowt.com.</a>

In December, the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/money/real-estate/done-deals/2022/12/26/former-nfl-player-and-cornhuskers-coach-pays-5-4m-for-phoenix-home/69742042007/">Arizona Republic</a> reported that Frost and his wife had purchased a home in the Phoenix area for $5.4 million.

The sale of his home in Lincoln went largely unnoticed, except in real estate circles.

The home did earn some publicity in June 2018 — three months after 
Frost purchased it. That’s when burglars made off with some Oregon Ducks
 football helmets, signed photographs and five pairs of Air Jordan 
shoes, according to the <a target="_blank" href="https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/scott-frost-on-burglary-at-his-lincoln-home-obviously-very-disappointing-and-discouraging/article_86acfc85-2c0d-5c12-a529-07c0dacc8ac7.html">Lincoln Journal-Star</a>. Three people were ultimately arrested, the paper reported.

The sale of his home was recorded Nov. 21 to the Chance Dudley Trust,
 but the owner was listed in county records as Lincoln lawyer and former
 Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning as trustee.

Bruning, as well as the Realtor who listed Frost’s home, declined to 
comment Wednesday. Frost retains ownership of a Nebraska home on a 
sandpit lake in the Ashland area.

Fischer said that MLS records for the Great Plains region indicated 
that at least two home sales in Omaha topped $3.5 million in the past 
five years.

The record price paid for a home in Omaha?

MLS records, going back to 1997, indicated that it was a home in the 
Fairacres neighborhood in central Omaha, purchased by TD Ameritrade 
founder Joe Ricketts. The 19-room, 17,232-square-foot home, which sits 
on nearly four acres, sold for $6.5 million in 1999, according to 
Douglas County property records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679584583041.png" alt="Scott Frost’s home in The Ridge subdivision in south Lincoln sold for a $3.5 million, which is considered a record for a home in the Capital City. (Courtesy of Lancaster County) " />
 <figcaption>Scott Frost’s home in The Ridge subdivision in south Lincoln sold for a $3.5 million, which is considered a record for a home in the Capital City. (Courtesy of Lancaster County) </figcaption>
 </figure>By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/03/23/scott-frost-house-sold-for-a-capital-city-record-of-3-5-million/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — Scott Frost’s success as a football coach at the University
 of Nebraska wasn’t a record-breaker, but the sale of his home in South 
Lincoln was.Frost’s five-bedroom, eight-garage home in The Ridge neighborhood 
sold for $3.5 million in late November, according to Lancaster County 
property records.That is the highest price paid for a home in Lincoln since 1997 and 
is probably an all-time record, according to Kyle Fischer of the 
Realtors Association of Lincoln.Fischer said there’s a chance there might have been a private sale — 
one not listed in the multiple listing service used by Realtors — that 
was higher, but he was not aware of one.“Prices in Lincoln overall are at an all-time high,” he said. “This is highest we’ve ever seen.”The median sale price for an existing home in Lincoln was $259,900 in
 February, according to MLS records, which was 13% higher than a year 
ago.<h2>Condos sell for more than $1M </h2>Fischer said there has been some buzz in the industry over the recent
 sale of at least three condominiums in downtown Lincoln for more than 
$1 million each.MLS records show 2022 was a banner year for sales in the Capital City, with four homes selling for $1.9 million or higher.Frost, a star quarterback for NU and national coach of the year prior
 to being hired at Nebraska, had 16 wins and 31 losses in nearly five 
seasons as coach of the Huskers.He was fired in September after a stunning loss to Georgia Southern. 
But he left with a $16.4 million buyout of his contract, according to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wowt.com/2022/09/19/buying-out-scott-frosts-contract-before-october-cost-university-nebraska-millions-more/">wowt.com.</a>In December, the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/money/real-estate/done-deals/2022/12/26/former-nfl-player-and-cornhuskers-coach-pays-5-4m-for-phoenix-home/69742042007/">Arizona Republic</a> reported that Frost and his wife had purchased a home in the Phoenix area for $5.4 million.The sale of his home in Lincoln went largely unnoticed, except in real estate circles.The home did earn some publicity in June 2018 — three months after 
Frost purchased it. That’s when burglars made off with some Oregon Ducks
 football helmets, signed photographs and five pairs of Air Jordan 
shoes, according to the <a target="_blank" href="https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/scott-frost-on-burglary-at-his-lincoln-home-obviously-very-disappointing-and-discouraging/article_86acfc85-2c0d-5c12-a529-07c0dacc8ac7.html">Lincoln Journal-Star</a>. Three people were ultimately arrested, the paper reported.The sale of his home was recorded Nov. 21 to the Chance Dudley Trust,
 but the owner was listed in county records as Lincoln lawyer and former
 Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning as trustee.Bruning, as well as the Realtor who listed Frost’s home, declined to 
comment Wednesday. Frost retains ownership of a Nebraska home on a 
sandpit lake in the Ashland area.<h2>Record price in Omaha is $6.5 million</h2>Fischer said that MLS records for the Great Plains region indicated 
that at least two home sales in Omaha topped $3.5 million in the past 
five years.The record price paid for a home in Omaha?MLS records, going back to 1997, indicated that it was a home in the 
Fairacres neighborhood in central Omaha, purchased by TD Ameritrade 
founder Joe Ricketts. The 19-room, 17,232-square-foot home, which sits 
on nearly four acres, sold for $6.5 million in 1999, according to 
Douglas County property records.

Scott Frost house sold for a Capital City record of $3.5 million

DENVER (AP) — A body found in the Colorado woods near an abandoned car was that of a 17-year-old student accused of wounding two administrators in a shooting at his Denver high school, a coroner's office said.

Park County Sheriff Tom McGraw said the body was discovered Wednesday not far from the student's car in a remote mountain area about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southwest of Denver, near the small town of Bailey, in Park County. The town had been ordered to shelter in place while while officers from a number of agencies including the FBI combed the forest.

Earlier in the day, Denver police identified the suspect as Austin Lyle. The Park County coroner's office confirmed in a Facebook post that the body was that of Lyle's. Cause of death wasn't released, pending the completion of an autopsy.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shooting-east-high-school-denver-b7db159105dcaea44a816a8841ffd965">shooting occurred at East High School</a>&nbsp;in Denver, not far from downtown, while two administrators searched Lyle for weapons, a daily requirement because of the boy’s behavioral issues, authorities said. Lyle fled after the shooting.

It occurred at a school shaken by frequent lockdowns and violence, including the recent killing outside the school of a classmate that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/teen-gun-violence-denver-march-20b6acfd88edbc6e5c949a08aba45941">prompted East High School students to march</a>&nbsp;on the Colorado Capitol earlier this month. Parents who converged on the 2,500-student campus on Wednesday voiced frustration that officials had not done enough to protect their children.

“I am sick of it,” said Jesse Haase, who planned to talk with her daughter about taking her out of classes for the rest of the school year.

Amid the flurry of criticism over lax security, Denver school officials said after the shooting that they would once again put armed officers into the city’s public high schools.

There were no school resource officers on campus at the time of Wednesday’s shooting, said Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/school-shootings">shooting</a>&nbsp;happened just before 10 a.m. in an office area as Lyle was undergoing a search as part of a “safety plan" that required him to be patted down daily, officials said.

The gun used in the shooting was not immediately recovered, Thomas said.

One of the wounded administrators was released from the hospital Wednesday afternoon and the second was in serious condition, said Heather Burke, a spokesperson for Denver Health hospital.

Hundreds of students on March 3 skipped class and marched in support of stricter gun laws following the death of Luis Garcia, 16, who was shot while sitting in a car near East High School.

In June 2020, amid a summer of protests over racial injustice following the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-us-news-ap-top-news-hip-hop-and-rap-houston-a55d2662f200ead0da4fed9e923b60a7">murder of George Floyd</a>, Denver Public Schools became one of the districts around the US that decided to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-news-ap-top-news-wisconsin-az-state-wire-racial-injustice-bc5b750085a89e03e132d7d3dda09a99">phase out its use of police officers in school buildings</a>. That push was fueled by criticism that school resource officers disproportionately arrested Black students, sweeping them into the criminal justice system.

After Wednesday’s shooting, two armed officers will be posted at East High School through the end of the school year, and other city high schools also will each get an officer, said Denver Public Schools Superintendent Alex Marrero.

In a Wednesday letter to the city's Board of Education, Marrero said his decision violated district's policies but added he “can no longer stand on the sidelines.”

“I am the leader of this district who is charged with keeping our scholars and staff safe every day,” he wrote. The school board said it supported the decision.

Gun violence at schools has become&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uvalde-school-shooting-health-texas-violence-928c177ee8e09b59507c88d9c5b6ce51">increasingly common</a>&nbsp;in the U.S. with more than 1,300 shooting incidents recorded between 2000 and June 2022, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chds.us/sssc/data-map/">government researchers</a>. Those shootings killed 377 people and wounded 1,025, according to a database maintained by the researchers.

Students from East High School had been scheduled to testify Wednesday afternoon before the Colorado Legislature on gun safety bills.

“This is the reality of being young in America: sitting through a shooting and waiting for information just hours before you’re scheduled to testify in support of gun safety bills,” said Gracie Taub, a 16-year-old East High School sophomore and volunteer with Students Demand Action in Colorado.

Lyle transferred to East High School after being disciplined and removed from a high school in nearby Aurora last school year because of unspecified violations of school policies, said Cherry Creek School District spokesperson Lauren Snell.

Marrero said safety plans for students are enacted in response to “past educational and also behavioral experiences,” adding that it’s a common practice throughout Colorado’s public schools. Officials did not give further details on why Lyle was searched daily.

But daily pat downs are rare, said Franci Crepeau-Hobson, a University of Colorado Denver professor specializing in school violence prevention.

“Clearly they were concerned,” said Crepeau-Hobson. “I can’t imagine they’d do that if there wasn’t a history of the kid carrying a weapon.”

Safety plans often follow threatening or suicidal behavior from a student, said Christine Harms with the Colorado School Safety Resource Center.

In response to the shooting, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre repeated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-guns-mass-shooting-monterey-park-uvalde-489c236fd6ed12ab5d74a67ce5ecd501">President Joe Biden’s calls for stricter gun laws</a>, including bans on assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines, and for Congress to “do something” on gun control.

Wednesday was also the second anniversary of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/boulder-supermarket-shooting">10 people being shot and killed</a>&nbsp;at a supermarket in Boulder, Colorado.

DENVER (AP) — A body was found Wednesday night in the Colorado woods near the abandoned car that belonged to a 17-year-old student accused of shooting two administrators at his Denver high school earlier in the day, a sheriff said.

Park County Sheriff Tom McGraw said the body was discovered not far from the car in a remote mountain area about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southwest of Denver, near the small town of Bailey, in Park County. The town had been ordered to shelter in place while while officers from a number of agencies including the FBI combed the forest.

But, authorities said they have not yet identified who it was and McGraw declined to say if it was a man or reveal the cause of death.

Earlier in the day, Denver police identified the suspect as Austin Lyle.

The shooting occurred at East High School in Denver while two administrators searched Lyle for weapons, a daily requirement because of the boy’s behavioral issues, authorities said. Lyle fled after the shooting.

It occurred at a school shaken by frequent lockdowns and violence, including the recent killing outside the school of a classmate that prompted East High School students to march on the Colorado Capitol earlier this month. Parents who converged on the 2,500-student campus on Wednesday voiced frustration that officials had not done enough to protect their children.

One of the wounded administrators was released from the hospital Wednesday afternoon and the second remained in serious condition, said Heather Burke, a spokesperson for Denver Health hospital.

East High School, not far from downtown, was locked down as police investigated the shooting, and hundreds of parents lined up along a road outside the school.

Some parents and students vented frustration over violence at the school as they surrounded the police chief. Thomas listened quietly, nodding and promising to engage with the school board.

At the edge of the crowd, a man said the city's school board members should be recalled for getting rid of police in school, telling a nearby officer “I just want you to be able to do your job.”

In response to the shooting, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre repeated President Joe Biden’s called for stricter gun laws, including bans on assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines, and for Congress to “do something” on gun control.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679508065013.png" alt="The school, not far from downtown near a busy street that cuts through the city, was placed on lockdown as police investigated the shooting.-photo courtesy KMGH-TV" />
 <figcaption>The school, not far from downtown near a busy street that cuts through the city, was placed on lockdown as police investigated the shooting.-photo courtesy KMGH-TV</figcaption>
 </figure>DENVER (AP) — A body found in the Colorado woods near an abandoned car was that of a 17-year-old student accused of wounding two administrators in a shooting at his Denver high school, a coroner's office said.Park County Sheriff Tom McGraw said the body was discovered Wednesday not far from the student's car in a remote mountain area about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southwest of Denver, near the small town of Bailey, in Park County. The town had been ordered to shelter in place while while officers from a number of agencies including the FBI combed the forest.Earlier in the day, Denver police identified the suspect as Austin Lyle. The Park County coroner's office confirmed in a Facebook post that the body was that of Lyle's. Cause of death wasn't released, pending the completion of an autopsy.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shooting-east-high-school-denver-b7db159105dcaea44a816a8841ffd965">shooting occurred at East High School</a>&nbsp;in Denver, not far from downtown, while two administrators searched Lyle for weapons, a daily requirement because of the boy’s behavioral issues, authorities said. Lyle fled after the shooting.It occurred at a school shaken by frequent lockdowns and violence, including the recent killing outside the school of a classmate that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/teen-gun-violence-denver-march-20b6acfd88edbc6e5c949a08aba45941">prompted East High School students to march</a>&nbsp;on the Colorado Capitol earlier this month. Parents who converged on the 2,500-student campus on Wednesday voiced frustration that officials had not done enough to protect their children.“I am sick of it,” said Jesse Haase, who planned to talk with her daughter about taking her out of classes for the rest of the school year.Amid the flurry of criticism over lax security, Denver school officials said after the shooting that they would once again put armed officers into the city’s public high schools.There were no school resource officers on campus at the time of Wednesday’s shooting, said Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/school-shootings">shooting</a>&nbsp;happened just before 10 a.m. in an office area as Lyle was undergoing a search as part of a “safety plan" that required him to be patted down daily, officials said.The gun used in the shooting was not immediately recovered, Thomas said.One of the wounded administrators was released from the hospital Wednesday afternoon and the second was in serious condition, said Heather Burke, a spokesperson for Denver Health hospital.Hundreds of students on March 3 skipped class and marched in support of stricter gun laws following the death of Luis Garcia, 16, who was shot while sitting in a car near East High School.In June 2020, amid a summer of protests over racial injustice following the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-us-news-ap-top-news-hip-hop-and-rap-houston-a55d2662f200ead0da4fed9e923b60a7">murder of George Floyd</a>, Denver Public Schools became one of the districts around the US that decided to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-news-ap-top-news-wisconsin-az-state-wire-racial-injustice-bc5b750085a89e03e132d7d3dda09a99">phase out its use of police officers in school buildings</a>. That push was fueled by criticism that school resource officers disproportionately arrested Black students, sweeping them into the criminal justice system.After Wednesday’s shooting, two armed officers will be posted at East High School through the end of the school year, and other city high schools also will each get an officer, said Denver Public Schools Superintendent Alex Marrero.In a Wednesday letter to the city's Board of Education, Marrero said his decision violated district's policies but added he “can no longer stand on the sidelines.”“I am the leader of this district who is charged with keeping our scholars and staff safe every day,” he wrote. The school board said it supported the decision.Gun violence at schools has become&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uvalde-school-shooting-health-texas-violence-928c177ee8e09b59507c88d9c5b6ce51">increasingly common</a>&nbsp;in the U.S. with more than 1,300 shooting incidents recorded between 2000 and June 2022, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chds.us/sssc/data-map/">government researchers</a>. Those shootings killed 377 people and wounded 1,025, according to a database maintained by the researchers.Students from East High School had been scheduled to testify Wednesday afternoon before the Colorado Legislature on gun safety bills.“This is the reality of being young in America: sitting through a shooting and waiting for information just hours before you’re scheduled to testify in support of gun safety bills,” said Gracie Taub, a 16-year-old East High School sophomore and volunteer with Students Demand Action in Colorado.Lyle transferred to East High School after being disciplined and removed from a high school in nearby Aurora last school year because of unspecified violations of school policies, said Cherry Creek School District spokesperson Lauren Snell.Marrero said safety plans for students are enacted in response to “past educational and also behavioral experiences,” adding that it’s a common practice throughout Colorado’s public schools. Officials did not give further details on why Lyle was searched daily.But daily pat downs are rare, said Franci Crepeau-Hobson, a University of Colorado Denver professor specializing in school violence prevention.“Clearly they were concerned,” said Crepeau-Hobson. “I can’t imagine they’d do that if there wasn’t a history of the kid carrying a weapon.”Safety plans often follow threatening or suicidal behavior from a student, said Christine Harms with the Colorado School Safety Resource Center.In response to the shooting, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre repeated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-guns-mass-shooting-monterey-park-uvalde-489c236fd6ed12ab5d74a67ce5ecd501">President Joe Biden’s calls for stricter gun laws</a>, including bans on assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines, and for Congress to “do something” on gun control.Wednesday was also the second anniversary of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/boulder-supermarket-shooting">10 people being shot and killed</a>&nbsp;at a supermarket in Boulder, Colorado.---------------DENVER (AP) — A body was found Wednesday night in the Colorado woods near the abandoned car that belonged to a 17-year-old student accused of shooting two administrators at his Denver high school earlier in the day, a sheriff said.Park County Sheriff Tom McGraw said the body was discovered not far from the car in a remote mountain area about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southwest of Denver, near the small town of Bailey, in Park County. The town had been ordered to shelter in place while while officers from a number of agencies including the FBI combed the forest.But, authorities said they have not yet identified who it was and McGraw declined to say if it was a man or reveal the cause of death.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679518079688.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Earlier in the day, Denver police identified the suspect as Austin Lyle.The shooting occurred at East High School in Denver while two administrators searched Lyle for weapons, a daily requirement because of the boy’s behavioral issues, authorities said. Lyle fled after the shooting.It occurred at a school shaken by frequent lockdowns and violence, including the recent killing outside the school of a classmate that prompted East High School students to march on the Colorado Capitol earlier this month. Parents who converged on the 2,500-student campus on Wednesday voiced frustration that officials had not done enough to protect their children.“I am sick of it,” said Jesse Haase, who planned to talk with her daughter about taking her out of classes for the rest of the school year.Amid the flurry of criticism over lax security, Denver school officials said after the shooting that they would once again put armed officers into the city’s public high schools.There were no school resource officers on campus at the time of Wednesday’s shooting, said Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/school-shootings">shooting</a>&nbsp;happened just before 10 a.m. in an office area as Lyle was undergoing a search as part of a “safety plan" that required him to be patted down daily, officials said.The gun used in the shooting was not immediately recovered, Thomas said.One of the wounded administrators was released from the hospital Wednesday afternoon and the second remained in serious condition, said Heather Burke, a spokesperson for Denver Health hospital.Hundreds of students on March 3 skipped class and marched in support of stricter gun laws following the death of Luis Garcia, 16, who was shot while sitting in a car near East High School.In June 2020, amid a summer of protests over racial injustice following the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-us-news-ap-top-news-hip-hop-and-rap-houston-a55d2662f200ead0da4fed9e923b60a7">murder of George Floyd</a>, Denver Public Schools became one of the districts around the US that decided to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-news-ap-top-news-wisconsin-az-state-wire-racial-injustice-bc5b750085a89e03e132d7d3dda09a99">phase out its use of police officers in school buildings</a>. That push was fueled by criticism that school resource officers disproportionately arrested Black students, sweeping them into the criminal justice system.After Wednesday’s shooting, two armed officers will be posted at East High School through the end of the school year, and other city high schools also will each get an officer, said Denver Public Schools Superintendent Alex Marrero.In a Wednesday letter to the city's Board of Education, Marrero said his decision violated district's policies but added he “can no longer stand on the sidelines.”“I am the leader of this district who is charged with keeping our scholars and staff safe every day,” he wrote. The school board said it supported the decision.Gun violence at schools has become&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uvalde-school-shooting-health-texas-violence-928c177ee8e09b59507c88d9c5b6ce51">increasingly common</a>&nbsp;in the U.S. with more than 1,300 shooting incidents recorded between 2000 and June 2022, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chds.us/sssc/data-map/">government researchers</a>. Those shootings killed 377 people and wounded 1,025, according to a database maintained by the researchers.Students from East High School had been scheduled to testify Wednesday afternoon before the Colorado Legislature on gun safety bills.“This is the reality of being young in America: sitting through a shooting and waiting for information just hours before you’re scheduled to testify in support of gun safety bills,” said Gracie Taub, a 16-year-old East High School sophomore and volunteer with Students Demand Action in Colorado.Lyle transferred to East High School after being disciplined and removed from a high school in nearby Aurora last school year because of unspecified violations of school policies, said Cherry Creek School District spokesperson Lauren Snell.Marrero said safety plans for students are enacted in response to “past educational and also behavioral experiences,” adding that it’s a common practice throughout Colorado’s public schools. Officials did not give further details on why Lyle was searched daily.But daily pat downs are rare, said Franci Crepeau-Hobson, a University of Colorado Denver professor specializing in school violence prevention.“Clearly they were concerned,” said Crepeau-Hobson. “I can’t imagine they’d do that if there wasn’t a history of the kid carrying a weapon.”Safety plans often follow threatening or suicidal behavior from a student, said Christine Harms with the Colorado School Safety Resource Center.East High School, not far from downtown, was locked down as police investigated the shooting, and hundreds of parents lined up along a road outside the school.Some parents and students vented frustration over violence at the school as they surrounded the police chief. Thomas listened quietly, nodding and promising to engage with the school board.At the edge of the crowd, a man said the city's school board members should be recalled for getting rid of police in school, telling a nearby officer “I just want you to be able to do your job.”In response to the shooting, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre repeated President Joe Biden’s called for stricter gun laws, including bans on assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines, and for Congress to “do something” on gun control.Wednesday was also the second anniversary of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/boulder-supermarket-shooting">10 people being shot and killed</a>&nbsp;at a supermarket in Boulder, Colorado.__

Denver high school shooting suspect dead, coroner confirms

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials are reporting two more deaths and additional cases of vision loss linked to eyedrops tainted with a drug-resistant bacteria.

The eyedrops from EzriCare and Delsam Phama were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/4572be6da44f4fab4e0f691f5e37e3ed">recalled</a>&nbsp;in February and health authorities are continuing to track infections as they&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/2320289a358e9fe6fa7d38a1fc5f19f7">investigate the outbreak.</a>

In the latest government tally, 68 people were diagnosed with infections from the bacteria, which has now caused a total of three deaths and eight cases of people losing their vision, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Tuesday. That's up from one death and five cases of permanent vision loss reported last month.

The CDC said four people have undergone surgery to remove an eyeball due to the infections.

The outbreak is considered particularly worrisome because the bacteria driving it is resistant to standard antibiotics.

The CDC has now identified cases in 16 states, including California, New York, Illinois, Texas and Pennsylvania. Most of the cases have been linked to four regional clusters and Ezricare's drops are the only product used by patients in each of those groups.

The recalled drops were manufactured by Global Pharma Healthcare in India, where the bacteria — Pseudomonas aeruginosa — is commonly linked to outbreaks in hospitals. It can spread through contaminated hands or medical equipment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675357768410.png" alt="Photo -Ezri care" />
 <figcaption>Photo -Ezri care</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials are reporting two more deaths and additional cases of vision loss linked to eyedrops tainted with a drug-resistant bacteria.The eyedrops from EzriCare and Delsam Phama were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/4572be6da44f4fab4e0f691f5e37e3ed">recalled</a>&nbsp;in February and health authorities are continuing to track infections as they&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/2320289a358e9fe6fa7d38a1fc5f19f7">investigate the outbreak.</a>In the latest government tally, 68 people were diagnosed with infections from the bacteria, which has now caused a total of three deaths and eight cases of people losing their vision, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Tuesday. That's up from one death and five cases of permanent vision loss reported last month.The CDC said four people have undergone surgery to remove an eyeball due to the infections.The outbreak is considered particularly worrisome because the bacteria driving it is resistant to standard antibiotics.The CDC has now identified cases in 16 states, including California, New York, Illinois, Texas and Pennsylvania. Most of the cases have been linked to four regional clusters and Ezricare's drops are the only product used by patients in each of those groups.The recalled drops were manufactured by Global Pharma Healthcare in India, where the bacteria — Pseudomonas aeruginosa — is commonly linked to outbreaks in hospitals. It can spread through contaminated hands or medical equipment.___

CDC: More deaths, injuries linked to recalled eyedrops

WASHINGTON (AP) — The CEO of TikTok made a rare public appearance Thursday before a U.S. Congressional committee, where he faced a grilling on data security and user safety while he makes his own case for why the hugely popular video-sharing app shouldn't be banned.

<a href="https://fb.watch/js6hfEAuaY/">Click here to&nbsp;</a>watch a replay of the hearing

Shou Zi Chew's testimony comes at a crucial time for the company, which has acquired 150 million American users but is under increasing pressure from U.S. officials. TikTok and its parent company ByteDance have been swept up in a wider geopolitical battle between Beijing and Washington over trade and technology.

In her opening statement, Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, a Republican, assailed the social platform's trustworthiness because of its close ties to Beijing.

“Mr. Chew, you are here because the American people need the truth about the threat TikTok poses to our national and personal security,” McMorris Rodgers said. "TikTok has repeatedly chosen a path for more control, more surveillance and more manipulation.”

Chew, a 40-year-old Singapore native, will tell the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce that TikTok prioritizes the safety of its young users and deny&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-bytedance-china-biden-administration-14ef5f93dc2114e4ade110b2e85433fd">allegations that the app is a national security risk</a>, according to his prepared remarks released ahead of the hearing.

“There are many misconceptions about our company and I’m very proud to come here and represent them and all our users in this country,” Chew told reporters before entering the hearing.

On Wednesday, the company sent dozens of popular TikTokers to Capitol Hill to lobby lawmakers to preserve the platform. It has also been putting up ads all over Washington that tout promises of securing users data and privacy and creating a safe platform for its young users.

TikTok has been dogged by claims that its Chinese ownership means user data could end up in the hands of the Chinese government or that it could be used to promote narratives favorable to the country's Communist leaders.

“We understand the popularity of Tiktok, we get that,” said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre at a press conference Wednesday afternoon. “But the President’s job is to make sure again that the Americans, national security is protected as well. ”

For its part, TikTok has been trying to distance itself from its Chinese origins, saying that 60% percent of its parent company ByteDance is owned by global institutional investors such as Carlyle Group. ByteDance was founded by Chinese entrepreneurs in Beijing in 2012.

“Let me state this unequivocally: ByteDance is not an agent of China or any other country,” Chew said.

A U.S. ban on an app would be unprecedented and it’s unclear how the government would go about enforcing it.

Experts says officials could try to force Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their app stores, preventing new users from downloading it as well as preventing existing users from updating it, ultimately rendering it useless.

The U.S. could also block access to TikTok’s infrastructure and data, seize its domain names or force internet service providers like Comcast and Verizon to filter TikTok data traffic, said Ahmed Ghappour, a criminal law and computer security expert who teachers at Boston University School of Law.

But a tech savvy user could still get around restrictions by using a virtual private network to make it appear the user is in another country where it's not blocked, he said.

To avoid a ban, TikTok has been trying to sell officials on a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-us-news-business-ap-top-news-hong-kong-4eab38c608901de16e92facc1ed5debd">$1.5 billion plan called Project Texas</a>, which routes all U.S. user data to domestic servers owned and maintained by software giant Oracle. Under the project, access to U.S. data is managed by U.S. employees through a separate entity called TikTok U.S. Data Security, which employs 1,500 people, is run independently of ByteDance and would be monitored by outside observers.

As of October, all new U.S. user data was being stored inside the country. The company started deleting all historic U.S. user data from non-Oracle servers this month, in a process expected to be completed later this year, Chew said.

Generally, researchers have said TikTok behaves like other social media companies when it comes to data collection. In an analysis released in 2021, the University of Toronto’s nonprofit Citizen Lab found TikTok and Facebook collect similar amounts of user data, including device identifiers that can be used to track a user and other information that can piece together a user’s behavior, all valuable information for advertisers.

To block such tracking, Congress, the White House, U.S. armed forces and more than half of U.S. states have banned the use of the app from official devices.

But wiping away all the data tracking associated with the platform might prove to be difficult. In a report released this month, the Cybersecurity company Feroot said so-called tracking pixels from ByteDance, which collect user information, were found on 30 U.S state websites, including some where the app has been banned for official use.

Other countries including Denmark, Canada, and New Zealand, along with the European Union, have already banned TikTok from devices issued to government employees, citing cybersecurity concerns.

David Kennedy, a former government intelligence officer who runs the cybersecurity company TrustedSec, agrees with restricting TikTok access on government-issued phones because they might contain sensitive military information or other confidential material. A nationwide ban, however, might be too extreme, he said. He also wondered where it might lead.

“We have Tesla in China, we have Microsoft in China, we have Apple in China. Are they going to start banning us now?" Kennedy said. “It could escalate very quickly.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — The CEO of TikTok will make a high-profile appearance Thursday before a U.S. Congressional committee, where he'll face a grilling on data security and user safety while he makes his own case for why the hugely popular video-sharing app shouldn't be banned.

<a href="https://fb.watch/js6hfEAuaY/">Click here to </a>watch the hearing

<a href="https://d1dth6e84htgma.cloudfront.net/Shou_Chew_Bio_fd1abc17e1.pdf?updated_at=2023-03-21T23:58:13.616Z">Shou Zi Chew</a>'s testimony comes at a crucial time for the company, which has acquired 150 million American users but is under increasing pressure from U.S. officials. TikTok and its parent company ByteDance have been swept up in a wider geopolitical battle between Beijing and Washington over trade and technology.

Chew, a 40-year-old Singapore native, is making a rare public appearance to counter the volley of accusations that TikTok has been facing. On Wednesday, the company sent dozens of popular TikTokers to Capitol Hill&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-china-62ebef6be3c10e66d7f69f7f6d254700">to lobby lawmakers</a>&nbsp;to preserve the platform. It has also been putting up ads all over Washington that tout promises of securing users data and privacy and creating a safe platform for its young users.

<a href="https://d1dth6e84htgma.cloudfront.net/Written_Testimony_of_Shou_Chew_c07504eccf_084e8683f3.pdf?updated_at=2023-03-22T03:10:22.760Z">Chew plans to tell </a>the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce that TikTok prioritizes the safety of its young users and deny&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-bytedance-china-biden-administration-14ef5f93dc2114e4ade110b2e85433fd">allegations that the app is a national security risk</a>, according to his prepared remarks released ahead of the hearing.

A number of Western countries including Denmark, Canada, and New Zealand, along with the European Union,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/why-is-tiktok-being-banned-7d2de01d3ac5ab2b8ec2239dc7f2b20d">have already banned TikTok from devices</a>&nbsp;issued to government employees, citing cybersecurity concerns.

In the U.S., the federal government, Congress, the armed forces and more than half of states have banned the app from official devices.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679580195331.png" alt="Shou Zi Chew during Thursday's hearing -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Shou Zi Chew during Thursday's hearing -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The CEO of TikTok made a rare public appearance Thursday before a U.S. Congressional committee, where he faced a grilling on data security and user safety while he makes his own case for why the hugely popular video-sharing app shouldn't be banned.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FCSPAN%2Fvideos%2F212799924761754%2F&show_text=true&width=560&t=0" width="560" height="429" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div><a href="https://fb.watch/js6hfEAuaY/">Click here to&nbsp;</a>watch a replay of the hearingShou Zi Chew's testimony comes at a crucial time for the company, which has acquired 150 million American users but is under increasing pressure from U.S. officials. TikTok and its parent company ByteDance have been swept up in a wider geopolitical battle between Beijing and Washington over trade and technology.In her opening statement, Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, a Republican, assailed the social platform's trustworthiness because of its close ties to Beijing.“Mr. Chew, you are here because the American people need the truth about the threat TikTok poses to our national and personal security,” McMorris Rodgers said. "TikTok has repeatedly chosen a path for more control, more surveillance and more manipulation.”Chew, a 40-year-old Singapore native, will tell the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce that TikTok prioritizes the safety of its young users and deny&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-bytedance-china-biden-administration-14ef5f93dc2114e4ade110b2e85433fd">allegations that the app is a national security risk</a>, according to his prepared remarks released ahead of the hearing.“There are many misconceptions about our company and I’m very proud to come here and represent them and all our users in this country,” Chew told reporters before entering the hearing.On Wednesday, the company sent dozens of popular TikTokers to Capitol Hill to lobby lawmakers to preserve the platform. It has also been putting up ads all over Washington that tout promises of securing users data and privacy and creating a safe platform for its young users.TikTok has been dogged by claims that its Chinese ownership means user data could end up in the hands of the Chinese government or that it could be used to promote narratives favorable to the country's Communist leaders.“We understand the popularity of Tiktok, we get that,” said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre at a press conference Wednesday afternoon. “But the President’s job is to make sure again that the Americans, national security is protected as well. ”For its part, TikTok has been trying to distance itself from its Chinese origins, saying that 60% percent of its parent company ByteDance is owned by global institutional investors such as Carlyle Group. ByteDance was founded by Chinese entrepreneurs in Beijing in 2012.“Let me state this unequivocally: ByteDance is not an agent of China or any other country,” Chew said.A U.S. ban on an app would be unprecedented and it’s unclear how the government would go about enforcing it.Experts says officials could try to force Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their app stores, preventing new users from downloading it as well as preventing existing users from updating it, ultimately rendering it useless.The U.S. could also block access to TikTok’s infrastructure and data, seize its domain names or force internet service providers like Comcast and Verizon to filter TikTok data traffic, said Ahmed Ghappour, a criminal law and computer security expert who teachers at Boston University School of Law.But a tech savvy user could still get around restrictions by using a virtual private network to make it appear the user is in another country where it's not blocked, he said.To avoid a ban, TikTok has been trying to sell officials on a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-us-news-business-ap-top-news-hong-kong-4eab38c608901de16e92facc1ed5debd">$1.5 billion plan called Project Texas</a>, which routes all U.S. user data to domestic servers owned and maintained by software giant Oracle. Under the project, access to U.S. data is managed by U.S. employees through a separate entity called TikTok U.S. Data Security, which employs 1,500 people, is run independently of ByteDance and would be monitored by outside observers.As of October, all new U.S. user data was being stored inside the country. The company started deleting all historic U.S. user data from non-Oracle servers this month, in a process expected to be completed later this year, Chew said.Generally, researchers have said TikTok behaves like other social media companies when it comes to data collection. In an analysis released in 2021, the University of Toronto’s nonprofit Citizen Lab found TikTok and Facebook collect similar amounts of user data, including device identifiers that can be used to track a user and other information that can piece together a user’s behavior, all valuable information for advertisers.To block such tracking, Congress, the White House, U.S. armed forces and more than half of U.S. states have banned the use of the app from official devices.But wiping away all the data tracking associated with the platform might prove to be difficult. In a report released this month, the Cybersecurity company Feroot said so-called tracking pixels from ByteDance, which collect user information, were found on 30 U.S state websites, including some where the app has been banned for official use.Other countries including Denmark, Canada, and New Zealand, along with the European Union, have already banned TikTok from devices issued to government employees, citing cybersecurity concerns.David Kennedy, a former government intelligence officer who runs the cybersecurity company TrustedSec, agrees with restricting TikTok access on government-issued phones because they might contain sensitive military information or other confidential material. A nationwide ban, however, might be too extreme, he said. He also wondered where it might lead.“We have Tesla in China, we have Microsoft in China, we have Apple in China. Are they going to start banning us now?" Kennedy said. “It could escalate very quickly.”-------WASHINGTON (AP) — The CEO of TikTok will make a high-profile appearance Thursday before a U.S. Congressional committee, where he'll face a grilling on data security and user safety while he makes his own case for why the hugely popular video-sharing app shouldn't be banned.<a href="https://fb.watch/js6hfEAuaY/">Click here to </a>watch the hearing<a href="https://d1dth6e84htgma.cloudfront.net/Shou_Chew_Bio_fd1abc17e1.pdf?updated_at=2023-03-21T23:58:13.616Z">Shou Zi Chew</a>'s testimony comes at a crucial time for the company, which has acquired 150 million American users but is under increasing pressure from U.S. officials. TikTok and its parent company ByteDance have been swept up in a wider geopolitical battle between Beijing and Washington over trade and technology.Chew, a 40-year-old Singapore native, is making a rare public appearance to counter the volley of accusations that TikTok has been facing. On Wednesday, the company sent dozens of popular TikTokers to Capitol Hill&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-china-62ebef6be3c10e66d7f69f7f6d254700">to lobby lawmakers</a>&nbsp;to preserve the platform. It has also been putting up ads all over Washington that tout promises of securing users data and privacy and creating a safe platform for its young users.<a href="https://d1dth6e84htgma.cloudfront.net/Written_Testimony_of_Shou_Chew_c07504eccf_084e8683f3.pdf?updated_at=2023-03-22T03:10:22.760Z">Chew plans to tell </a>the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce that TikTok prioritizes the safety of its young users and deny&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-bytedance-china-biden-administration-14ef5f93dc2114e4ade110b2e85433fd">allegations that the app is a national security risk</a>, according to his prepared remarks released ahead of the hearing.TikTok has been dogged by claims that its Chinese ownership means user data could end up in the hands of the Chinese government or that it could be used to promote narratives favorable to the country's Communist leaders.“We understand the popularity of Tiktok, we get that,” said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre at a press conference Wednesday afternoon. “But the President’s job is to make sure again that the Americans, national security is protected as well. ”For its part, TikTok has been trying to distance itself from its Chinese origins, saying that 60% percent of its parent company ByteDance is owned by global institutional investors such as Carlyle Group. ByteDance was founded by Chinese entrepreneurs in Beijing in 2012.“Let me state this unequivocally: ByteDance is not an agent of China or any other country,” Chew said.A U.S. ban on an app would be unprecedented and it’s unclear how the government would go about enforcing it.Experts says officials could try to force Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their app stores, preventing new users from downloading it as well as preventing existing users from updating it, ultimately rendering it useless.The U.S. could also block access to TikTok’s infrastructure and data, seize its domain names or force internet service providers like Comcast and Verizon to filter TikTok data traffic, said Ahmed Ghappour, a criminal law and computer security expert who teachers at Boston University School of Law.But a tech savvy user could still get around restrictions by using a virtual private network to make it appear the user is in another country where it's not blocked, he said.To avoid a ban, TikTok has been trying to sell officials on a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-us-news-business-ap-top-news-hong-kong-4eab38c608901de16e92facc1ed5debd">$1.5 billion plan called Project Texas</a>, which routes all U.S. user data to domestic servers owned and maintained by software giant Oracle. Under the project, access to U.S. data is managed by U.S. employees through a separate entity called TikTok U.S. Data Security, which employs 1,500 people, is run independently of ByteDance and would be monitored by outside observers.As of October, all new U.S. user data was being stored inside the country. The company started deleting all historic U.S. user data from non-Oracle servers this month, in a process expected to be completed later this year, Chew said.A number of Western countries including Denmark, Canada, and New Zealand, along with the European Union,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/why-is-tiktok-being-banned-7d2de01d3ac5ab2b8ec2239dc7f2b20d">have already banned TikTok from devices</a>&nbsp;issued to government employees, citing cybersecurity concerns.In the U.S., the federal government, Congress, the armed forces and more than half of states have banned the app from official devices.David Kennedy, a former government intelligence officer who runs the cybersecurity company TrustedSec, agrees with restricting TikTok access on government-issued phones because they might contain sensitive military information or other confidential material. A nationwide ban, however, might be too extreme, he said. He also wondered where it might lead.“We have Tesla in China, we have Microsoft in China, we have Apple in China. Are they going to start banning us now?" Kennedy said. “It could escalate very quickly.”

🎥TikTok CEO faces off with Congress; social media giant faces U.S. ban 

United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Bukjiok Dobuony, 30, of Lincoln was sentenced this week in federal court in Lincoln for felon in possession of ammunition.&nbsp; Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Dobuony to 30 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system.&nbsp; After his release from prison, he will begin a two-year term of supervised release.

On May 30, 2021, Lincoln Police Officers were called to Gateway Mall in Lincoln on a report of two people fighting inside the mall. When police officers arrived, Dobuony was seen walking just outside the mall and was detained while witnesses were interviewed. Store employees and mall security guards reported that Dobuony attempted to take a black bag from another male who was in a group with about 2-3 other males. The black bag contained a loaded handgun. This led to a fight between Dobuony and the male with the black bag. Video of the incident showed Dobuony tackling the victim who had the bag containing the firearm, and Dobuony possessing the bag containing the firearm for a short period of time. Eventually, the victim and his friends were able to wrestle the bag away from Dobuony.

Once the fight broke up, both Dobuony and victims left the area.&nbsp;A police officer searched Dobuony’s person and found a .45 caliber bullet in the front pocket of Dobuony’s jacket. An agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives later examined the bullet and formed the opinion that the bullet was manufactured in the State of Idaho.&nbsp;

At the time, Dobuony was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he had at least two prior felony convictions – theft and assault by a confined person – from Lancaster County.

This case was investigated by the Lincoln Police Department and the FBI. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

U.S. Attorney's OfficeUnited States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Bukjiok Dobuony, 30, of Lincoln was sentenced this week in federal court in Lincoln for felon in possession of ammunition.&nbsp; Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Dobuony to 30 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system.&nbsp; After his release from prison, he will begin a two-year term of supervised release.On May 30, 2021, Lincoln Police Officers were called to Gateway Mall in Lincoln on a report of two people fighting inside the mall. When police officers arrived, Dobuony was seen walking just outside the mall and was detained while witnesses were interviewed. Store employees and mall security guards reported that Dobuony attempted to take a black bag from another male who was in a group with about 2-3 other males. The black bag contained a loaded handgun. This led to a fight between Dobuony and the male with the black bag. Video of the incident showed Dobuony tackling the victim who had the bag containing the firearm, and Dobuony possessing the bag containing the firearm for a short period of time. Eventually, the victim and his friends were able to wrestle the bag away from Dobuony.Once the fight broke up, both Dobuony and victims left the area.&nbsp;A police officer searched Dobuony’s person and found a .45 caliber bullet in the front pocket of Dobuony’s jacket. An agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives later examined the bullet and formed the opinion that the bullet was manufactured in the State of Idaho.&nbsp;At the time, Dobuony was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he had at least two prior felony convictions – theft and assault by a confined person – from Lancaster County.This case was investigated by the Lincoln Police Department and the FBI. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Neb. man sentenced for unlawful possession of ammunition

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve extended its year-long fight against high inflation Wednesday by raising its key interest rate by a quarter-point despite concerns that higher borrowing rates could worsen the turmoil that has gripped the banking system.

“The U.S. banking system is sound and resilient,” the Fed said in a statement after its latest policy meeting ended.

At the same time, the Fed warned that the financial upheaval stemming from the collapse of two major banks is “likely to result in tighter credit conditions” and “weigh on economic activity, hiring and inflation.”

The central bank also signaled that it's likely nearing the end of its aggressive streak of rate hikes. In its statement, it removed language that had previously said it would keep raising rates at upcoming meetings. The statement now says “some additional policy firming may be appropriate” — a weaker commitment to future hikes.

And in a series of quarterly projections, the policymakers forecast that they expect to raise their key rate just once more — from its new level Wednesday of about 4.9% to 5.1%, the same peak level they had projected in December.

Still, in its latest statement, the Fed included some language that indicated its inflation fight remains far from complete. It noted that hiring is “running at a robust pace” and “inflation remains elevated.” It removed a phrase, “inflation has eased somewhat,” that it had included in its statement in February.

Speaking at a news conference Wednesday, Chair Jerome Powell said, “The process of getting inflation back down to 2% has a long way to go and is likely to be bumpy.”

The latest rate hike suggests that Powell is confident that the Fed can manage a dual challenge: Cool still-high inflation through higher loan rates&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-interest-rates-federal-reserve-banks-recession-232be412196916317f583f73445bd149">while defusing</a>&nbsp;turmoil in the banking sector through emergency lending programs and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/silicon-valley-bank-failure-deposits-fdic-8011ea377d8f9941032790ce1d704c5a">the Biden administration’s decision</a>&nbsp;to cover uninsured deposits at the two failed banks.

The Fed's signal that the end of its rate-hiking campaign is in sight may also soothe financial markets as they digest the consequences of the U.S. banking turmoil and the takeover last weekend of Credit Suisse by its larger rival UBS.

The central bank’s benchmark short-term rate has now reached its highest level in 16 years. The new level will likely lead to higher costs for many loans, from mortgages and auto purchases to credit cards and corporate borrowing. The succession of Fed rate hikes have also heightened the risk of a recession.

The Fed’s latest decision reflects an abrupt shift. Early this month, Powell had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-federal-reserve-interest-rates-powell-unemployment-79b7ead4530ab381a17638a6c9df2d90">told a Senate panel that the Fed was considering</a>&nbsp;raising its rate by a substantial half-point. At the time, hiring and consumer spending had strengthened more than expected. Inflation data had also been revised higher.

The troubles that suddenly erupted in the banking sector two weeks ago likely led to the Fed’s decision to raise its benchmark rate by a quarter-point rather than a half-point. Some economists have cautioned that even a modest quarter-point rise in the Fed’s key rate, on top of its previous hikes, could imperil weaker banks whose nervous customers may decide to withdraw significant deposits.

Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank were both brought down, indirectly, by higher rates, which pummeled the value of the Treasurys and other bonds they owned. As depositors withdrew money en masse, the banks had to sell the bonds at a loss to pay the depositors. They couldn't raise enough cash to do so.

After the fall of the two banks, Credit Suisse was taken over by UBS. Another struggling bank, First Republic, has received large deposits from its rivals in a show of support, though its share price plunged Monday before stabilizing.

The Fed is deciding, in effect, to treat inflation and financial turmoil as distinct problems, to be managed simultaneously by separate tools: Higher rates to tame inflation and greater Fed lending to banks to calm financial turmoil.

The Fed, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and Treasury Department agreed to insure all the deposits at Silicon Valley and Signature, including accounts that exceed the $250,000 limit. The Fed also created a new lending program to ensure that banks can access cash to repay depositors, if needed.

But economists warn that many mid-size and small banks, to conserve capital, will likely become more cautious in their lending. A tightening of bank credit could, in turn, reduce business spending on new software, equipment and buildings. It could make it harder for consumers to obtain auto or other loans.

Some economists worry that such a slowdown in lending could be enough to tip the economy into recession. Wall Street traders are betting that a weaker economy will force the Fed to start cutting rates this summer.

The Fed would likely welcome slower growth, which would help cool inflation. But few economists are sure what the effects would be of a pullback in bank lending.

Other major central banks are also seeking to tame high inflation without worsening the financial instability caused by the two U.S. bank collapses and the hasty sale of Credit Suisse to UBS. Even with the anxieties surrounding the global banking system, for instance, the Bank of England faces pressure to approve an 11th straight rate hike Thursday with annual inflation having reached 10.4%.

And the European Central Bank, saying Europe’s banking sector was resilient, last week raised its benchmark rate by a half point to combat inflation of 8.5%. At the same time, the ECB president, Christine Lagarde, has shifted to an open-ended stance regarding further rate increases

In the United States, most recent data still points to a solid economy and strong hiring. Employers added a robust 311,000 jobs in February. And while the unemployment rate rose, from 3.4% to a still-low 3.6%, that mostly reflected an influx of new job-seekers who were not immediately hired. In its latest quarterly projections, the Fed predicts that the unemployment rate will rise from its current 3.6% to 4.5% by year's end.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve extended its year-long fight against high inflation Wednesday by raising its key interest rate by a quarter-point despite concerns that higher borrowing rates could worsen the turmoil that has gripped the banking system.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/colbyLsmith?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@colbyLsmith</a>: &quot;Given all of the stress and the uncertainty that you&#39;ve also alluded to in this statement, how seriously was a pause considered for this meeting?&quot; Fed Chair Powell: &quot;We did consider that in the days running up to the meeting...&quot; <a href="https://t.co/H6OunkQKW5">pic.twitter.com/H6OunkQKW5</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1638614903610126336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“The U.S. banking system is sound and resilient,” the Fed said in a statement after its latest policy meeting ended.At the same time, the Fed warned that the financial upheaval stemming from the collapse of two major banks is “likely to result in tighter credit conditions” and “weigh on economic activity, hiring and inflation.”The central bank also signaled that it's likely nearing the end of its aggressive streak of rate hikes. In its statement, it removed language that had previously said it would keep raising rates at upcoming meetings. The statement now says “some additional policy firming may be appropriate” — a weaker commitment to future hikes.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Fed Chair Powell: &quot;Inflation remains too high and the labor market continues to be very tight...The process of getting inflation back down to 2% has a long way to go and is likely to be bumpy...&quot; <a href="https://t.co/GCtWbhvQ5j">pic.twitter.com/GCtWbhvQ5j</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1638614837369380876?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>And in a series of quarterly projections, the policymakers forecast that they expect to raise their key rate just once more — from its new level Wednesday of about 4.9% to 5.1%, the same peak level they had projected in December.Still, in its latest statement, the Fed included some language that indicated its inflation fight remains far from complete. It noted that hiring is “running at a robust pace” and “inflation remains elevated.” It removed a phrase, “inflation has eased somewhat,” that it had included in its statement in February.Speaking at a news conference Wednesday, Chair Jerome Powell said, “The process of getting inflation back down to 2% has a long way to go and is likely to be bumpy.”The latest rate hike suggests that Powell is confident that the Fed can manage a dual challenge: Cool still-high inflation through higher loan rates&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-interest-rates-federal-reserve-banks-recession-232be412196916317f583f73445bd149">while defusing</a>&nbsp;turmoil in the banking sector through emergency lending programs and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/silicon-valley-bank-failure-deposits-fdic-8011ea377d8f9941032790ce1d704c5a">the Biden administration’s decision</a>&nbsp;to cover uninsured deposits at the two failed banks.The Fed's signal that the end of its rate-hiking campaign is in sight may also soothe financial markets as they digest the consequences of the U.S. banking turmoil and the takeover last weekend of Credit Suisse by its larger rival UBS.The central bank’s benchmark short-term rate has now reached its highest level in 16 years. The new level will likely lead to higher costs for many loans, from mortgages and auto purchases to credit cards and corporate borrowing. The succession of Fed rate hikes have also heightened the risk of a recession.The Fed’s latest decision reflects an abrupt shift. Early this month, Powell had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-federal-reserve-interest-rates-powell-unemployment-79b7ead4530ab381a17638a6c9df2d90">told a Senate panel that the Fed was considering</a>&nbsp;raising its rate by a substantial half-point. At the time, hiring and consumer spending had strengthened more than expected. Inflation data had also been revised higher.The troubles that suddenly erupted in the banking sector two weeks ago likely led to the Fed’s decision to raise its benchmark rate by a quarter-point rather than a half-point. Some economists have cautioned that even a modest quarter-point rise in the Fed’s key rate, on top of its previous hikes, could imperil weaker banks whose nervous customers may decide to withdraw significant deposits.Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank were both brought down, indirectly, by higher rates, which pummeled the value of the Treasurys and other bonds they owned. As depositors withdrew money en masse, the banks had to sell the bonds at a loss to pay the depositors. They couldn't raise enough cash to do so.After the fall of the two banks, Credit Suisse was taken over by UBS. Another struggling bank, First Republic, has received large deposits from its rivals in a show of support, though its share price plunged Monday before stabilizing.The Fed is deciding, in effect, to treat inflation and financial turmoil as distinct problems, to be managed simultaneously by separate tools: Higher rates to tame inflation and greater Fed lending to banks to calm financial turmoil.The Fed, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and Treasury Department agreed to insure all the deposits at Silicon Valley and Signature, including accounts that exceed the $250,000 limit. The Fed also created a new lending program to ensure that banks can access cash to repay depositors, if needed.But economists warn that many mid-size and small banks, to conserve capital, will likely become more cautious in their lending. A tightening of bank credit could, in turn, reduce business spending on new software, equipment and buildings. It could make it harder for consumers to obtain auto or other loans.Some economists worry that such a slowdown in lending could be enough to tip the economy into recession. Wall Street traders are betting that a weaker economy will force the Fed to start cutting rates this summer.The Fed would likely welcome slower growth, which would help cool inflation. But few economists are sure what the effects would be of a pullback in bank lending.Other major central banks are also seeking to tame high inflation without worsening the financial instability caused by the two U.S. bank collapses and the hasty sale of Credit Suisse to UBS. Even with the anxieties surrounding the global banking system, for instance, the Bank of England faces pressure to approve an 11th straight rate hike Thursday with annual inflation having reached 10.4%.And the European Central Bank, saying Europe’s banking sector was resilient, last week raised its benchmark rate by a half point to combat inflation of 8.5%. At the same time, the ECB president, Christine Lagarde, has shifted to an open-ended stance regarding further rate increasesIn the United States, most recent data still points to a solid economy and strong hiring. Employers added a robust 311,000 jobs in February. And while the unemployment rate rose, from 3.4% to a still-low 3.6%, that mostly reflected an influx of new job-seekers who were not immediately hired. In its latest quarterly projections, the Fed predicts that the unemployment rate will rise from its current 3.6% to 4.5% by year's end.

🎥 Fed raises key interest rate again despite bank turmoil

United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Craig Hoffman, 46, of Lincoln was sentenced on March 20 in Lincoln by Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard for willful failure to collect or pay over employment taxes. Hoffman was sentenced to two years in prison. After his release from prison, Hoffman will begin a two-year term of supervise release. There is no parole in the federal system. Senior Judge Gerrard ordered Hoffman to pay $325,197.90 in restitution.

Between 2011 and 2017, Hoffman Law Office, P.C. LLO was a professional corporation doing business as a law firm in Lincoln. Hoffman was the owner, operator, and sole employee of Hoffman Law, and exercised control over the business affairs, including authorizing business expenses, authorizing payment of employee compensation, approval of payments made by the corporation, and approval of payment of “payroll taxes” to the Internal Revenue Service.

Hoffman Law, by and through Hoffman as the sole employee, was obligated to withhold taxes from his employee compensation, including federal income taxes, and Medicare and Social Security taxes, also known as FICA or payroll taxes. Hoffman Law was required to make deposits of “payroll taxes” to the Internal Revenue Service on a periodic basis. In addition, Hoffman Law was required to file quarterly tax forms showing employee wages subject to withholding, the total amount of income taxes withheld, the total amount of “payroll taxes” due, and the total tax deposits.&nbsp; As owner, operator, and sole employee of Hoffman Law, Hoffman had the authority required to exercise significant control over the corporate financial business affairs of Hoffman Law, and had the responsibility to collect, truthfully account for, and pay over “payroll taxes” of Hoffman Law to the Internal Revenue Service.&nbsp;

Between 2011 and 2016, Hoffman Law failed to pay over to the Internal Revenue Service payroll taxes which were due and owing to the United States of America. For example, as of October 31, 2015, Hoffman failed to pay over to the Internal Revenue Service $11,155.12 in payroll taxes he owed for the previous quarter ending September 30, 2015.

In October 2013, the IRS notified Hoffman of its intent to file levies to collect the taxes due for 2010 and 2011. Thereafter, several levy payments totaling more than $46,000 were received from the bank that held the Hoffman Law operating account. In 2014, Hoffman began the practice of transferring funds from the firm’s trust fund account to its operating account and then immediately writing checks to himself that he cashed or deposited into his personal bank account. Hoffman engaged in this conduct, at least in part, so that he could receive the funds before any levies on the account could be made by the IRS, which resulted in the account having a low balance from time to time in the event the IRS levied on the account. Between 2011 and 2016, Hoffman failed to pay $241,362.92 in employment taxes. Including interest and penalties, Hoffman’s outstanding tax debt grew to $325,197.90, which is the amount of restitution he was ordered to pay to the IRS as part of his sentence.

“As an Attorney, Mr. Hoffman was not above the law.&nbsp; Investigating and prosecuting any business owner who intentionally fails to pay their employment tax obligations is a priority for IRS-Criminal Investigation," stated Special Agent in Charge Thomas F. Murdock of the IRS-Criminal Investigation St. Louis Field Office. "Today's sentencing is a reflection of just how serious the courts view these crimes, and Mr. Hoffman is now a convicted felon with a prison term to serve.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation.&nbsp;

U.S. Attorney's OfficeUnited States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Craig Hoffman, 46, of Lincoln was sentenced on March 20 in Lincoln by Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard for willful failure to collect or pay over employment taxes. Hoffman was sentenced to two years in prison. After his release from prison, Hoffman will begin a two-year term of supervise release. There is no parole in the federal system. Senior Judge Gerrard ordered Hoffman to pay $325,197.90 in restitution.Between 2011 and 2017, Hoffman Law Office, P.C. LLO was a professional corporation doing business as a law firm in Lincoln. Hoffman was the owner, operator, and sole employee of Hoffman Law, and exercised control over the business affairs, including authorizing business expenses, authorizing payment of employee compensation, approval of payments made by the corporation, and approval of payment of “payroll taxes” to the Internal Revenue Service.Hoffman Law, by and through Hoffman as the sole employee, was obligated to withhold taxes from his employee compensation, including federal income taxes, and Medicare and Social Security taxes, also known as FICA or payroll taxes. Hoffman Law was required to make deposits of “payroll taxes” to the Internal Revenue Service on a periodic basis. In addition, Hoffman Law was required to file quarterly tax forms showing employee wages subject to withholding, the total amount of income taxes withheld, the total amount of “payroll taxes” due, and the total tax deposits.&nbsp; As owner, operator, and sole employee of Hoffman Law, Hoffman had the authority required to exercise significant control over the corporate financial business affairs of Hoffman Law, and had the responsibility to collect, truthfully account for, and pay over “payroll taxes” of Hoffman Law to the Internal Revenue Service.&nbsp;Between 2011 and 2016, Hoffman Law failed to pay over to the Internal Revenue Service payroll taxes which were due and owing to the United States of America. For example, as of October 31, 2015, Hoffman failed to pay over to the Internal Revenue Service $11,155.12 in payroll taxes he owed for the previous quarter ending September 30, 2015.In October 2013, the IRS notified Hoffman of its intent to file levies to collect the taxes due for 2010 and 2011. Thereafter, several levy payments totaling more than $46,000 were received from the bank that held the Hoffman Law operating account. In 2014, Hoffman began the practice of transferring funds from the firm’s trust fund account to its operating account and then immediately writing checks to himself that he cashed or deposited into his personal bank account. Hoffman engaged in this conduct, at least in part, so that he could receive the funds before any levies on the account could be made by the IRS, which resulted in the account having a low balance from time to time in the event the IRS levied on the account. Between 2011 and 2016, Hoffman failed to pay $241,362.92 in employment taxes. Including interest and penalties, Hoffman’s outstanding tax debt grew to $325,197.90, which is the amount of restitution he was ordered to pay to the IRS as part of his sentence.“As an Attorney, Mr. Hoffman was not above the law.&nbsp; Investigating and prosecuting any business owner who intentionally fails to pay their employment tax obligations is a priority for IRS-Criminal Investigation," stated Special Agent in Charge Thomas F. Murdock of the IRS-Criminal Investigation St. Louis Field Office. "Today's sentencing is a reflection of just how serious the courts view these crimes, and Mr. Hoffman is now a convicted felon with a prison term to serve.This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation.&nbsp;

Former Neb. lawyer sentenced to prison in federal tax case

DENVER (AP) — A student shot and wounded two administrators at a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/teen-gun-violence-denver-march-20b6acfd88edbc6e5c949a08aba45941">Denver high school</a>&nbsp;Wednesday morning, after a handgun was found during a daily search of the boy that was being conducted because of behavioral issues, authorities said.

The 17-year-old suspect remained at large. Denver school officials, facing criticism over lax security, said they would put armed officers into the city's public high schools.

The shooting occurred at a school shaken by frequent lockdowns and violence, including the killing of a classmate that prompted East High School students to march on the Colorado Capitol earlier this month. Parents who converged on the 2,500-student campus on Wednesday faulted officials for not doing enough to protect their children.

Police were searching for Austin Lyle for attempted homicide. The gun used in the shooting was not immediately recovered, Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas said.

Police issued an alert linking Lyle to a red 2005 Volvo X90 with Colorado plates and offered a reward up to $2,000 for information on the case.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/school-shootings">shooting</a>&nbsp;happened just before 10 a.m. in an office area as the student was undergoing a search as part of a “safety plan" that required him to be patted down daily, officials said.

One of the wounded administrators was released from the hospital Wednesday afternoon and the second remained in serious condition, said Heather Burke, a spokesperson for Denver Health hospital. Both victims are male.

Thomas said police know where Lyle lives and believed they would apprehend him.

"He obviously is armed and dangerous and willing to use the weapon, as we’ve learned this morning,” Denver Mayor Michael Hancock warned as law enforcement searched.

Hundreds of students on March 3 skipped class and marched in support of stricter gun laws following the death of Luis Garcia, 16, who was shot while sitting in a car near the school.