<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22JOHN%20LEICESTER%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By JOHN LEICESTER Associated Press</a>

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Rolling blackouts across Ukraine may continue through March, according to one of the country’s energy chiefs, as Ukrainians brace for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-kyiv-europe-business-2b3c41d06740b6b3b5ad42497f7ebcae">a grim winter</a>&nbsp;after weeks of relentless Russian strikes against its power grid.

Sergey Kovalenko, CEO of private energy provider DTEK Yasno, said in a Facebook post late Monday that the company was under instructions from Ukraine’s state grid operator to resume emergency blackouts in the areas it covers, including the capital Kyiv and the eastern Dnipropetrovsk region.

“Although there are fewer blackouts now, I want everyone to understand: Most likely, Ukrainians will have to live with blackouts until at least the end of March,” Kovalenko warned.

“I think we need to be prepared for different options, even the worst ones. Stock up on warm clothes, blankets, think about what will help you wait out a long shutdown,” he said, addressing Ukrainian residents.

Russia has been pummeling Ukraine’s power grid and other infrastructure from the air for weeks, as the war approaches its nine-month milestone. That onslaught has caused widespread blackouts and deprived millions of Ukrainians of electricity, heat and water.

Temperatures commonly stick below freezing in Ukraine in the winter months. Ukrainian authorities have started&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-kyiv-europe-4694a38addce348a51bc122a240e9c0b">evacuating civilians</a>&nbsp;from recently liberated sections of the southern Kherson and Mykolaiv regions out of fear that the winter will be hard to survive.

Kovalenko added that even if no more Russian strikes occur, scheduled outages will be needed across Ukraine to ensure that power is evenly distributed across the battered energy grid.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russian missile strikes have damaged more than 50% of the country’s energy facilities, and the World Health Organization is warning that millions face a “life-threatening” winter in Ukraine.

The battle for terrain has continued unabated despite the deteriorating weather conditions, with Ukrainian forces pressing against Russian positions as part of a weeks-long counteroffensive and Moscow’s forces keeping up shelling and missile strikes.

In a key battlefield development, a Ukrainian official acknowledged that Kyiv’s forces are attacking Russian positions on the Kinburn Spit, which is a gateway to the Black Sea basin and parts of the southern Kherson region that are still under Russian control.

Despite an information blackout around the operation, Natalya Humenyuk, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian army’s Operational Command South, said in televised remarks that Ukrainian forces are “continuing a military operation” in the area.

The Kinburn Spit is Russia’s last outpost in Ukraine’s southern Mykolayiv region, directly west of Kherson. Ukrainian forces recently liberated other parts of the Kherson and Mykolaiv regions.

Moscow has used the Kinburn Spit as a staging ground for missile and artillery strikes on Ukrainian positions in the Mykolaiv province, and elsewhere along the Ukrainian-controlled Black Sea coast.

Ukraine recently recaptured the city of Kherson, on the western bank of the Dnieper River, and surrounding areas in a major battlefield advance.

Capturing the Kinburn Spit could help Ukrainian forces push into territory Russia still holds in the Kherson region “under significantly less Russian artillery fire” than an attempt at a direct crossing of the Dnieper would likely unleash, a Washington-based think tank said late Monday.

The Institute for the Study of War added that control of the area would help Kyiv alleviate Russian strikes on Ukraine’s southern seaports and allow Ukraine to increase its naval activity in the Black Sea.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s presidential office said Tuesday morning that at least eight civilians were killed and 16 were injured over the previous 24 hours, as Moscow’s forces once again used drones, rockets and heavy artillery to pound eight Ukrainian regions.

Since Russia invaded its neighbor on Feb. 24, the war has killed at least 16,784 civilians and injured 10,189, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights estimates.

In the eastern Donetsk region, fierce battles continued around the city of Bakhmut, where the Kremlin’s forces are keen to clinch an unambiguous victory after weeks of embarrassing military setbacks.

Speaking on Ukrainian TV, Donetsk Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said Russia launched missiles at the city of Kramatorsk, home to the local headquarters of the Ukrainian military, and on the strategic city of Avdiivka.

Kyrylenko added that power supplies and communications are non-existent in most of the Donetsk region.

According to the Ukrainian presidential office, one civilian was killed and three others were wounded after Russia shelled the city of Kherson, which Ukrainian forces recaptured Nov. 10.

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22JOHN%20LEICESTER%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By JOHN LEICESTER Associated Press</a>KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Rolling blackouts across Ukraine may continue through March, according to one of the country’s energy chiefs, as Ukrainians brace for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-kyiv-europe-business-2b3c41d06740b6b3b5ad42497f7ebcae">a grim winter</a>&nbsp;after weeks of relentless Russian strikes against its power grid.Sergey Kovalenko, CEO of private energy provider DTEK Yasno, said in a Facebook post late Monday that the company was under instructions from Ukraine’s state grid operator to resume emergency blackouts in the areas it covers, including the capital Kyiv and the eastern Dnipropetrovsk region.“Although there are fewer blackouts now, I want everyone to understand: Most likely, Ukrainians will have to live with blackouts until at least the end of March,” Kovalenko warned.“I think we need to be prepared for different options, even the worst ones. Stock up on warm clothes, blankets, think about what will help you wait out a long shutdown,” he said, addressing Ukrainian residents.Russia has been pummeling Ukraine’s power grid and other infrastructure from the air for weeks, as the war approaches its nine-month milestone. That onslaught has caused widespread blackouts and deprived millions of Ukrainians of electricity, heat and water.Temperatures commonly stick below freezing in Ukraine in the winter months. Ukrainian authorities have started&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-kyiv-europe-4694a38addce348a51bc122a240e9c0b">evacuating civilians</a>&nbsp;from recently liberated sections of the southern Kherson and Mykolaiv regions out of fear that the winter will be hard to survive.Kovalenko added that even if no more Russian strikes occur, scheduled outages will be needed across Ukraine to ensure that power is evenly distributed across the battered energy grid.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russian missile strikes have damaged more than 50% of the country’s energy facilities, and the World Health Organization is warning that millions face a “life-threatening” winter in Ukraine.The battle for terrain has continued unabated despite the deteriorating weather conditions, with Ukrainian forces pressing against Russian positions as part of a weeks-long counteroffensive and Moscow’s forces keeping up shelling and missile strikes.In a key battlefield development, a Ukrainian official acknowledged that Kyiv’s forces are attacking Russian positions on the Kinburn Spit, which is a gateway to the Black Sea basin and parts of the southern Kherson region that are still under Russian control.Despite an information blackout around the operation, Natalya Humenyuk, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian army’s Operational Command South, said in televised remarks that Ukrainian forces are “continuing a military operation” in the area.The Kinburn Spit is Russia’s last outpost in Ukraine’s southern Mykolayiv region, directly west of Kherson. Ukrainian forces recently liberated other parts of the Kherson and Mykolaiv regions.Moscow has used the Kinburn Spit as a staging ground for missile and artillery strikes on Ukrainian positions in the Mykolaiv province, and elsewhere along the Ukrainian-controlled Black Sea coast.Ukraine recently recaptured the city of Kherson, on the western bank of the Dnieper River, and surrounding areas in a major battlefield advance.Capturing the Kinburn Spit could help Ukrainian forces push into territory Russia still holds in the Kherson region “under significantly less Russian artillery fire” than an attempt at a direct crossing of the Dnieper would likely unleash, a Washington-based think tank said late Monday.The Institute for the Study of War added that control of the area would help Kyiv alleviate Russian strikes on Ukraine’s southern seaports and allow Ukraine to increase its naval activity in the Black Sea.Meanwhile, Ukraine’s presidential office said Tuesday morning that at least eight civilians were killed and 16 were injured over the previous 24 hours, as Moscow’s forces once again used drones, rockets and heavy artillery to pound eight Ukrainian regions.Since Russia invaded its neighbor on Feb. 24, the war has killed at least 16,784 civilians and injured 10,189, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights estimates.In the eastern Donetsk region, fierce battles continued around the city of Bakhmut, where the Kremlin’s forces are keen to clinch an unambiguous victory after weeks of embarrassing military setbacks.Speaking on Ukrainian TV, Donetsk Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said Russia launched missiles at the city of Kramatorsk, home to the local headquarters of the Ukrainian military, and on the strategic city of Avdiivka.Kyrylenko added that power supplies and communications are non-existent in most of the Donetsk region.According to the Ukrainian presidential office, one civilian was killed and three others were wounded after Russia shelled the city of Kherson, which Ukrainian forces recaptured Nov. 10.

'Stock up on blankets': Ukrainians brace for bleak winter

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22BROOKE%20SCHULTZ%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By BROOKE SCHULTZ </a> <a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22BROOKE%20SCHULTZ%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">Associated Press/Report for America</a>

Some of Taylor Swift’s fans want you to know three things: They’re not still 16, they have careers and resources and, right now, they’re angry. That’s a powerful political motivator, researchers say.

It started Nov. 15, when millions crowded a presale for Swift’s long-awaited Eras Tour,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-ticketmaster-concert-tickets-parents-34399cca6403c97f0983a5c69c7edec0">resulting in crashes, prolonged waits and frantic purchases.</a>&nbsp;By Thursday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-ticketmaster-sale-canceled-music-concert-tour-70c8a21059174c37a06b7a8475239b06">Ticketmaster had canceled the general sale,</a>&nbsp;citing insufficient remaining tickets and inciting a firestorm of outrage from fans. Swift herself said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-taylor-swift-af5d58d2a8c6def368ded1bd2ddd8a6f">the ordeal “really pisses me off.”</a>

Ticketmaster apologized but the bad blood had already been sowed. And now fans — and politicians — have started acting on it.

U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez directed Swifties to where they could make U.S. Department of Justice complaints. Multiple&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/josh-shapiro-business-taylor-swift-tennessee-e157badef297f7c302615b3a6080ba2a">state attorneys general</a>&nbsp;— including in Pennsylvania and Tennessee, key states in Swift’s origin story — have announced investigations.

Stephanie Aly, a New York-based professional who has worked on community organizing for progressive politics, for years has thought mobilizing fandoms for social progress could be beneficial.

“Fandoms are natural organizers,” said the 33-year-old Swiftie. “If you find the right issues and you activate them and engage them then you can effect real change.”

In 2020, for instance, K-pop fans organized to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/death-of-george-floyd-music-ap-top-news-south-korea-entertainment-09aaf5560b48385f5adf8ae7a6af3740">back the Black Lives Matter movement</a>&nbsp;and sought to&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/[https://apnews.com/article/pop-music-music-donald-trump-us-news-united-states-2f18f18a8b40a4635fd3590fd159241c">inflate registration</a>&nbsp;for a Donald Trump rally. Aly and Swifties from different industries — law, public relations, cybersecurity and more — have joined forces to create Vigilante Legal, a group targeting Ticketmaster by creating email templates to petition attorneys general and providing antitrust information. Thousands have expressed interest in helping or learning more.

“The level of anger that you’ve just seen in the country around this issue is astounding,” said Jean Sinzdak, associate director for the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University. “People are really sharing their feelings about that and building a movement about that online, which I really think is quite fascinating. It’s certainly an opportunity to engage people politically. Whether it lasts is hard to say, but it certainly feels like a real opportunity.”

In one way, said Sinzdak, this is giving Swift’s large following of younger people a direct line to seeing how policy takes shape. It’s also targeting a demographic that is seldom courted by politicians during election season.

“Nobody goes out and thinks, ‘Let’s target young women,’” said Gwen Nisbett, a University of North Texas professor who researches the intersection of political engagement and pop culture. “Be it about abortion or student loans, that age group is super mobilized and young women are super mobilized.”

Fan culture and community has boosted that tendency toward mobilization. Nisbett was studying parasocial relationships — when fans have strong one-way relationships with celebrities — in 2018, when the previously apolitical Swift posted an endorsement of Democratic candidates to social media. Nisbett found that while such posts may not determine fans' votes, they still led to the increased likelihood fans would look for more information about voting — and actually vote.

For the record:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-votecast-quirky-polls-e9c117cb5be549f91ca7d98d249c5f9d">AP VoteCast,</a>&nbsp;an extensive survey of the U.S. electorate, showed about a third of Tennessee voters in 2018 said they had a favorable opinion of Swift, and among them, a large majority — about 7 in 10 — backed Democrat Phil Bredesen in the Senate contest. That was in clear contrast to the roughly third of voters who had an unfavorable opinion of Swift and overwhelmingly backed Republican Marsha Blackburn.

For Swifties, the ire for Ticketmaster is not just about a ticket: “It’s the fact that you can’t participate in your community and your fandom and it’s part of your identity,” Nisbett said.

This isn’t even the first time a fandom or an artist has targeted Ticketmaster.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/063fca1ccd36ad2fe398537b71426d21">Pearl Jam took aim at the company</a>&nbsp;in 1994, although the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/c3efaa2c4026495236f2035e93fe8a3f">Justice Department ultimately declined</a>&nbsp;to bring a case. More recently, Bruce Springsteen fans were enraged over high ticket costs because of the platform’s dynamic pricing system.

“It’s not just about getting vengeance for Swifties. It’s not about getting an extra million Taylor Swift fans tickets, or all of us going to a secret session,” said Jordan Burger, 28, who is using his law background to help the cause. “It’s about fundamental equality. And when you have a monopolist like that, it’s just so representative of the class structure of a society where there isn’t equality anymore, there isn’t fairness.”

The sheer power and size of Swift’s fandom has spurred conversations about economic inequality, merely symbolized by Ticketmaster.

Aly noted that quite a few of the members of the group did get tickets; the issue is is bigger than Ticketmaster, she said.

“We’ve gotten some feedback that, ‘This is too big, let the government handle it.’ Have you seen the U.S. government? The government only functions when the people push it to and when the people demand that it function and the people are involved,” she said. “Even when something seems too big to fail or too powerful to fail, there are always enough of us to make a difference. Your involvement may be the thing that pushes it over the edge that forces the government to act.”

Aly says many grown-up Swifties have 10-15 years’ experience of being bullied for liking the singer — but what fans have in mind might be better than revenge.

“We have thick skin and nothing to lose, really,” Aly said.

Associated Press journalist Hannah Fingerhut contributed to this report from Washington. Brooke Schultz is a Harrisburg, Pennsylvania-based corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reportforamerica.org/">Report for America</a>&nbsp;is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22BROOKE%20SCHULTZ%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By BROOKE SCHULTZ </a> <a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22BROOKE%20SCHULTZ%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">Associated Press/Report for America</a>Some of Taylor Swift’s fans want you to know three things: They’re not still 16, they have careers and resources and, right now, they’re angry. That’s a powerful political motivator, researchers say.Look what Ticketmaster made them do.It started Nov. 15, when millions crowded a presale for Swift’s long-awaited Eras Tour,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-ticketmaster-concert-tickets-parents-34399cca6403c97f0983a5c69c7edec0">resulting in crashes, prolonged waits and frantic purchases.</a>&nbsp;By Thursday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-ticketmaster-sale-canceled-music-concert-tour-70c8a21059174c37a06b7a8475239b06">Ticketmaster had canceled the general sale,</a>&nbsp;citing insufficient remaining tickets and inciting a firestorm of outrage from fans. Swift herself said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-taylor-swift-af5d58d2a8c6def368ded1bd2ddd8a6f">the ordeal “really pisses me off.”</a>Ticketmaster apologized but the bad blood had already been sowed. And now fans — and politicians — have started acting on it.U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez directed Swifties to where they could make U.S. Department of Justice complaints. Multiple&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/josh-shapiro-business-taylor-swift-tennessee-e157badef297f7c302615b3a6080ba2a">state attorneys general</a>&nbsp;— including in Pennsylvania and Tennessee, key states in Swift’s origin story — have announced investigations.Stephanie Aly, a New York-based professional who has worked on community organizing for progressive politics, for years has thought mobilizing fandoms for social progress could be beneficial.“Fandoms are natural organizers,” said the 33-year-old Swiftie. “If you find the right issues and you activate them and engage them then you can effect real change.”In 2020, for instance, K-pop fans organized to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/death-of-george-floyd-music-ap-top-news-south-korea-entertainment-09aaf5560b48385f5adf8ae7a6af3740">back the Black Lives Matter movement</a>&nbsp;and sought to&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/[https://apnews.com/article/pop-music-music-donald-trump-us-news-united-states-2f18f18a8b40a4635fd3590fd159241c">inflate registration</a>&nbsp;for a Donald Trump rally. Aly and Swifties from different industries — law, public relations, cybersecurity and more — have joined forces to create Vigilante Legal, a group targeting Ticketmaster by creating email templates to petition attorneys general and providing antitrust information. Thousands have expressed interest in helping or learning more.“The level of anger that you’ve just seen in the country around this issue is astounding,” said Jean Sinzdak, associate director for the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University. “People are really sharing their feelings about that and building a movement about that online, which I really think is quite fascinating. It’s certainly an opportunity to engage people politically. Whether it lasts is hard to say, but it certainly feels like a real opportunity.”In one way, said Sinzdak, this is giving Swift’s large following of younger people a direct line to seeing how policy takes shape. It’s also targeting a demographic that is seldom courted by politicians during election season.“Nobody goes out and thinks, ‘Let’s target young women,’” said Gwen Nisbett, a University of North Texas professor who researches the intersection of political engagement and pop culture. “Be it about abortion or student loans, that age group is super mobilized and young women are super mobilized.”Fan culture and community has boosted that tendency toward mobilization. Nisbett was studying parasocial relationships — when fans have strong one-way relationships with celebrities — in 2018, when the previously apolitical Swift posted an endorsement of Democratic candidates to social media. Nisbett found that while such posts may not determine fans' votes, they still led to the increased likelihood fans would look for more information about voting — and actually vote.For the record:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-votecast-quirky-polls-e9c117cb5be549f91ca7d98d249c5f9d">AP VoteCast,</a>&nbsp;an extensive survey of the U.S. electorate, showed about a third of Tennessee voters in 2018 said they had a favorable opinion of Swift, and among them, a large majority — about 7 in 10 — backed Democrat Phil Bredesen in the Senate contest. That was in clear contrast to the roughly third of voters who had an unfavorable opinion of Swift and overwhelmingly backed Republican Marsha Blackburn.For Swifties, the ire for Ticketmaster is not just about a ticket: “It’s the fact that you can’t participate in your community and your fandom and it’s part of your identity,” Nisbett said.This isn’t even the first time a fandom or an artist has targeted Ticketmaster.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/063fca1ccd36ad2fe398537b71426d21">Pearl Jam took aim at the company</a>&nbsp;in 1994, although the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/c3efaa2c4026495236f2035e93fe8a3f">Justice Department ultimately declined</a>&nbsp;to bring a case. More recently, Bruce Springsteen fans were enraged over high ticket costs because of the platform’s dynamic pricing system.“It’s not just about getting vengeance for Swifties. It’s not about getting an extra million Taylor Swift fans tickets, or all of us going to a secret session,” said Jordan Burger, 28, who is using his law background to help the cause. “It’s about fundamental equality. And when you have a monopolist like that, it’s just so representative of the class structure of a society where there isn’t equality anymore, there isn’t fairness.”The sheer power and size of Swift’s fandom has spurred conversations about economic inequality, merely symbolized by Ticketmaster.Aly noted that quite a few of the members of the group did get tickets; the issue is is bigger than Ticketmaster, she said.“We’ve gotten some feedback that, ‘This is too big, let the government handle it.’ Have you seen the U.S. government? The government only functions when the people push it to and when the people demand that it function and the people are involved,” she said. “Even when something seems too big to fail or too powerful to fail, there are always enough of us to make a difference. Your involvement may be the thing that pushes it over the edge that forces the government to act.”Aly says many grown-up Swifties have 10-15 years’ experience of being bullied for liking the singer — but what fans have in mind might be better than revenge.“We have thick skin and nothing to lose, really,” Aly said.___Associated Press journalist Hannah Fingerhut contributed to this report from Washington. Brooke Schultz is a Harrisburg, Pennsylvania-based corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reportforamerica.org/">Report for America</a>&nbsp;is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

Taylor Swift ticket trouble could drive political engagement

By CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/prosperity-index-nebraska-ranked-no-11-among-states/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

OMAHA — Nebraska ranked 11th among 
the states for overall prosperity in a newly released report, scoring 
low in certain areas such as its natural environment but making up 
ground in others including health and employment.

Behind the findings are partnering organizations, the Legatum Institute and the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream.

The two <a target="_blank" href="https://www.americandreamprosperity.com/rankings/us/overall-prosperity/map">compared states</a> by about 50 categories, tapping dozens of data sources.

Results are reflected in their 
American Dream Prosperity Index, which is intended as a tool to help 
lawmakers and civil leaders shape policies and better understand 
barriers to greater prosperity.

For overall prosperity, Nebraska ranked behind Colorado, which was No. 10, and before Iowa, which was No. 12.

In the top spot was Massachusetts, followed by Connecticut and Minnesota.

Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana ranked at the bottom.

According to <a target="_blank" href="https://cdn.sanity.io/files/b2e0ek5d/production/93d31ed625d31e3fc2f15c504cb84fa2d239fc8e.pdf">the report,</a>
 Nebraska’s rise to the top tier was due to relatively high showings in 
health (including physical, mental and care systems), economic quality 
of life (including&nbsp; employment rate and fiscal health) and social 
capital (reflecting such areas as civic participation, family 
relationships and institutional trust).

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.americandreamprosperity.com/downloads?query=Nebraska+state">Nebraska</a>
 did not do as well in areas such as the natural environment (measured 
by factors such as preservation efforts, forests and land), 
infrastructure environment and business environment.

But overall the state fared better 
than last year, when Nebraska was ranked 15th by the prosperity index. 
Five yeas ago, Nebraska ranked&nbsp; 12th overall.

“While our nation faces many 
challenges including record inflation, increased gun violence and a 
deteriorating mental health landscape, we are encouraged by the 
resiliency of communities across our country as they work to create 
prosperous lives for their residents,” said Milken Center President 
Kerry Healey.

For most states, the report said that
 2022 has been a year of progress rebounding from COVID-19. But authors 
noted ill effects of rising gun violence, deteriorating mental health 
and suicides and opioid-related deaths.

Key findings also point to waning social cohesion across the country as another roadblock to U.S. prosperity.

“This is seen in the decreasing 
number of Americans who have helped a stranger, donated money to 
charity, volunteered or frequently talked to a neighbor,” said a 
statement by the Milken Center.&nbsp;

Nebraska was among the states for which data and rankings are available on the county level as well.

The Legatum Institute is a London-based think tank with a vision to create a global movement toward prosperity.

The Milken Center is a nonpartisan 
organization devoted in part to research identifying barriers to social 
and economic mobility.

In a separate report described as the
 first ever “happiness report” by Gross National Happiness USA, Nebraska
 ranked No. 7 for overall happiness.

The Vermont-based organization is a 
nonpartisan nonprofit founded in 2009, with a mission to increase 
personal happiness and well being by changing how progress is measured. 
Its findings were based on a survey of 5,000 Americans.

The Huskers, as a state, finished No. 9 in life satisfaction and No. 44 for anxiety.

By CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/prosperity-index-nebraska-ranked-no-11-among-states/">Nebraska Examiner</a>OMAHA — Nebraska ranked 11th among 
the states for overall prosperity in a newly released report, scoring 
low in certain areas such as its natural environment but making up 
ground in others including health and employment.Behind the findings are partnering organizations, the Legatum Institute and the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream.The two <a target="_blank" href="https://www.americandreamprosperity.com/rankings/us/overall-prosperity/map">compared states</a> by about 50 categories, tapping dozens of data sources.<h2>Prosperity Index</h2>Results are reflected in their 
American Dream Prosperity Index, which is intended as a tool to help 
lawmakers and civil leaders shape policies and better understand 
barriers to greater prosperity.For overall prosperity, Nebraska ranked behind Colorado, which was No. 10, and before Iowa, which was No. 12.In the top spot was Massachusetts, followed by Connecticut and Minnesota.Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana ranked at the bottom.According to <a target="_blank" href="https://cdn.sanity.io/files/b2e0ek5d/production/93d31ed625d31e3fc2f15c504cb84fa2d239fc8e.pdf">the report,</a>
 Nebraska’s rise to the top tier was due to relatively high showings in 
health (including physical, mental and care systems), economic quality 
of life (including&nbsp; employment rate and fiscal health) and social 
capital (reflecting such areas as civic participation, family 
relationships and institutional trust).<a target="_blank" href="https://www.americandreamprosperity.com/downloads?query=Nebraska+state">Nebraska</a>
 did not do as well in areas such as the natural environment (measured 
by factors such as preservation efforts, forests and land), 
infrastructure environment and business environment.But overall the state fared better 
than last year, when Nebraska was ranked 15th by the prosperity index. 
Five yeas ago, Nebraska ranked&nbsp; 12th overall.<h2>‘Deteriorating mental health’</h2>“While our nation faces many 
challenges including record inflation, increased gun violence and a 
deteriorating mental health landscape, we are encouraged by the 
resiliency of communities across our country as they work to create 
prosperous lives for their residents,” said Milken Center President 
Kerry Healey.For most states, the report said that
 2022 has been a year of progress rebounding from COVID-19. But authors 
noted ill effects of rising gun violence, deteriorating mental health 
and suicides and opioid-related deaths.Key findings also point to waning social cohesion across the country as another roadblock to U.S. prosperity.“This is seen in the decreasing 
number of Americans who have helped a stranger, donated money to 
charity, volunteered or frequently talked to a neighbor,” said a 
statement by the Milken Center.&nbsp;Nebraska was among the states for which data and rankings are available on the county level as well.<h2>Highlights</h2>Among highlights reported:<ul>
 <li>This
 year, 26 states have recovered to pre-pandemic levels of overall 
prosperity, with Oklahoma, New Jersey and New Mexico seeing the biggest 
improvement. Reasons vary from state to state, but economic factors such
 as rising entrepreneurialism were a key.</li><li>Physical
 health improved over the past decade, with rates of smoking down by 
nearly a third, excessive alcohol use down by 17% and pain reliever 
misuse was reported to have declined by 21%.</li>
 </ul>The Legatum Institute is a London-based think tank with a vision to create a global movement toward prosperity.The Milken Center is a nonpartisan 
organization devoted in part to research identifying barriers to social 
and economic mobility.In a separate report described as the
 first ever “happiness report” by Gross National Happiness USA, Nebraska
 ranked No. 7 for overall happiness.The Vermont-based organization is a 
nonpartisan nonprofit founded in 2009, with a mission to increase 
personal happiness and well being by changing how progress is measured. 
Its findings were based on a survey of 5,000 Americans.The Huskers, as a state, finished No. 9 in life satisfaction and No. 44 for anxiety.

Prosperity index: Nebraska ranked No. 11 among states

CIANJUR, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian rescuers used jackhammers, 
circular saws and sometimes their bare hands Tuesday to shift the rubble
 of flattened buildings as they searched for the dead and missing from <a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-indonesia-jakarta-earthquakes-java-9211ab02fd6fb574cab63b94f31d6512">an earthquake</a> that killed at least 268 people.

With
 many missing, some remote areas still unreachable and more than 1,000 
people injured in the 5.6 magnitude quake, the death toll was likely to 
rise. Hospitals near the epicenter on the densely populated island of 
Java were already overwhelmed, and patients hooked up to IV drips lay on
 stretchers and cots in tents set up outside, awaiting further 
treatment.

Indonesia is frequently hit by earthquakes, many much 
stronger than Monday's whose magnitude would typically be expected to 
cause light damage. But experts said <a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-indonesia-jakarta-earthquakes-java-fad6cd6597650037de65350f8bb96633">the shallowness of the quake</a>
 and inadequate infrastructure contributed to the severe damage, 
including caved-in roofs and large piles of bricks, concrete, and 
corrugated metal.

The quake was centered on the rural, mountainous
 Cianjur district, where one woman said her home started “shaking like 
it was dancing.”

“I was crying and immediately grabbed my husband 
and children,” said Partinem, who like many Indonesians only goes by 
only one name. The house collapsed shortly after she escaped with her 
family.

“If I didn’t pull them out, we might have also been victims,” she said, gazing over the pile of broken concrete and timber.

More than 2.5 million people live in Cianjur district, including about 175,000 in the main town of the same name.

The
 quake struck at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) and also caused 
panic in the capital of Jakarta, about a three hour-drive away, where 
high-rises swayed and some people evacuated.

National Disaster 
Mitigation Agency head Suharyanto, who uses one name, told reporters 
that 1,083 people were injured and at least 151 missing. But not all of 
the dead have been identified, so it’s possible some the bodies pulled 
from the rubble are of people on the missing list.

Rescue 
operations were focused on about a dozen locations in Cianjur, where 
people are still believed trapped, said Endra Atmawidjaja, the public 
works and housing spokesperson.

“We are racing against time to rescue people,” Atmawidjaja said.

Initial
 rescue attempts were hampered by damaged roads and bridges and power 
outages, and a lack of equipment to help move the heavy rubble. By 
Tuesday, power supplies and phone communications had begun to improve, 
and Atmawidjaja said that seven excavators and 10 large trucks had been 
deployed from neighboring areas to clear roads.

In the village of 
Cijedil, the quake triggered a landslide that blocked streets and buried
 several houses, said Henri Alfiandi, chief of the National Search and 
Rescue Agency.

“We are maximizing operations at several points 
where it is suspected that there are still casualties. Our team is also 
trying to reach remote areas,” he said.

Many of the dead were 
public school students who had finished their classes for the day and 
were taking extra lessons at Islamic schools when the buildings 
collapsed, West Java Gov. Ridwan Kamil said.

More than 13,000 
people whose homes were heavily damaged were taken to evacuation 
centers, Kamil said, though thousands spent the night in the open 
fearing aftershocks.

Cargo trucks carrying food, tents, blankets 
and other supplies from the capital, Jakarta arrived early Tuesday in 
temporary shelters.

Outside the Cianjur Regional Hospital, hundreds waited for treatment.

“I
 was working inside my office building. The building was not damaged, 
but as the quake shook very strongly, many things fell. My leg was hit 
by heavy stuff,” said Dwi Sarmadi, who works for an Islamic educational 
foundation in a neighboring district.

He was waiting near a tent 
outside the hospital after some overwhelmed clinics were unable to see 
him. Many people were arriving in worse shape. “I really hope they can 
handle me soon,” he said.

Hasan, a construction worker who uses one name, was also taken to the hospital.

“I
 fainted. It was very strong,” Hasan recalled. “I saw my friends running
 to escape from the building. But it was too late to get out, and I was 
hit by the wall.”

President Joko Widodo visited Cianjur on Tuesday
 and pledged to rebuild infrastructure, including the main bridge 
connecting Cianjur to other cities, and to provide government assistance
 up to 50 million rupiah ($3,180) to each resident whose house was 
damaged.

“On behalf of myself and on behalf of the government, I 
would like to express my deep condolences to the victims and their 
families in this Cianjur earthquake,” he said after visiting survivors 
in shelters on a soccer field.

The country of more than 270 
million people is frequently struck by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions 
and tsunamis because of its location on the arc of volcanoes and fault 
lines in the Pacific Basin known as the “Ring of Fire.”

In 
February, a magnitude-6.2 earthquake killed at least 25 people and 
injured more than 460 in West Sumatra province. In January 2021, a 
magnitude-6.2 earthquake killed more than 100 people and injured nearly 
6,500 in West Sulawesi province.

A powerful Indian Ocean quake and tsunami in 2004 killed 230,000 people in a dozen countries, most of them in Indonesia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1669121986365.jpeg" alt="Rescuers carry the body of a victim recovered from under the rubble at a village affected by an earthquake-triggered landslide in Cianjur, West Java, Indonesia, Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022. The earthquake has toppled buildings on Indonesia's densely populated main island, killing a number of people and injuring hundreds. (AP Photo/Rangga Firmansyah)" />
 <figcaption>Rescuers carry the body of a victim recovered from under the rubble at a village affected by an earthquake-triggered landslide in Cianjur, West Java, Indonesia, Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022. The earthquake has toppled buildings on Indonesia's densely populated main island, killing a number of people and injuring hundreds. (AP Photo/Rangga Firmansyah)</figcaption>
 </figure>CIANJUR, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian rescuers used jackhammers, 
circular saws and sometimes their bare hands Tuesday to shift the rubble
 of flattened buildings as they searched for the dead and missing from <a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-indonesia-jakarta-earthquakes-java-9211ab02fd6fb574cab63b94f31d6512">an earthquake</a> that killed at least 268 people.With
 many missing, some remote areas still unreachable and more than 1,000 
people injured in the 5.6 magnitude quake, the death toll was likely to 
rise. Hospitals near the epicenter on the densely populated island of 
Java were already overwhelmed, and patients hooked up to IV drips lay on
 stretchers and cots in tents set up outside, awaiting further 
treatment.Indonesia is frequently hit by earthquakes, many much 
stronger than Monday's whose magnitude would typically be expected to 
cause light damage. But experts said <a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-indonesia-jakarta-earthquakes-java-fad6cd6597650037de65350f8bb96633">the shallowness of the quake</a>
 and inadequate infrastructure contributed to the severe damage, 
including caved-in roofs and large piles of bricks, concrete, and 
corrugated metal.The quake was centered on the rural, mountainous
 Cianjur district, where one woman said her home started “shaking like 
it was dancing.”“I was crying and immediately grabbed my husband 
and children,” said Partinem, who like many Indonesians only goes by 
only one name. The house collapsed shortly after she escaped with her 
family.“If I didn’t pull them out, we might have also been victims,” she said, gazing over the pile of broken concrete and timber.More than 2.5 million people live in Cianjur district, including about 175,000 in the main town of the same name.The
 quake struck at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) and also caused 
panic in the capital of Jakarta, about a three hour-drive away, where 
high-rises swayed and some people evacuated.National Disaster 
Mitigation Agency head Suharyanto, who uses one name, told reporters 
that 1,083 people were injured and at least 151 missing. But not all of 
the dead have been identified, so it’s possible some the bodies pulled 
from the rubble are of people on the missing list.Rescue 
operations were focused on about a dozen locations in Cianjur, where 
people are still believed trapped, said Endra Atmawidjaja, the public 
works and housing spokesperson.“We are racing against time to rescue people,” Atmawidjaja said.Initial
 rescue attempts were hampered by damaged roads and bridges and power 
outages, and a lack of equipment to help move the heavy rubble. By 
Tuesday, power supplies and phone communications had begun to improve, 
and Atmawidjaja said that seven excavators and 10 large trucks had been 
deployed from neighboring areas to clear roads.In the village of 
Cijedil, the quake triggered a landslide that blocked streets and buried
 several houses, said Henri Alfiandi, chief of the National Search and 
Rescue Agency.“We are maximizing operations at several points 
where it is suspected that there are still casualties. Our team is also 
trying to reach remote areas,” he said.Many of the dead were 
public school students who had finished their classes for the day and 
were taking extra lessons at Islamic schools when the buildings 
collapsed, West Java Gov. Ridwan Kamil said.More than 13,000 
people whose homes were heavily damaged were taken to evacuation 
centers, Kamil said, though thousands spent the night in the open 
fearing aftershocks.Cargo trucks carrying food, tents, blankets 
and other supplies from the capital, Jakarta arrived early Tuesday in 
temporary shelters.Outside the Cianjur Regional Hospital, hundreds waited for treatment.“I
 was working inside my office building. The building was not damaged, 
but as the quake shook very strongly, many things fell. My leg was hit 
by heavy stuff,” said Dwi Sarmadi, who works for an Islamic educational 
foundation in a neighboring district.He was waiting near a tent 
outside the hospital after some overwhelmed clinics were unable to see 
him. Many people were arriving in worse shape. “I really hope they can 
handle me soon,” he said.Hasan, a construction worker who uses one name, was also taken to the hospital.“I
 fainted. It was very strong,” Hasan recalled. “I saw my friends running
 to escape from the building. But it was too late to get out, and I was 
hit by the wall.”President Joko Widodo visited Cianjur on Tuesday
 and pledged to rebuild infrastructure, including the main bridge 
connecting Cianjur to other cities, and to provide government assistance
 up to 50 million rupiah ($3,180) to each resident whose house was 
damaged.“On behalf of myself and on behalf of the government, I 
would like to express my deep condolences to the victims and their 
families in this Cianjur earthquake,” he said after visiting survivors 
in shelters on a soccer field.The country of more than 270 
million people is frequently struck by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions 
and tsunamis because of its location on the arc of volcanoes and fault 
lines in the Pacific Basin known as the “Ring of Fire.”In 
February, a magnitude-6.2 earthquake killed at least 25 people and 
injured more than 460 in West Sumatra province. In January 2021, a 
magnitude-6.2 earthquake killed more than 100 people and injured nearly 
6,500 in West Sulawesi province.A powerful Indian Ocean quake and tsunami in 2004 killed 230,000 people in a dozen countries, most of them in Indonesia.

Indonesian rescuers search through rubble of quake; 268 dead

WASHINGTON — The Federal Communications Commission this week clarified that callers must obtain a consumer’s consent before delivering “ringless voicemail,” a message left in a consumer’s mailbox without ringing their cell phone.  The unanimous decision by the full Commission finds that ringless voicemails are, in fact, “calls” that require consumers’ prior express consent.  

The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), which protects consumers from unwanted robocalls, prohibits making any non-emergency call using an automatic telephone dialing system or an artificial or prerecorded voice to a wireless telephone number without the prior express consent of the called party.  The Commission today has clarified that ringless voicemail is a form of robocall and is illegal if the caller did not have the consumer’s prior express consent.  Violations can be enforced by the FCC or the consumer can sue in court.

“Imagine finding robocallers leaving junk voicemails on your phone without it ever having rung.  It’s annoying and it’s happening to too many of us.  Today we’re taking action to ensure these deceptive practices don’t find a way around our robocall rules and into consumers’ inboxes,” said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel.  

The Declaratory Ruling and Order denies a petition filed by All About the Message, LLC, which asked the Commission to find that delivery of a message directly to a consumer’s cell phone voicemail is not a call protected by the TCPA.  The FCC is acting on its own motion after the petitioner and two other similar petitions sought to withdraw their requests for clarification after the FCC sought public comment and received overwhelming negative reaction from commenters.  The FCC has also received dozens consumer complaints annually related to ringless voicemail.  The ruling goes into effect upon Monday's release of the decision.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1584977952684.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FCCWASHINGTON — The Federal Communications Commission this week clarified that callers must obtain a consumer’s consent before delivering “ringless voicemail,” a message left in a consumer’s mailbox without ringing their cell phone. The unanimous decision by the full Commission finds that ringless voicemails are, in fact, “calls” that require consumers’ prior express consent. The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), which protects consumers from unwanted robocalls, prohibits making any non-emergency call using an automatic telephone dialing system or an artificial or prerecorded voice to a wireless telephone number without the prior express consent of the called party. The Commission today has clarified that ringless voicemail is a form of robocall and is illegal if the caller did not have the consumer’s prior express consent. Violations can be enforced by the FCC or the consumer can sue in court.“Imagine finding robocallers leaving junk voicemails on your phone without it ever having rung. It’s annoying and it’s happening to too many of us. Today we’re taking action to ensure these deceptive practices don’t find a way around our robocall rules and into consumers’ inboxes,” said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. The Declaratory Ruling and Order denies a petition filed by All About the Message, LLC, which asked the Commission to find that delivery of a message directly to a consumer’s cell phone voicemail is not a call protected by the TCPA. The FCC is acting on its own motion after the petitioner and two other similar petitions sought to withdraw their requests for clarification after the FCC sought public comment and received overwhelming negative reaction from commenters. The FCC has also received dozens consumer complaints annually related to ringless voicemail. The ruling goes into effect upon Monday's release of the decision.

FCC: 'Ringless voicemails' subject to robocalling regulations

By WILLIAM CHITTENDEN <a href="https://theconversation.com/student-loan-cancellation-got-blocked-now-what-3-questions-answered-194973">The Conversation</a>

1. Why was Biden’s student loan cancellation program blocked?

It was found to be <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/10/federal-judge-in-texas-declares-bidens-student-debt-relief-plan-unlawful-.html">unconstitutional</a>.
 That determination was made on Nov. 10, 2022, by Judge Mark Pittman of 
the U.S. District Court of Northern Texas, who ruled that the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/108th-congress/house-bill/1412">Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students Act of 2003</a> – or Heroes Act – <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2022/11/14/biden-administration-appeals-debt-relief-ruling">“does not provide the executive branch clear congressional authorization”</a> for a student loan forgiveness program. He said further that the program was <a href="https://news.yahoo.com/bidens-student-debt-forgiveness-plan-012246385.html">“an unconstitutional exercise of Congress’s legislative power and must be vacated.”</a>

The judge’s ruling prevents any student loans from being forgiven <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-was-student-loan-forgiveness-blocked-texas-judge-debt-relief-2022-11">“until a final verdict is made”</a> in the case. Technically it could go to the Supreme Court, but it may also be settled at the appellate court level.

In a separate case, on Nov. 14, a three-judge panel with the United States Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit <a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-business-education-st-louis-student-loans-cf8136bfc75bd70839e9326cabbbf029">temporarily blocked the program</a> until the case is resolved in court. The 8th Circuit covers seven states, including Missouri, which is one of several <a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-health-lawsuits-covid-missouri-862d783188de45b698c54b00820d3616">Republican-led states seeking to block the program</a>.

Both rulings effectively block Biden’s plan to forgive up to $20,000 in student loans per borrower.

Both court decisions could be reversed. The Biden administration has argued that the <a href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/LSB/LSB10818">Heroes Act of 2003</a> <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/18/politics/student-debt-relief-supreme-court">allows the Secretary of Education to forgive student loans</a> for those affected by the pandemic.

The Biden administration has already <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/where-does-the-biden-student-loan-forgiveness-program-stand-after-texas-judge-stepped-in-to-block-it-01668206695">filed a notice to appeal</a> the Nov. 10 ruling by Pittman.

On Nov, 18, the Biden administration <a href="https://www.reuters.com/legal/justice-department-asks-supreme-court-lift-ruling-against-bidens-student-loan-2022-11-18/">asked the Supreme Court</a>
 to vacate the order by the Court of Appeals blocking student loan 
forgiveness. The Supreme Court has asked the plaintiffs in the case to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/18/politics/student-debt-relief-supreme-court">provide their response by Nov. 23, 2022</a>.

It is unclear how the full court might rule. However, in two previous instances, Justice Amy Coney Barrett has <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/04/politics/scotus-biden-student-loans">shot down</a> attempts to block the student loan forgiveness plan.

3. What kind of relief can student loan borrowers get in the meantime?

Currently, student loan payments are paused but are scheduled to <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2022/11/17/student-loan-forgiveness-isnt-dead-heres-narrow-path-forward/10712059002/">start again in January 2023</a>. The Biden administration could <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/16/biden-student-debt-forgiveness-blocked-whats-next-for-borrowers.html">extend the payment pause beyond December 2022</a>. However, in August 2022 – <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/08/25/student-loan-repayments-refunded-forgiven/7895863001/">when the most recent payment pause extension was announced</a> – the White House stated that it was supposed to be the <a href="https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/biden-harris-administration-announces-final-student-loan-pause-extension-through-december-31-and-targeted-debt-cancellation-smooth-transition-repayment">final extension</a>.

Despite the setback for widespread student loan forgiveness, some 
borrowers may still qualify for one or more targeted student loan 
forgiveness programs. These groups include borrowers who <a href="https://www.savingforcollege.com/article/how-to-get-rid-of-student-loans">attended a school that shut down</a>. Student loans may also be forgiven for those who are <a href="https://disabilitydischarge.com/">totally and permanently disabled</a>. Students who were <a href="https://studentaid.gov/borrower-defense/">defrauded by their school</a> – such as by being misled about job placement rates for graduates or the true cost to attend the school – may also be eligible.

In November 2022, the Biden administration <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/biden-administration-to-make-it-easier-to-dismiss-student-loans-in-bankruptcy-11668706819?mod=article_inline">released new rules to make it easier for student loans to be discharged in bankruptcy</a>.
 If a student loan borrower can prove their expenses are equal to or 
greater than their income, the student loan debt may qualify to be 
eliminated in bankruptcy.

William Chittenden is an Associate Professor of Finance at Texas State University.

By WILLIAM CHITTENDEN <a href="https://theconversation.com/student-loan-cancellation-got-blocked-now-what-3-questions-answered-194973">The Conversation</a><h2>1. Why was Biden’s student loan cancellation program blocked?</h2>It was found to be <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/10/federal-judge-in-texas-declares-bidens-student-debt-relief-plan-unlawful-.html">unconstitutional</a>.
 That determination was made on Nov. 10, 2022, by Judge Mark Pittman of 
the U.S. District Court of Northern Texas, who ruled that the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/108th-congress/house-bill/1412">Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students Act of 2003</a> – or Heroes Act – <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2022/11/14/biden-administration-appeals-debt-relief-ruling">“does not provide the executive branch clear congressional authorization”</a> for a student loan forgiveness program. He said further that the program was <a href="https://news.yahoo.com/bidens-student-debt-forgiveness-plan-012246385.html">“an unconstitutional exercise of Congress’s legislative power and must be vacated.”</a>The judge’s ruling prevents any student loans from being forgiven <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-was-student-loan-forgiveness-blocked-texas-judge-debt-relief-2022-11">“until a final verdict is made”</a> in the case. Technically it could go to the Supreme Court, but it may also be settled at the appellate court level.In a separate case, on Nov. 14, a three-judge panel with the United States Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit <a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-business-education-st-louis-student-loans-cf8136bfc75bd70839e9326cabbbf029">temporarily blocked the program</a> until the case is resolved in court. The 8th Circuit covers seven states, including Missouri, which is one of several <a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-health-lawsuits-covid-missouri-862d783188de45b698c54b00820d3616">Republican-led states seeking to block the program</a>.Both rulings effectively block Biden’s plan to forgive up to $20,000 in student loans per borrower.<h2>2. Can it be unblocked?</h2>Both court decisions could be reversed. The Biden administration has argued that the <a href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/LSB/LSB10818">Heroes Act of 2003</a> <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/18/politics/student-debt-relief-supreme-court">allows the Secretary of Education to forgive student loans</a> for those affected by the pandemic.The Biden administration has already <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/where-does-the-biden-student-loan-forgiveness-program-stand-after-texas-judge-stepped-in-to-block-it-01668206695">filed a notice to appeal</a> the Nov. 10 ruling by Pittman.On Nov, 18, the Biden administration <a href="https://www.reuters.com/legal/justice-department-asks-supreme-court-lift-ruling-against-bidens-student-loan-2022-11-18/">asked the Supreme Court</a>
 to vacate the order by the Court of Appeals blocking student loan 
forgiveness. The Supreme Court has asked the plaintiffs in the case to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/18/politics/student-debt-relief-supreme-court">provide their response by Nov. 23, 2022</a>.It is unclear how the full court might rule. However, in two previous instances, Justice Amy Coney Barrett has <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/04/politics/scotus-biden-student-loans">shot down</a> attempts to block the student loan forgiveness plan.<h2>3. What kind of relief can student loan borrowers get in the meantime?</h2>Currently, student loan payments are paused but are scheduled to <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2022/11/17/student-loan-forgiveness-isnt-dead-heres-narrow-path-forward/10712059002/">start again in January 2023</a>. The Biden administration could <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/16/biden-student-debt-forgiveness-blocked-whats-next-for-borrowers.html">extend the payment pause beyond December 2022</a>. However, in August 2022 – <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/08/25/student-loan-repayments-refunded-forgiven/7895863001/">when the most recent payment pause extension was announced</a> – the White House stated that it was supposed to be the <a href="https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/biden-harris-administration-announces-final-student-loan-pause-extension-through-december-31-and-targeted-debt-cancellation-smooth-transition-repayment">final extension</a>.Despite the setback for widespread student loan forgiveness, some 
borrowers may still qualify for one or more targeted student loan 
forgiveness programs. These groups include borrowers who <a href="https://www.savingforcollege.com/article/how-to-get-rid-of-student-loans">attended a school that shut down</a>. Student loans may also be forgiven for those who are <a href="https://disabilitydischarge.com/">totally and permanently disabled</a>. Students who were <a href="https://studentaid.gov/borrower-defense/">defrauded by their school</a> – such as by being misled about job placement rates for graduates or the true cost to attend the school – may also be eligible.In November 2022, the Biden administration <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/biden-administration-to-make-it-easier-to-dismiss-student-loans-in-bankruptcy-11668706819?mod=article_inline">released new rules to make it easier for student loans to be discharged in bankruptcy</a>.
 If a student loan borrower can prove their expenses are equal to or 
greater than their income, the student loan debt may qualify to be 
eliminated in bankruptcy.William Chittenden is an Associate Professor of Finance at Texas State University.<div><iframe src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/194973/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade"></iframe></div>

Student loan cancellation got blocked. Now what? 

KANSAS CITY (AP) —As Twitter became knotted with parody accounts and turmoil, Rachel Terlep, who runs an account for the Washington State Department of Natural Resources that intersperses cheeky banter with wildfire and weather warnings, watched with equal parts trepidation and fascination.

“It kind of feels like a supernova moment right now — a big, bright flash before it all goes away,” she said.

So the department stepped into the fray, taking advantage of the moment with some of its signature humor. “Update: The Twitter wildfire is 44 billion acres and 0% contained,” they posted.

But under the joke, it linked to a thread that gave helpful tips about how to review a handle to see if it's real. Some of the suggestions included looking at how old the account is and checking to see if the public safety agency's website links to the profile.

It underscored the challenge for the people tasked with getting public safety information out to communities. Now, they don't only have to get information out quickly. On the new Twitter, they also have to convince people they are actually the authorities.

Government agencies, especially those tasked with sending messages during emergencies, have embraced Twitter for its efficiency and scope. Getting accurate information from authorities during disasters is often a matter of life or death. For example, the first reports this week of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/university-of-virginia-shooting-live-updates-4cd9f0a64201d2460de887674fdfa02b">deadly shooting at the University of Virginia</a>&nbsp;came from the college’s Twitter accounts that urged students to shelter in place.

Disasters also provide fertile ground for false information to spread online. Researchers like Jun Zhuang, a professor at the University of Buffalo who studies how false information spreads during natural disasters, say emergencies create a “perfect storm” for rumors, but that government accounts have also played a crucial role in batting them down.

During Hurricane Harvey in 2017, for example, an online rumor spread that officials were checking people's immigration status at storm shelters, potentially dissuading people from seeking safety there. However,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844020316479">crisis communication researchers have also found</a>&nbsp;that the city's mayor reassured residents and helped the community pull together with a constant stream of Twitter messages.

Amid the slew of changes at one of the world's most influential social media platforms, the public information officers who operate government Twitter accounts are cautiously waiting out the turmoil and urging the public to verify that it really is their accounts appearing on timelines. While it's an issue they've always had to contend with, it's especially worrisome now as a proliferation of brand impersonations spreads across the platform and changes to verification take hold.

Darren Noak, who helps run an account for Austin-Travis County emergency medical services in Texas, said Twitter's blue checkmark has often been discussed among those who operate government Twitter accounts. The badge — up until a week ago — indicated an account was verified as a government entity, corporation, celebrity or journalist.

The AP reviewed dozens of government agencies responsible for responding to emergencies from the county to the national level, and none had received an official label — denoted by a gray checkmark — by Friday. Spoof accounts are a concern, Noak said, because they create “a real pain and a headache, especially in times of crisis and emergency.”

Government accounts have long been a target of copycats. Fairfax County in Virginia had to quash fake school closures tweeted from a fraudulent account during a 2014 winter storm. And both the state of North Carolina and its city of Greensboro have had to compete with accounts appearing to speak for their governments.

It has become even harder in recent days to verify that an account is authentic.

In the span of a week, Twitter&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-technology-business-d9d168951c98192ef90851085f343332">granted gray checkmark badges</a>&nbsp;to official government accounts — then rescinded them. It next allowed users to receive a blue checkmark through its $8 subscription services — then&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-twitter-inc-business-0047fe1730d70277484634a6ec9b7a91">halted that offering</a>&nbsp;after it spawned an infestation of imposter accounts. Over the weekend,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-twitter-inc-technology-misinformation-social-media-a469130efaebc8ed029a647a149c5049">Twitter laid off outsourced moderators</a>&nbsp;who enforced rules against harmful content, further gutting its guardrails against misinformation.

Twitter hasn’t responded to media requests for information since Musk took over, but its support account has posted: “To combat impersonation, we’ve added an ‘Official’ label to some accounts.”

Twitter's changes could be deadly, warned Juliette Kayyem, a former homeland security adviser at the state and national levels who now teaches at Harvard's Kennedy School.

Twitter has become a go-to source of localized information in emergencies, she said. But imposter accounts could introduce a new level of misinformation — or disinformation when people intentionally try to cause harm — in urgent situations. When instructing the public how to respond, the right instructions — such as sheltering in place or evacuating a certain area — can be a matter of life or death.

“In a disaster where time is limited, the greatest way to limit harm is to provide accurate and timely information to communities about what they should do,” Kayyem said. “Allowing others to claim expertise — it will cost lives.”

In the past, Kayyem had worked with Twitter to research how government agencies can communicate in emergencies. She said the leadership at Twitter's trust and safety department “thought long and hard” about its public service role. But Twitter has lost those high-level leaders responsible for cybersecurity, data privacy and complying with regulations.

Some agencies are pushing audiences to other venues for information.

Local government websites are often the best place to turn for accurate, up-to-date information in emergencies, said April Davis, who works as a public affairs officer and digital media strategist at the Oregon Department of Emergency Management. She, like many others at emergency management agencies, said her agency doesn't yet plan to change how it engages on Twitter, but also emphasized that it’s not the best place to turn to in emergencies.

“If it goes away, then we’ll migrate to another platform,” said Derrec Becker, chief of public information at the South Carolina Emergency Management Division. “It is not the emergency alert system.”

Twitter accounts for emergency management in Washington, South Carolina and Oregon provide public service information on preparing for disasters and weather alerts. They also tweet about evacuation and shelter orders.

Becker, who has cultivated the agency's sizeable Twitter following with a playful presence, said emergency alerts broadcast on TV, radio or cell phones are still the go-to methods for urgent warnings.

Shortly after Becker fielded questions from The Associated Press on his agency's plans Monday, the department tweeted: “Leave Twitter? Disasters are kind of our thing.”

KANSAS CITY (AP) —As Twitter became knotted with parody accounts and turmoil, Rachel Terlep, who runs an account for the Washington State Department of Natural Resources that intersperses cheeky banter with wildfire and weather warnings, watched with equal parts trepidation and fascination.“It kind of feels like a supernova moment right now — a big, bright flash before it all goes away,” she said.So the department stepped into the fray, taking advantage of the moment with some of its signature humor. “Update: The Twitter wildfire is 44 billion acres and 0% contained,” they posted.But under the joke, it linked to a thread that gave helpful tips about how to review a handle to see if it's real. Some of the suggestions included looking at how old the account is and checking to see if the public safety agency's website links to the profile.It underscored the challenge for the people tasked with getting public safety information out to communities. Now, they don't only have to get information out quickly. On the new Twitter, they also have to convince people they are actually the authorities.Government agencies, especially those tasked with sending messages during emergencies, have embraced Twitter for its efficiency and scope. Getting accurate information from authorities during disasters is often a matter of life or death. For example, the first reports this week of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/university-of-virginia-shooting-live-updates-4cd9f0a64201d2460de887674fdfa02b">deadly shooting at the University of Virginia</a>&nbsp;came from the college’s Twitter accounts that urged students to shelter in place.Disasters also provide fertile ground for false information to spread online. Researchers like Jun Zhuang, a professor at the University of Buffalo who studies how false information spreads during natural disasters, say emergencies create a “perfect storm” for rumors, but that government accounts have also played a crucial role in batting them down.During Hurricane Harvey in 2017, for example, an online rumor spread that officials were checking people's immigration status at storm shelters, potentially dissuading people from seeking safety there. However,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844020316479">crisis communication researchers have also found</a>&nbsp;that the city's mayor reassured residents and helped the community pull together with a constant stream of Twitter messages.Amid the slew of changes at one of the world's most influential social media platforms, the public information officers who operate government Twitter accounts are cautiously waiting out the turmoil and urging the public to verify that it really is their accounts appearing on timelines. While it's an issue they've always had to contend with, it's especially worrisome now as a proliferation of brand impersonations spreads across the platform and changes to verification take hold.Darren Noak, who helps run an account for Austin-Travis County emergency medical services in Texas, said Twitter's blue checkmark has often been discussed among those who operate government Twitter accounts. The badge — up until a week ago — indicated an account was verified as a government entity, corporation, celebrity or journalist.The AP reviewed dozens of government agencies responsible for responding to emergencies from the county to the national level, and none had received an official label — denoted by a gray checkmark — by Friday. Spoof accounts are a concern, Noak said, because they create “a real pain and a headache, especially in times of crisis and emergency.”Government accounts have long been a target of copycats. Fairfax County in Virginia had to quash fake school closures tweeted from a fraudulent account during a 2014 winter storm. And both the state of North Carolina and its city of Greensboro have had to compete with accounts appearing to speak for their governments.It has become even harder in recent days to verify that an account is authentic.In the span of a week, Twitter&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-technology-business-d9d168951c98192ef90851085f343332">granted gray checkmark badges</a>&nbsp;to official government accounts — then rescinded them. It next allowed users to receive a blue checkmark through its $8 subscription services — then&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-twitter-inc-business-0047fe1730d70277484634a6ec9b7a91">halted that offering</a>&nbsp;after it spawned an infestation of imposter accounts. Over the weekend,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-twitter-inc-technology-misinformation-social-media-a469130efaebc8ed029a647a149c5049">Twitter laid off outsourced moderators</a>&nbsp;who enforced rules against harmful content, further gutting its guardrails against misinformation.Twitter hasn’t responded to media requests for information since Musk took over, but its support account has posted: “To combat impersonation, we’ve added an ‘Official’ label to some accounts.”Twitter's changes could be deadly, warned Juliette Kayyem, a former homeland security adviser at the state and national levels who now teaches at Harvard's Kennedy School.Twitter has become a go-to source of localized information in emergencies, she said. But imposter accounts could introduce a new level of misinformation — or disinformation when people intentionally try to cause harm — in urgent situations. When instructing the public how to respond, the right instructions — such as sheltering in place or evacuating a certain area — can be a matter of life or death.“In a disaster where time is limited, the greatest way to limit harm is to provide accurate and timely information to communities about what they should do,” Kayyem said. “Allowing others to claim expertise — it will cost lives.”In the past, Kayyem had worked with Twitter to research how government agencies can communicate in emergencies. She said the leadership at Twitter's trust and safety department “thought long and hard” about its public service role. But Twitter has lost those high-level leaders responsible for cybersecurity, data privacy and complying with regulations.Some agencies are pushing audiences to other venues for information.Local government websites are often the best place to turn for accurate, up-to-date information in emergencies, said April Davis, who works as a public affairs officer and digital media strategist at the Oregon Department of Emergency Management. She, like many others at emergency management agencies, said her agency doesn't yet plan to change how it engages on Twitter, but also emphasized that it’s not the best place to turn to in emergencies.“If it goes away, then we’ll migrate to another platform,” said Derrec Becker, chief of public information at the South Carolina Emergency Management Division. “It is not the emergency alert system.”Twitter accounts for emergency management in Washington, South Carolina and Oregon provide public service information on preparing for disasters and weather alerts. They also tweet about evacuation and shelter orders.Becker, who has cultivated the agency's sizeable Twitter following with a playful presence, said emergency alerts broadcast on TV, radio or cell phones are still the go-to methods for urgent warnings.Shortly after Becker fielded questions from The Associated Press on his agency's plans Monday, the department tweeted: “Leave Twitter? Disasters are kind of our thing.”

Public safety accounts urge caution on Twitter after changes

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Railroad engineers accepted their deal with the railroads that will deliver 24% raises but conductors rejected theirs, threatening the health of the economy just before the holidays and casting more doubt on whether the industry will be able to resolve the labor dispute before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-economy-business-congress-kansas-city-southern-0daad98e345804513ca568068303cd22">next month's deadline</a>&nbsp;without the help of Congress.

Even the threat of a work stoppage could tangle the nation's supply chain as railroads will freeze shipments of chemicals and other goods that could create hazards if disrupted midway to their destination.

A split vote Monday from the two biggest railroad unions follows the rejection by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-congress-kansas-city-southern-government-and-politics-763b5a75dd22bbdf1de52d6bf1879b29">three other unions</a>&nbsp;of their deals with the railroads that the Biden administration helped broker before the original strike deadline in September. Seven smaller unions have approved the five-year deal that, on top of the 24% raise, includes $5,000 in bonuses.

But many union members have voted to reject the contracts because, they say, they fail to address demanding schedules and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-economy-government-and-politics-207229bcd558b6a6c1d58f3f85e2d804">quality of life issues</a>&nbsp;for employees.

All 12 must approve the contracts to prevent a strike that could&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rail-strike-impact-5eb6747b3e4b4e39d764644d6377121d">cripple supply chains</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-economy-congress-government-and-politics-a53abd85fa6f8b3ccd622222ea9a4c46">hamper</a>&nbsp;a stressed U.S. economy still emerging from the pandemic.

The Retail Industry Leaders Association said a rail strike “would cause enormous disruption to the flow of goods nationwide” although retail stores are well stocked for the crucial holiday shopping season.

“Fortunately, this year’s holiday gifts have already landed on store shelves. But an interruption to rail transportation does pose a significant challenge to getting items like perishable food products and e-commerce shipments delivered on time, and it will undoubtedly add to the inflationary pressures already hitting the U.S. economy," said Jess Dankert with the group that represents more than 200 major retailers.

The unions that rejected their deals agreed to return to the bargaining table to try to hash out a new agreement before a new strike deadline early next month. But those talks have deadlocked because the railroads refuse to consider&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-and-politics-business-strikes-940da8fc519f8c526ca614e201d01216">adding paid sick time</a>&nbsp;to what was already offered.

It appears increasingly likely that Congress will have to step in to settle the dispute. Lawmakers have the power to impose contract terms if both sides can't reach an agreement. Hundreds of business groups&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-business-economy-congress-government-and-politics-6b60d53fefc7b85f301b0a3e7011715b">have urged</a>&nbsp;Congress and President Joe Biden to be ready to intervene if needed.

Workers frustrated with the demanding schedules and deep job cuts in the industry pushed to reject these contracts because they don't resolve workers' key quality-of-life concerns. The deals for the engineers and conductors did include a promise to try to improve the scheduling of regular days off and negotiate the details of those schedules further at each railroad. The unions that represent engineers and conductors also received three unpaid days off a year to tend to medical needs as long they were scheduled at least 30 days in advance.

The railroads also lost out on their bid to cut crew sizes down to one person as part of the negotiations. But the conductors in the Transportation Division of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers union still narrowly rejected the deal with roughly 51% voting against it. A smaller division of the SMART-TD union that represents about 1,300 yardmasters did approve the deal.

“The ball is now in the railroads’ court. Let’s see what they do. They can settle this at the bargaining table,” SMART-TD President Jeremy Ferguson said. “But, the railroad executives who constantly complain about government interference and regularly bad-mouth regulators and Congress now want Congress to do the bargaining for them.”

The railroads maintain that the deals with the unions should closely follow the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-norfolk-government-and-politics-eeedec386f2acba5d63181436ca03f3f">recommendations</a>&nbsp;made this summer by a special panel of arbitrators Biden appointed. That's part of the reason why they don't want to offer paid sick time. Plus, the railroads say the unions have agreed over the years to forego paid sick time in favor of higher pay and strong short-term disability benefits.

The unions say it is long overdue for the railroads to offer paid sick time to workers, and the pandemic highlighted the need for it.

The group that negotiates on behalf of the railroads said Monday that the unions that rejected their deals shouldn't expect to receive more than the Presidential Emergency Board of arbitrators recommended. The National Carriers Conference Committee said businesses could start to be affected by the threat of a strike even before the deadline because railroads will start curtailing shipments of dangerous chemicals and perishable cargo days ahead of the deadline.

“A national rail strike would severely impact the economy and the public. Now, the continued, near-term threat of one will require that freight railroads and passenger carriers soon begin to take responsible steps to safely secure the network in advance of any deadline,” the railroads said.

It's unclear what Congress might do given the deep political divisions in Washington D.C. and a single lawmaker could hold up a resolution. But the head of the Association of American Railroads trade group, Ian Jefferies, said "if the remaining unions do not accept an agreement, Congress should be prepared to act and avoid a disastrous&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/economy-congress-government-and-politics-a53abd85fa6f8b3ccd622222ea9a4c46">$2 billion a day hit</a>&nbsp;to our economy.”

Republicans may try to impose a deal that includes only what the Presidential Emergency Board recommended while Democrats who still narrowly hold control of both the House and Senate during this lame-duck period might be willing to force the railroads to make additional concessions.

The unions that voted Monday represent more than half of the roughly 115,000 rail workers involved in the contract dispute with Union Pacific, Norfolk Southern, BNSF, Kansas City Southern, CSX and other railroads.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666818518842.jpg" alt="But many union members have voted to reject the contracts because, they say, they fail to address demanding schedules and quality of life issues for employees." />
 <figcaption>But many union members have voted to reject the contracts because, they say, they fail to address demanding schedules and quality of life issues for employees.</figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Railroad engineers accepted their deal with the railroads that will deliver 24% raises but conductors rejected theirs, threatening the health of the economy just before the holidays and casting more doubt on whether the industry will be able to resolve the labor dispute before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-economy-business-congress-kansas-city-southern-0daad98e345804513ca568068303cd22">next month's deadline</a>&nbsp;without the help of Congress.Even the threat of a work stoppage could tangle the nation's supply chain as railroads will freeze shipments of chemicals and other goods that could create hazards if disrupted midway to their destination.A split vote Monday from the two biggest railroad unions follows the rejection by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-congress-kansas-city-southern-government-and-politics-763b5a75dd22bbdf1de52d6bf1879b29">three other unions</a>&nbsp;of their deals with the railroads that the Biden administration helped broker before the original strike deadline in September. Seven smaller unions have approved the five-year deal that, on top of the 24% raise, includes $5,000 in bonuses.But many union members have voted to reject the contracts because, they say, they fail to address demanding schedules and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-economy-government-and-politics-207229bcd558b6a6c1d58f3f85e2d804">quality of life issues</a>&nbsp;for employees.All 12 must approve the contracts to prevent a strike that could&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rail-strike-impact-5eb6747b3e4b4e39d764644d6377121d">cripple supply chains</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-economy-congress-government-and-politics-a53abd85fa6f8b3ccd622222ea9a4c46">hamper</a>&nbsp;a stressed U.S. economy still emerging from the pandemic.The Retail Industry Leaders Association said a rail strike “would cause enormous disruption to the flow of goods nationwide” although retail stores are well stocked for the crucial holiday shopping season.“Fortunately, this year’s holiday gifts have already landed on store shelves. But an interruption to rail transportation does pose a significant challenge to getting items like perishable food products and e-commerce shipments delivered on time, and it will undoubtedly add to the inflationary pressures already hitting the U.S. economy," said Jess Dankert with the group that represents more than 200 major retailers.The unions that rejected their deals agreed to return to the bargaining table to try to hash out a new agreement before a new strike deadline early next month. But those talks have deadlocked because the railroads refuse to consider&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-and-politics-business-strikes-940da8fc519f8c526ca614e201d01216">adding paid sick time</a>&nbsp;to what was already offered.It appears increasingly likely that Congress will have to step in to settle the dispute. Lawmakers have the power to impose contract terms if both sides can't reach an agreement. Hundreds of business groups&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-business-economy-congress-government-and-politics-6b60d53fefc7b85f301b0a3e7011715b">have urged</a>&nbsp;Congress and President Joe Biden to be ready to intervene if needed.Workers frustrated with the demanding schedules and deep job cuts in the industry pushed to reject these contracts because they don't resolve workers' key quality-of-life concerns. The deals for the engineers and conductors did include a promise to try to improve the scheduling of regular days off and negotiate the details of those schedules further at each railroad. The unions that represent engineers and conductors also received three unpaid days off a year to tend to medical needs as long they were scheduled at least 30 days in advance.The railroads also lost out on their bid to cut crew sizes down to one person as part of the negotiations. But the conductors in the Transportation Division of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers union still narrowly rejected the deal with roughly 51% voting against it. A smaller division of the SMART-TD union that represents about 1,300 yardmasters did approve the deal.“The ball is now in the railroads’ court. Let’s see what they do. They can settle this at the bargaining table,” SMART-TD President Jeremy Ferguson said. “But, the railroad executives who constantly complain about government interference and regularly bad-mouth regulators and Congress now want Congress to do the bargaining for them.”The railroads maintain that the deals with the unions should closely follow the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-norfolk-government-and-politics-eeedec386f2acba5d63181436ca03f3f">recommendations</a>&nbsp;made this summer by a special panel of arbitrators Biden appointed. That's part of the reason why they don't want to offer paid sick time. Plus, the railroads say the unions have agreed over the years to forego paid sick time in favor of higher pay and strong short-term disability benefits.The unions say it is long overdue for the railroads to offer paid sick time to workers, and the pandemic highlighted the need for it.The group that negotiates on behalf of the railroads said Monday that the unions that rejected their deals shouldn't expect to receive more than the Presidential Emergency Board of arbitrators recommended. The National Carriers Conference Committee said businesses could start to be affected by the threat of a strike even before the deadline because railroads will start curtailing shipments of dangerous chemicals and perishable cargo days ahead of the deadline.“A national rail strike would severely impact the economy and the public. Now, the continued, near-term threat of one will require that freight railroads and passenger carriers soon begin to take responsible steps to safely secure the network in advance of any deadline,” the railroads said.It's unclear what Congress might do given the deep political divisions in Washington D.C. and a single lawmaker could hold up a resolution. But the head of the Association of American Railroads trade group, Ian Jefferies, said "if the remaining unions do not accept an agreement, Congress should be prepared to act and avoid a disastrous&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/economy-congress-government-and-politics-a53abd85fa6f8b3ccd622222ea9a4c46">$2 billion a day hit</a>&nbsp;to our economy.”Republicans may try to impose a deal that includes only what the Presidential Emergency Board recommended while Democrats who still narrowly hold control of both the House and Senate during this lame-duck period might be willing to force the railroads to make additional concessions.The unions that voted Monday represent more than half of the roughly 115,000 rail workers involved in the contract dispute with Union Pacific, Norfolk Southern, BNSF, Kansas City Southern, CSX and other railroads.

US supply chain under threat as unions, railroads clash

By CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/11/21/home-builders-group-eager-for-nebraska-to-dig-4000-acre-recreation-lake/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

OMAHA
 — The thought of a $1.83 billion economic impact and plenty of real 
estate development potential has local builders eager to push the idea 
of a 4,000-acre recreational lake in Nebraska.

After a state senator provided a 
progress report, members of the Metro Omaha Builders Association told 
the Nebraska Examiner they stand ready to do their part to get the 
project across the finish line.&nbsp;

That could include touting the value 
of a proposed seven-mile-long sandpit lake both within their industry 
and at more public events such as the Street of Dreams.

“There is tremendous opportunity for 
private development and not necessarily only along the shoreline,” said 
past MOBA president Greg Frazell of G. Lee Homes. “Nebraska needs 
something — and we’ll never have mountains.”

Frazell was among some 150 MOBA 
members who heard State Sen. Mike McDonnell of Omaha present highlights 
of the big lake proposal that emerged last year from a special 
legislative study.

Led by State Sen. Mike Hilgers of 
Lincoln, that study and the “STARWARS” committee explored ways to perk 
up recreation, economic development and population. (The acronym stands 
for the Statewide Tourism and Recreational Water Access and Resource 
Sustainability committee.)

Many steps are ahead of any approval, including a vote on a location, McDonnell acknowledged.

But he presented a conceptual plan spotlighting what’s been called <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/02/21/residents-at-site-of-proposed-big-lake-near-gretna-have-plenty-of-questions/">the preferred site</a>
 for carving out the lake, between Nebraska’s two biggest cities, 
adjacent to the Lower Platte River at Highway 6 and Interstate 80.&nbsp;

Estimates early on put investment at more than $1 billion, the bulk coming from private investment.

McDonnell told the MOBA group 
gathered this past Thursday at an Elkhorn theater that the economic 
impact of the preferred site could reach $1.83 billion. He said the east
 shore alone would generate $525 million in real estate value if valued 
like Lake Okoboji.

Brett Clarke of Frontier Builders, 
current MOBA president, said in an interview that he sees “years and 
years” of ongoing development if the lake materializes.

“I think you’ll see demand through 
the roof for those lakefront properties,” he said, adding that there is 
local thirst for more luxury houses in the price point of $1 million and
 above.&nbsp;

Ryan Krejci, owner of Ideal Designs 
Custom Homes, pointed to high demand at a newer lakefront subdivision 
west of Omaha, where lots alone can sell for $400,000 and higher.&nbsp;

“Put water anywhere and a house next to it —&nbsp;it’s as good as gold,” he said.

Krejci, Clarke and other MOBA board 
members said, though, that they see the vision succeeding only with 
public access to the water and a variety of less expensive lodging and 
home options on the lake’s edge and in surrounding areas.

Clarke pointed to lakes of Okoboji and the Ozarks, saying those offer housing of all types within a stone’s throw.

“A lake this size is going to take all kinds of people — and a lot of people,” Clarke said.&nbsp;

He believes a selling point would be preservation of the character of surrounding towns such as Ashland.

Said Clarke:&nbsp; “If this place becomes over-commercialized, I don’t think that fits the vibe here (in Nebraska).”

That said, he and others noted the 
potential for commercial development that could include doughnut shops, 
restaurants, boutiques and other retailers and entertainment.

In his PowerPoint presentation, 
McDonnell noted a study by the Omaha-based HDR design, architecture and 
engineering firm that imagined how land west of 234th Street could be 
developed.

The vision included a light rail station, tech campus, corporate campus, habitat restoration.

New marinas, parks, walking trails, campaign grounds and affordable housing also were among the list of mixed-use developments.

Though a reservoir idea has 
percolated for decades — as far back as 1896, said McDonnell — the 
latest iteration has caught on in part because it does not involve 
damming the Platte and because the state has excess funds and federal 
stimulus money.

The lake possibility has drawn some 
criticism, in part from people worried that they’d be pushed off their 
property through eminent domain. That’s a legal route a government can 
use to force the sale of land for a public purpose. A fear is that 
owners would get less than what their homes and land are worth.

McDonnell told the builders group he 
sees eminent domain as a possible path: “Is eminent domain going to be 
taken off the table? No, it’s not. And it never will be by me.”

He added, “But do we want to use it? No, we don’t.”&nbsp;

McDonnell said the committee has 
promised to look at sites other than the one most discussed, an expanse 
of flat farmland and sand pits near Sarpy County’s Linoma Beach.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1669040103595.png" alt="A possible 4,000-acre sandpit lake could be carved between Omaha and Lincoln. (Courtesy of PlanPreservePlayNE.com)" />
 <figcaption>A possible 4,000-acre sandpit lake could be carved between Omaha and Lincoln. (Courtesy of PlanPreservePlayNE.com)</figcaption>
 </figure>By CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/11/21/home-builders-group-eager-for-nebraska-to-dig-4000-acre-recreation-lake/">Nebraska Examiner</a>OMAHA
 — The thought of a $1.83 billion economic impact and plenty of real 
estate development potential has local builders eager to push the idea 
of a 4,000-acre recreational lake in Nebraska.After a state senator provided a 
progress report, members of the Metro Omaha Builders Association told 
the Nebraska Examiner they stand ready to do their part to get the 
project across the finish line.&nbsp;That could include touting the value 
of a proposed seven-mile-long sandpit lake both within their industry 
and at more public events such as the Street of Dreams.“There is tremendous opportunity for 
private development and not necessarily only along the shoreline,” said 
past MOBA president Greg Frazell of G. Lee Homes. “Nebraska needs 
something — and we’ll never have mountains.”<h2>On the big screen</h2>Frazell was among some 150 MOBA 
members who heard State Sen. Mike McDonnell of Omaha present highlights 
of the big lake proposal that emerged last year from a special 
legislative study.Led by State Sen. Mike Hilgers of 
Lincoln, that study and the “STARWARS” committee explored ways to perk 
up recreation, economic development and population. (The acronym stands 
for the Statewide Tourism and Recreational Water Access and Resource 
Sustainability committee.)Many steps are ahead of any approval, including a vote on a location, McDonnell acknowledged.But he presented a conceptual plan spotlighting what’s been called <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/02/21/residents-at-site-of-proposed-big-lake-near-gretna-have-plenty-of-questions/">the preferred site</a>
 for carving out the lake, between Nebraska’s two biggest cities, 
adjacent to the Lower Platte River at Highway 6 and Interstate 80.&nbsp;Estimates early on put investment at more than $1 billion, the bulk coming from private investment.McDonnell told the MOBA group 
gathered this past Thursday at an Elkhorn theater that the economic 
impact of the preferred site could reach $1.83 billion. He said the east
 shore alone would generate $525 million in real estate value if valued 
like Lake Okoboji.<h2>‘Through the roof’</h2>Brett Clarke of Frontier Builders, 
current MOBA president, said in an interview that he sees “years and 
years” of ongoing development if the lake materializes.“I think you’ll see demand through 
the roof for those lakefront properties,” he said, adding that there is 
local thirst for more luxury houses in the price point of $1 million and
 above.&nbsp;Ryan Krejci, owner of Ideal Designs 
Custom Homes, pointed to high demand at a newer lakefront subdivision 
west of Omaha, where lots alone can sell for $400,000 and higher.&nbsp;“Put water anywhere and a house next to it —&nbsp;it’s as good as gold,” he said.Krejci, Clarke and other MOBA board 
members said, though, that they see the vision succeeding only with 
public access to the water and a variety of less expensive lodging and 
home options on the lake’s edge and in surrounding areas.Clarke pointed to lakes of Okoboji and the Ozarks, saying those offer housing of all types within a stone’s throw.“A lake this size is going to take all kinds of people — and a lot of people,” Clarke said.&nbsp;<h2>Keep Nebraska ‘vibe’</h2>He believes a selling point would be preservation of the character of surrounding towns such as Ashland.Said Clarke:&nbsp; “If this place becomes over-commercialized, I don’t think that fits the vibe here (in Nebraska).”That said, he and others noted the 
potential for commercial development that could include doughnut shops, 
restaurants, boutiques and other retailers and entertainment.In his PowerPoint presentation, 
McDonnell noted a study by the Omaha-based HDR design, architecture and 
engineering firm that imagined how land west of 234th Street could be 
developed.The vision included a light rail station, tech campus, corporate campus, habitat restoration.New marinas, parks, walking trails, campaign grounds and affordable housing also were among the list of mixed-use developments.<h2>Back to 1896</h2>Though a reservoir idea has 
percolated for decades — as far back as 1896, said McDonnell — the 
latest iteration has caught on in part because it does not involve 
damming the Platte and because the state has excess funds and federal 
stimulus money.The lake possibility has drawn some 
criticism, in part from people worried that they’d be pushed off their 
property through eminent domain. That’s a legal route a government can 
use to force the sale of land for a public purpose. A fear is that 
owners would get less than what their homes and land are worth.McDonnell told the builders group he 
sees eminent domain as a possible path: “Is eminent domain going to be 
taken off the table? No, it’s not. And it never will be by me.”He added, “But do we want to use it? No, we don’t.”&nbsp;McDonnell said the committee has 
promised to look at sites other than the one most discussed, an expanse 
of flat farmland and sand pits near Sarpy County’s Linoma Beach.“We are bringing legislation forward 
in January to discuss some of that fairness on possibly future value of 
acres, of land, and also the idea of what other locations could we 
possibly be looking at,” he said.<h2>Boon to economy</h2>A bill <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/04/18/governor-signs-bills-for-big-lake-park-enhancements-and-perkins-canal/">signed into law</a>&nbsp;in
 the last legislative session set aside $20 million to study whether the
 big lake is even feasible and allocated another $26 million toward 
construction.Asked about the time frame, McDonnell
 told the group six or seven years, if the location at hand was approved
 by the Legislature.Officials with the Lincoln Water 
System and Metropolitan Utilities District, which both have well fields 
near the preferred lake site to draw drinking water, have expressed 
concerns and earlier called for more study on the potential impact of 
the quality and quantity of groundwater.Dave Vogtman, another MOBA board 
member who also represents the Home Company, said builders are waiting 
for the project to get farther along to better understand how they fit 
in.“I think it would just be a boon to 
the local economy, Lincoln and Omaha,” he said, noting how many 
Nebraskans leave the state to enjoy other bodies of water.MOBA members envision their 
counterpart home builders association in Lincoln also engaging in an 
effort to align Nebraskans and the construction and development 
industries behind the big lake.&nbsp;A concern of Clarke’s, he said, is 
that the state could pull back in the face of challenges and that the 
project does not reach “full potential” in size, tax valuation and 
economic development and building opportunities.“I hope they go for it,” said Clarke.