SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt (AP) — President Joe Biden, speaking Friday at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment">an annual international summit on climate change</a>, urged world leaders to “double down” on their resolve to fight global warming, saying Russia's invasion of Ukraine reinforces the need to phase out fossil fuels.

“We can no longer plead ignorance to the consequences of our actions, or continue to repeat our mistakes,” Biden said.

(Click below to watch the President's comments or<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2022/11/11/remarks-by-president-biden-at-the-27th-conference-of-the-parties-to-the-framework-convention-on-climate-change-cop27-sharm-el-sheikh-egypt/"> here to read them.</a>

“This gathering must be the moment to recommit our future and our shared capacity to write a better story for the world," Biden said.&nbsp;" That’s why, last year, I committed to work with our Congress to quadruple U.S. support to climate finance and provide $11 billion annually by 2024, including $3 billion for&nbsp;adaption.

The president's brief attendance at the United Nations climate conference, known as COP27, was largely a victory lap as he emphasized new spending on clean energy initiatives that will “change the paradigm” for the United States and the rest of the world.

But Biden glossed over how he's pushed for more oil and gas production to bring down costs that have been politically troublesome at home, and fueled the invasion of Ukraine by allowing Russia to fetch higher prices for its energy exports.

“This gathering must be the moment to recommit our future and our shared capacity to write a better story for the world," Biden said.

Biden spent just three hours in Egypt, including a meeting with the country's autocratic leader, President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/abdel-fattah-el-sissi">Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi,</a>&nbsp;before continuing on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-southeast-asia-trip-china-ukraine-election-f71ee52a79a2bcbd029a9c9cbba32437">an around-the-world trip.</a>&nbsp;He arrived Saturday morning for his next stop in Cambodia, where he would participate in a meeting of Southeast Asian leaders, and then Indonesia for the annual Group of 20 summit of the world’s largest economies.

Biden left Washington late Thursday buoyed by a stronger-than-expected showing by the Democratic Party in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-results-954de3200a5467d36ea5f04e4ccbb78f">Tuesday's midterm elections</a>, earlier congressional passage of the largest&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-health-seniors-medicare-economy-68f2df858de98487e82e236ab31fab7e">climate investment</a>&nbsp;in U.S. history and Russian military setbacks on the Ukrainian battlefield.

At the climate conference, Biden discussed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-business-prices-oil-and-gas-industry-climate-environment-3a5b7049478ec7161fcbd18f1ebdb0ba">a new supplemental rule</a>&nbsp;that will crack down on methane emissions, expanding on a similar regulation his administration released last year. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes significantly to global warming.

Biden also spotlighted one of his key domestic successes —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/economic-bill-house-vote-be99d8db5bd610c5b1d78bc047a03e77">the Democrats’ massive health care and climate change bill</a>&nbsp;known as the Inflation Reduction Act.

The U.S. commitment of some $375 billion over a decade to fight climate change gives Biden greater leverage to press other nations to fulfill their pledges to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and shift the global economy toward cleaner energy sources.

“The United States government is putting our money where our mouth is,” he said.

Biden said the spending, part of broader economic legislation he signed into law this year, will ensure the U.S. hits its target for reducing emissions by 2030.

The president was in a far different position from last year’s gathering, which came about during a particularly unhappy stretch in the bill’s tortuous path to passage.

That summit resulted in additional global commitments to meet temperature targets agreed to in the Paris Climate Accord, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-return-paris-climate-world-leaders-ee8eb8b6744394ad41e33f94843b6586">Biden rejoined</a>&nbsp;after his predecessor, Donald Trump,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-leaves-paris-agreement-climate-change-1331bc30021756454dda8eb7ff3c1075">pulled the U.S. from the deal</a>.

Jennifer Morgan, Germany’s special climate envoy, said Biden “made it very clear that the climate crisis is a major top priority for the United States domestically in getting laws passed, internationally in partnership with other countries.”

She said it contributed "a positive energy coming into this conference.”

Biden argued that “good climate policy is good economic policy,” and he called on all major emitting countries to “align their ambition” to the international goal of trying to limit future global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit), according to the White House.

But even with these fresh efforts, America and the world have a long way to go to meet emissions targets that scientists hope will contain global warming. And the political will for more investment is shrinking.

Biden acknowledged that climate crises are “hitting hardest those countries and communities that have the fewest resources to respond and recover," a reference to a leading issue at the summit.

Known as “loss and damage,” it involves asking rich countries like the United States, the top historic polluting nation, to pay what are essentially reparations for damages caused to poorer vulnerable nations that don’t emit much heat-trapping carbon dioxide.

Biden announced in his speech the U.S. would contribute $150 million “as a down payment” to initiatives to help Africa adapt to the changing climate, but that did not satisfy concerns.

“We would like for the U.S. to step up their game on loss and damage,” Sierra Club President Ramon Cruz said. “We would of course like to see more commitment to that.”

The U.S. in the past has opposed even talking about the issue, but has softened its stance and agreed to discussions. Biden’s climate envoy, John Kerry, has mentioned the issue in speeches. However, the U.S. doesn’t want liability to be part of any deal. In addition, Congress and the public have been reluctant to embrace many types of climate aid — and this is the most controversial type.

The lack of congressional support has tied Biden's hands, said Alice Hill, who worked on climate issues in President Barack Obama's administration.

Even though Biden announced other initiatives, she said, “he couldn’t deliver what the developing world most wants: enough money to adapt to climate extremes.”

Prospects for a significant breakthrough are further dampened as major emitters such as China and India are sending less-senior delegations to the conference. Biden administration officials have tried to lower expectations for results and instead cast the meeting as a return to U.S. leadership on the issue.

Biden left Washington with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-arizona-nov-10-007b2d3aab2820016b1e009cdcbd3ecc">votes still being tallied in key races</a>&nbsp;that will determine political control of Congress. Still, the president was buoyed as Democrats performed stronger than expected.

After arriving in Egypt, Biden met with el-Sissi. The leaders discussed climate, human rights and the U.S.-Egypt defense partnership, among other issues, the White House said. The Egyptian leader proactively and publicly raised human rights with Biden before their one-on-one meeting, and did so again in the private portion of the sit-down.

“We are very keen on improving this part,” said el-Sissi, who emphasized that Egypt had launched a national strategy on human rights. For his part, Biden said the U.S. and Egypt are “continuing our dialogue on human rights” and added that he hopes they’ll be “closer and stronger in every way.”

During the meeting, Biden and U.S. officials raised the case of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-africa-egypt-hunger-strikes-north-6f9a2728ec6897fe1cb86a69aef33d93">imprisoned Egyptian pro-democracy activist Alaa Abdel-Fattah</a>, whose family has said is undergoing an undefined medical intervention amid a hunger strike.

Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser, said Biden directed his aides to work with the Egyptians on that case and others, and said officials had “intense consultations on that case” while in Sharm El-Sheikh but declined to elaborate further. U.S. did not have an update on his condition, considering the family and the Egyptian government had conflicting accounts.

“This is a circumstance where it’s not trust but verify, it’s verify,” Sullivan told reporters on Air Force One as Biden traveled to Phnom Penh. “And we’ve not been able to do that.”

Sullivan added: “We are doing everything we can to secure his release.”

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt (AP) — President Joe Biden, speaking Friday at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment">an annual international summit on climate change</a>, urged world leaders to “double down” on their resolve to fight global warming, saying Russia's invasion of Ukraine reinforces the need to phase out fossil fuels.“We can no longer plead ignorance to the consequences of our actions, or continue to repeat our mistakes,” Biden said.(Click below to watch the President's comments or<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2022/11/11/remarks-by-president-biden-at-the-27th-conference-of-the-parties-to-the-framework-convention-on-climate-change-cop27-sharm-el-sheikh-egypt/"> here to read them.</a><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F658980575874622%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=111" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>“This gathering must be the moment to recommit our future and our shared capacity to write a better story for the world," Biden said.&nbsp;" That’s why, last year, I committed to work with our Congress to quadruple U.S. support to climate finance and provide $11 billion annually by 2024, including $3 billion for&nbsp;adaption.The president's brief attendance at the United Nations climate conference, known as COP27, was largely a victory lap as he emphasized new spending on clean energy initiatives that will “change the paradigm” for the United States and the rest of the world.But Biden glossed over how he's pushed for more oil and gas production to bring down costs that have been politically troublesome at home, and fueled the invasion of Ukraine by allowing Russia to fetch higher prices for its energy exports.“This gathering must be the moment to recommit our future and our shared capacity to write a better story for the world," Biden said.Biden spent just three hours in Egypt, including a meeting with the country's autocratic leader, President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/abdel-fattah-el-sissi">Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi,</a>&nbsp;before continuing on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-southeast-asia-trip-china-ukraine-election-f71ee52a79a2bcbd029a9c9cbba32437">an around-the-world trip.</a>&nbsp;He arrived Saturday morning for his next stop in Cambodia, where he would participate in a meeting of Southeast Asian leaders, and then Indonesia for the annual Group of 20 summit of the world’s largest economies.Biden left Washington late Thursday buoyed by a stronger-than-expected showing by the Democratic Party in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-results-954de3200a5467d36ea5f04e4ccbb78f">Tuesday's midterm elections</a>, earlier congressional passage of the largest&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-health-seniors-medicare-economy-68f2df858de98487e82e236ab31fab7e">climate investment</a>&nbsp;in U.S. history and Russian military setbacks on the Ukrainian battlefield.At the climate conference, Biden discussed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-business-prices-oil-and-gas-industry-climate-environment-3a5b7049478ec7161fcbd18f1ebdb0ba">a new supplemental rule</a>&nbsp;that will crack down on methane emissions, expanding on a similar regulation his administration released last year. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes significantly to global warming.Biden also spotlighted one of his key domestic successes —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/economic-bill-house-vote-be99d8db5bd610c5b1d78bc047a03e77">the Democrats’ massive health care and climate change bill</a>&nbsp;known as the Inflation Reduction Act.The U.S. commitment of some $375 billion over a decade to fight climate change gives Biden greater leverage to press other nations to fulfill their pledges to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and shift the global economy toward cleaner energy sources.“The United States government is putting our money where our mouth is,” he said.Biden said the spending, part of broader economic legislation he signed into law this year, will ensure the U.S. hits its target for reducing emissions by 2030.The president was in a far different position from last year’s gathering, which came about during a particularly unhappy stretch in the bill’s tortuous path to passage.That summit resulted in additional global commitments to meet temperature targets agreed to in the Paris Climate Accord, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-return-paris-climate-world-leaders-ee8eb8b6744394ad41e33f94843b6586">Biden rejoined</a>&nbsp;after his predecessor, Donald Trump,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-leaves-paris-agreement-climate-change-1331bc30021756454dda8eb7ff3c1075">pulled the U.S. from the deal</a>.Jennifer Morgan, Germany’s special climate envoy, said Biden “made it very clear that the climate crisis is a major top priority for the United States domestically in getting laws passed, internationally in partnership with other countries.”She said it contributed "a positive energy coming into this conference.”Biden argued that “good climate policy is good economic policy,” and he called on all major emitting countries to “align their ambition” to the international goal of trying to limit future global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit), according to the White House.But even with these fresh efforts, America and the world have a long way to go to meet emissions targets that scientists hope will contain global warming. And the political will for more investment is shrinking.Biden acknowledged that climate crises are “hitting hardest those countries and communities that have the fewest resources to respond and recover," a reference to a leading issue at the summit.Known as “loss and damage,” it involves asking rich countries like the United States, the top historic polluting nation, to pay what are essentially reparations for damages caused to poorer vulnerable nations that don’t emit much heat-trapping carbon dioxide.Biden announced in his speech the U.S. would contribute $150 million “as a down payment” to initiatives to help Africa adapt to the changing climate, but that did not satisfy concerns.“We would like for the U.S. to step up their game on loss and damage,” Sierra Club President Ramon Cruz said. “We would of course like to see more commitment to that.”The U.S. in the past has opposed even talking about the issue, but has softened its stance and agreed to discussions. Biden’s climate envoy, John Kerry, has mentioned the issue in speeches. However, the U.S. doesn’t want liability to be part of any deal. In addition, Congress and the public have been reluctant to embrace many types of climate aid — and this is the most controversial type.The lack of congressional support has tied Biden's hands, said Alice Hill, who worked on climate issues in President Barack Obama's administration.Even though Biden announced other initiatives, she said, “he couldn’t deliver what the developing world most wants: enough money to adapt to climate extremes.”Prospects for a significant breakthrough are further dampened as major emitters such as China and India are sending less-senior delegations to the conference. Biden administration officials have tried to lower expectations for results and instead cast the meeting as a return to U.S. leadership on the issue.Biden left Washington with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-arizona-nov-10-007b2d3aab2820016b1e009cdcbd3ecc">votes still being tallied in key races</a>&nbsp;that will determine political control of Congress. Still, the president was buoyed as Democrats performed stronger than expected.After arriving in Egypt, Biden met with el-Sissi. The leaders discussed climate, human rights and the U.S.-Egypt defense partnership, among other issues, the White House said. The Egyptian leader proactively and publicly raised human rights with Biden before their one-on-one meeting, and did so again in the private portion of the sit-down.“We are very keen on improving this part,” said el-Sissi, who emphasized that Egypt had launched a national strategy on human rights. For his part, Biden said the U.S. and Egypt are “continuing our dialogue on human rights” and added that he hopes they’ll be “closer and stronger in every way.”During the meeting, Biden and U.S. officials raised the case of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-africa-egypt-hunger-strikes-north-6f9a2728ec6897fe1cb86a69aef33d93">imprisoned Egyptian pro-democracy activist Alaa Abdel-Fattah</a>, whose family has said is undergoing an undefined medical intervention amid a hunger strike.Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser, said Biden directed his aides to work with the Egyptians on that case and others, and said officials had “intense consultations on that case” while in Sharm El-Sheikh but declined to elaborate further. U.S. did not have an update on his condition, considering the family and the Egyptian government had conflicting accounts.“This is a circumstance where it’s not trust but verify, it’s verify,” Sullivan told reporters on Air Force One as Biden traveled to Phnom Penh. “And we’ve not been able to do that.”Sullivan added: “We are doing everything we can to secure his release.”

🎥Biden wants to spend $11 billion annually on climate change

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration has discontinued accepting <a href="https://studentaid.gov/debt-relief/application">student loan forgiveness applications</a> after a U.S. judge in Texas on Thursday blocked the plan to provide millions of borrowers with up to $20,000 apiece in federal student-loan forgiveness — a program that was already on hold as a federal appeals court in St. Louis considers a separate lawsuit by Kansas and five other states challenging it.

A statement from the White House said, "We strongly disagree with the District Court’s ruling on our student debt relief program and the Department of Justice has filed an appeal." "The President and this Administration are determined to help working and middle-class Americans get back on their feet, while our opponents – backed by extreme Republican special interests – sued to block millions of Americans from getting much-needed relief." "For the 26 million borrowers who have already given the Department of Education the necessary information to be considered for debt relief – 16 million of whom have already been approved for relief – the Department will hold onto their information so it can quickly process their relief once we prevail in court. " "We will never stop fighting for hardworking Americans most in need – no matter how many roadblocks our opponents and special interests try to put in our way. "

<a href="https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/debt-relief-info">Click here for more</a> information.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668197313548.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON — The Biden administration has discontinued accepting <a href="https://studentaid.gov/debt-relief/application">student loan forgiveness applications</a> after a U.S. judge in Texas on Thursday blocked the plan to provide millions of borrowers with up to $20,000 apiece in federal student-loan forgiveness — a program that was already on hold as a federal appeals court in St. Louis considers a separate lawsuit by Kansas and five other states challenging it.A statement from the White House said, "We strongly disagree with the District Court’s ruling on our student debt relief program and the Department of Justice has filed an appeal." "The President and this Administration are determined to help working and middle-class Americans get back on their feet, while our opponents – backed by extreme Republican special interests – sued to block millions of Americans from getting much-needed relief." "For the 26 million borrowers who have already given the Department of Education the necessary information to be considered for debt relief – 16 million of whom have already been approved for relief – the Department will hold onto their information so it can quickly process their relief once we prevail in court. " "We will never stop fighting for hardworking Americans most in need – no matter how many roadblocks our opponents and special interests try to put in our way. "<a href="https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/debt-relief-info">Click here for more</a> information.

Biden's student loan debt relief website shut down

By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/omaha-psychiatrist-regains-medical-license-but-cant-treat-female-patients/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — The medical license of 
an Omaha— &nbsp;psychiatrist has been reinstated — with the condition that he
 not treat any female patients.

The license of Dr. Gregory Wigington was suspended for six months 
beginning in April for unprofessional conduct after he admitted having 
sexual relations with two female patients, including one woman he 
eventually married.

An investigation by the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office and State 
Department of Health and Human Services also found that he had sent an 
inappropriate text message to a third female patient inquiring if she 
was doing anything “fun” and whether she suntanned “really dark.”

A state medical license for Wigington, as part of an agreement with 
the DHHS and the Attorney General’s Office, was reinstated Nov. 2. He 
agree dto practice under the supervision of another physician during a 
four-year probationary period and not&nbsp;to treat any female patients.

Attempts to reach Wigington at medical offices where he’s listed as working were not successful Friday.

By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/omaha-psychiatrist-regains-medical-license-but-cant-treat-female-patients/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — The medical license of 
an Omaha— &nbsp;psychiatrist has been reinstated — with the condition that he
 not treat any female patients.The license of Dr. Gregory Wigington was suspended for six months 
beginning in April for unprofessional conduct after he admitted having 
sexual relations with two female patients, including one woman he 
eventually married.An investigation by the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office and State 
Department of Health and Human Services also found that he had sent an 
inappropriate text message to a third female patient inquiring if she 
was doing anything “fun” and whether she suntanned “really dark.”A state medical license for Wigington, as part of an agreement with 
the DHHS and the Attorney General’s Office, was reinstated Nov. 2. He 
agree dto practice under the supervision of another physician during a 
four-year probationary period and not&nbsp;to treat any female patients.Attempts to reach Wigington at medical offices where he’s listed as working were not successful Friday.

Neb. psychiatrist regains license, can’t treat female patients

NEW MELLE, Mo. (AP) — An elderly Missouri couple died in a fire when a man refused to leave his wife as their home burned and the floor that was their escape route collapsed, fire officials said.

Kenneth and Phyllis Zerr, both 84, died in the fire Thursday at their home in New Melle, Missouri, about 37 miles west of St. Louis.

“It's a tragedy, kind of a tragic love story,” New Melle Fire Chief Dan Casey said. “He could have definitely gotten out. The family knows he could have gotten out, but he was going to stay with her.”

Kenneth Zerr called emergency dispatchers to report the fire, opened a door for firefighters to enter and then went back to his wife, who used a wheelchair and had fallen on the floor of the bathroom in their master bedroom. He stuffed towels under the door in a futile attempt to keep out the smoke, Casey said.

Kenneth Zerr was not able to get his wife up and eventually the bedroom floor collapsed, trapping them in the bathroom, Casey said.

Firefighters made it through thick smoke to the bedroom but had to retreat when the floor began collapsing as they searched for the couple, the chief said.

“The dispatch was on the phone with my father and my father was trying to help my mother out of the house and they got trapped,” their son, Andy Zerr, told KSDK-TV. “The dispatch told my father to come out of the house and my father said ‘I’m not leaving my wife,' and stayed with her until the end."

The couple celebrated 63 years of marriage in September. Firefighters said they died of smoke inhalation.

The cause of of the fire is under investigation but officials believe it was accidental and started near an appliance in the basement, Casey said.

Some firefighters suffered minor burns in the blaze.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668200349103.png" alt="Kenneth and Phyllis Zerr -photo courtesy KSDK" />
 <figcaption>Kenneth and Phyllis Zerr -photo courtesy KSDK</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW MELLE, Mo. (AP) — An elderly Missouri couple died in a fire when a man refused to leave his wife as their home burned and the floor that was their escape route collapsed, fire officials said.Kenneth and Phyllis Zerr, both 84, died in the fire Thursday at their home in New Melle, Missouri, about 37 miles west of St. Louis.“It's a tragedy, kind of a tragic love story,” New Melle Fire Chief Dan Casey said. “He could have definitely gotten out. The family knows he could have gotten out, but he was going to stay with her.”Kenneth Zerr called emergency dispatchers to report the fire, opened a door for firefighters to enter and then went back to his wife, who used a wheelchair and had fallen on the floor of the bathroom in their master bedroom. He stuffed towels under the door in a futile attempt to keep out the smoke, Casey said.Kenneth Zerr was not able to get his wife up and eventually the bedroom floor collapsed, trapping them in the bathroom, Casey said.Firefighters made it through thick smoke to the bedroom but had to retreat when the floor began collapsing as they searched for the couple, the chief said.“The dispatch was on the phone with my father and my father was trying to help my mother out of the house and they got trapped,” their son, Andy Zerr, told KSDK-TV. “The dispatch told my father to come out of the house and my father said ‘I’m not leaving my wife,' and stayed with her until the end."The couple celebrated 63 years of marriage in September. Firefighters said they died of smoke inhalation.The cause of of the fire is under investigation but officials believe it was accidental and started near an appliance in the basement, Casey said.Some firefighters suffered minor burns in the blaze.

Man stayed by wife's side in house fire; both died

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt (AP) — The Biden administration on Friday ramped up efforts to reduce methane emissions, targeting the oil and gas industry for its role in global warming even as President Joe Biden has pressed energy producers for more oil drilling to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-prices-5f010ed0b66fb71e8d46040419a70203">lower prices at the gasoline pump</a>.

Biden announced a supplemental rule cracking down on emissions of methane —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-texas-trending-news-climate-and-environment-0eb6880f7c4532a845155a3bd44c2e4b">a potent greenhouse gas</a>&nbsp;that contributes significantly to global warming and packs a stronger short-term punch than even carbon dioxide — as he attended&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment">a global climate conference in Egypt</a>.

“We’re racing forward to do our part to avert the ‘climate hell’ the U.N. secretary general so passionately warned about,'' Biden said, referring to comments this week by United Nations leader António Guterres.

The new methane rule will help ensure that the United States meets a goal set by more than 100 nations to cut methane emissions by 30% by 2030 from 2020 levels, Biden said.

“I can stand here as president ... say with confidence, the United States of America will meet our emissions targets by 2030,'' he said.

The Environmental Protection Agency rule follows up on a proposal Biden announced last year at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-joe-biden-business-glasgow-joe-manchin-5dba1ef8a73af9ec8705316c470e7488">a United Nations climate summit in Scotland</a>. The 2021 rule targets emissions from existing oil and gas wells nationwide, rather than focusing only on new wells as previous EPA regulations have done.

The new rule goes a step further and takes aim at all drilling sites, including smaller wells that now will be required to find and plug methane leaks. Small wells currently are subject to an initial inspection but are rarely checked again for leaks.

The proposal also requires operators to respond to credible third-party reports of high-volume methane leaks.

The Biden administration will embark on “a relentless focus to root out emissions wherever we can find them,” White House national climate adviser Ali Zaidi said Friday.

Oil and gas production is the nation’s largest industrial source of methane, the primary component of natural gas, and is a key target for the Biden administration as it seeks to combat climate change.

“We must lead by example when it comes to tackling methane pollution — one of the biggest drivers of climate change,'' said EPA Administrator Michael Regan, who also is in Egypt for the climate talks. The new, stronger standards “will enable innovative new technology to flourish while protecting people and the planet,” he said.

“Our regulatory approach is very aggressive from a timing standpoint and a stringency standpoint," Regan said at a briefing in Egypt. The old and new rules should be able to prevent more than 80% of the energy waste, about 36 million tons (32.6 million metric tonnes) of carbon emissions, he said.

Leakage from wells and pipelines is why former Vice President Al Gore and others call natural gas “a bridge to nowhere.” In an interview with The Associated Press, Gore said: “When you work the math, a leakage of 2 to 3% of the methane completely negates the climate advantage of methane gas. And, tragically, the wildcatters that do most of the hydrological fracturing do not pay attention to the methane leakage. You have leakage in the LNG (liquefied natural gas) process, you have leakage in pipelines, you have leakage in the use.”

The supplemental rule comes as Biden has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-business-prices-government-and-politics-ba71f46a47c2be5a2ffd58a258796260">accused oil companies of “war profiteering”</a>&nbsp;and raised the possibility of imposing a windfall tax on energy companies if they don’t boost domestic production.

Biden has repeatedly criticized major oil companies for making record-setting profits in the wake of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Russia's war in Ukraine</a>&nbsp;while refusing to help lower prices at the pump for the American people. The Democratic president suggested last week that he will look to Congress to impose tax penalties on oil companies if they don’t invest some of their record-breaking profits to lower costs for American consumers.

Besides the EPA rule, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-science-congress-climate-and-environment-f084d23d61ebb068068d4aa92c82fdbb">climate and health law approved by Congress in August</a>&nbsp;includes a methane emissions reduction program that would impose a fee on energy producers that exceed a certain level of methane emissions. The fee, set to rise to $1,500 per metric ton of methane, marks the first time the federal government has directly imposed a fee, or tax, on greenhouse gas emissions.

The law allows exemptions for companies that comply with the EPA’s standards or fall below a certain emissions threshold. It also includes $1.5 billon in grants and other spending to help operators and local communities improve monitoring and data collection for methane emissions, with the goal of finding and repairing natural gas leaks.

Multiple studies have found that smaller wells produce just 6% of the nation’s oil and gas but account for up to half the methane emissions from well sites.

“We can’t leave half of the problem on the table and expect to get the reductions that we need to get and protect local communities from pollution,” said Jon Goldstein, senior director of regulatory affairs for oil and gas at the Environmental Defense Fund.

The draft rule is "a welcome sign that reducing methane emissions is a top priority for EPA,'' said Darin Schroeder, an associate attorney at Clean Air Task Force.

The oil industry has generally welcomed direct federal regulation of methane emissions, preferring a single national standard to a hodgepodge of state rules.

Even so, oil and gas companies have asked the EPA to exempt hundreds of thousands of the nation’s smallest wells from the upcoming methane rules.

The American Exploration and Production Council, which represents the largest independent oil and gas companies in the U.S., said it appreciates changes made by the EPA as the rule was developed but still has concerns to make it truly workable. "We will continue to work with EPA on meaningful solutions,'' said Anne Bradbury, the group's CEO.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668196040542.png" alt="Biden announced a supplemental rule cracking down on emissions of methane —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-texas-trending-news-climate-and-environment-0eb6880f7c4532a845155a3bd44c2e4b">a potent greenhouse gas</a>&nbsp;that contributes significantly to global warming-White House photo" />
 <figcaption>Biden announced a supplemental rule cracking down on emissions of methane —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-texas-trending-news-climate-and-environment-0eb6880f7c4532a845155a3bd44c2e4b">a potent greenhouse gas</a>&nbsp;that contributes significantly to global warming-White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt (AP) — The Biden administration on Friday ramped up efforts to reduce methane emissions, targeting the oil and gas industry for its role in global warming even as President Joe Biden has pressed energy producers for more oil drilling to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-prices-5f010ed0b66fb71e8d46040419a70203">lower prices at the gasoline pump</a>.Biden announced a supplemental rule cracking down on emissions of methane —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-texas-trending-news-climate-and-environment-0eb6880f7c4532a845155a3bd44c2e4b">a potent greenhouse gas</a>&nbsp;that contributes significantly to global warming and packs a stronger short-term punch than even carbon dioxide — as he attended&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment">a global climate conference in Egypt</a>.“We’re racing forward to do our part to avert the ‘climate hell’ the U.N. secretary general so passionately warned about,'' Biden said, referring to comments this week by United Nations leader António Guterres.The new methane rule will help ensure that the United States meets a goal set by more than 100 nations to cut methane emissions by 30% by 2030 from 2020 levels, Biden said.“I can stand here as president ... say with confidence, the United States of America will meet our emissions targets by 2030,'' he said.The Environmental Protection Agency rule follows up on a proposal Biden announced last year at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-joe-biden-business-glasgow-joe-manchin-5dba1ef8a73af9ec8705316c470e7488">a United Nations climate summit in Scotland</a>. The 2021 rule targets emissions from existing oil and gas wells nationwide, rather than focusing only on new wells as previous EPA regulations have done.The new rule goes a step further and takes aim at all drilling sites, including smaller wells that now will be required to find and plug methane leaks. Small wells currently are subject to an initial inspection but are rarely checked again for leaks.The proposal also requires operators to respond to credible third-party reports of high-volume methane leaks.The Biden administration will embark on “a relentless focus to root out emissions wherever we can find them,” White House national climate adviser Ali Zaidi said Friday.Oil and gas production is the nation’s largest industrial source of methane, the primary component of natural gas, and is a key target for the Biden administration as it seeks to combat climate change.“We must lead by example when it comes to tackling methane pollution — one of the biggest drivers of climate change,'' said EPA Administrator Michael Regan, who also is in Egypt for the climate talks. The new, stronger standards “will enable innovative new technology to flourish while protecting people and the planet,” he said.“Our regulatory approach is very aggressive from a timing standpoint and a stringency standpoint," Regan said at a briefing in Egypt. The old and new rules should be able to prevent more than 80% of the energy waste, about 36 million tons (32.6 million metric tonnes) of carbon emissions, he said.Leakage from wells and pipelines is why former Vice President Al Gore and others call natural gas “a bridge to nowhere.” In an interview with The Associated Press, Gore said: “When you work the math, a leakage of 2 to 3% of the methane completely negates the climate advantage of methane gas. And, tragically, the wildcatters that do most of the hydrological fracturing do not pay attention to the methane leakage. You have leakage in the LNG (liquefied natural gas) process, you have leakage in pipelines, you have leakage in the use.”The supplemental rule comes as Biden has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-business-prices-government-and-politics-ba71f46a47c2be5a2ffd58a258796260">accused oil companies of “war profiteering”</a>&nbsp;and raised the possibility of imposing a windfall tax on energy companies if they don’t boost domestic production.Biden has repeatedly criticized major oil companies for making record-setting profits in the wake of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Russia's war in Ukraine</a>&nbsp;while refusing to help lower prices at the pump for the American people. The Democratic president suggested last week that he will look to Congress to impose tax penalties on oil companies if they don’t invest some of their record-breaking profits to lower costs for American consumers.Besides the EPA rule, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-science-congress-climate-and-environment-f084d23d61ebb068068d4aa92c82fdbb">climate and health law approved by Congress in August</a>&nbsp;includes a methane emissions reduction program that would impose a fee on energy producers that exceed a certain level of methane emissions. The fee, set to rise to $1,500 per metric ton of methane, marks the first time the federal government has directly imposed a fee, or tax, on greenhouse gas emissions.The law allows exemptions for companies that comply with the EPA’s standards or fall below a certain emissions threshold. It also includes $1.5 billon in grants and other spending to help operators and local communities improve monitoring and data collection for methane emissions, with the goal of finding and repairing natural gas leaks.Multiple studies have found that smaller wells produce just 6% of the nation’s oil and gas but account for up to half the methane emissions from well sites.“We can’t leave half of the problem on the table and expect to get the reductions that we need to get and protect local communities from pollution,” said Jon Goldstein, senior director of regulatory affairs for oil and gas at the Environmental Defense Fund.The draft rule is "a welcome sign that reducing methane emissions is a top priority for EPA,'' said Darin Schroeder, an associate attorney at Clean Air Task Force.The oil industry has generally welcomed direct federal regulation of methane emissions, preferring a single national standard to a hodgepodge of state rules.Even so, oil and gas companies have asked the EPA to exempt hundreds of thousands of the nation’s smallest wells from the upcoming methane rules.The American Exploration and Production Council, which represents the largest independent oil and gas companies in the U.S., said it appreciates changes made by the EPA as the rule was developed but still has concerns to make it truly workable. "We will continue to work with EPA on meaningful solutions,'' said Anne Bradbury, the group's CEO.___

Biden tightens methane emissions rule amid push for more oil

By SHERMAN SMITH <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/11/11/kansas-national-guard-veteran-values-service-in-country-that-welcomed-him-as-refugee/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Gleb Gluhovsky enlisted 
for military service as a way of repaying the country that saved his 
life as a teenage refugee from war-torn Eastern Europe.

Gluhovsky,&nbsp;a physician assistant and colonel in the Kansas Army 
National Guard, has been deployed to Kosovo, Egypt, Kuwait and Liberal, 
Kansas, where he helped keep meatpacking plants open at the start of the
 COVID-19 pandemic by testing workers.

Now, having recently returned from his latest deployment to the 
Middle East, Gluhovsky is helping refugees from Ukraine settle in the 
Kansas City area. His wife is from Crimea, an area of Ukraine that was 
annexed by Russia in 2014.

He works for Envision Healthcare, where he curates nurse 
practitioners and other physician assistants for seven Kansas City-area 
hospitals. He said his service in the National Guard is made possible 
because Envision always “had my back” while he was deployed.

For Gluhovsky, military service is “a really good way to make sure 
that you’re not living just for yourself but also giving back to 
others.”

“Should you serve, you will gain a new family that will care for you 
and help you throughout the career,” Gluhovsky said. “It doesn’t come 
without sacrifices, and strong family and strong home support is 
definitely a must. But at the same time, it’s extremely rewarding.”

Gluhovsky’s family lived in Chișinău, the capital of Moldova, when the former Soviet Union began to fall apart.

The family wasn’t Moldovan or Russian, he said, but spoke Russian.

“We kind of got caught in between the wave of Moldova nationalism and
 Russian anti-Semitism,” Gluhovsky said. “So it was really good of the 
United States to take us in at the time.”

Gluhovsky was 17 in 1991 when the family arrived in Kansas City as 
refugees. He found a couple of jobs to help support the family and began
 learning to speak English.

His interest in health care was inspired by the death of his 
grandfather, who suffered a heart attack when Gluhovsky was 6 years old.
 The ambulance service declined to send emergency medical workers 
because they didn’t want the death statistic on their record.

The “callous response” was shocking to Gluhovsky, who said the situation “beget the dream” of becoming an emergency physician.

In Kansas, he became a paramedic before signing up for military 
service in 1999. He then became a physician assistant, and commissioned 
officer, in 2002.

“Joining the military was just one of the ways that I could give back
 to the community and thank the United States for essentially saving my 
life and that of my family,” Gluhovsky said.

Gluhovsky returned to Eastern Europe in 2007 for the first of his five deployments with the National Guard.

He provided border security for 13 months in Kosovo, where his 
language skills were needed. Later deployments took him to Sinai, Egypt,
 and to Kuwait, Iraq and Jordan.

Gluhovsky volunteered for National Guard mission to western Kansas 
“during the dark times of COVID,” when meatpacking plants teetered on 
the brink of closure because of mass infections. He worked on a 
community testing team for almost a year, screening employees so they 
could return to work if they weren’t sick.

Lee Norman, a retired colonel in the National Guard and former health
 secretary who managed the state’s COVID-19 response, said Gluhovsky’s 
leadership was “integral in protecting workers’ health and in keeping 
the plants functioning.”

“If the plants were not able to process 
livestock due to too few workers,” Norman said, “there would have been 
huge problems on our hands — both economic harm and the logistical 
issue: What do you do with livestock that back up with the ranchers and 
producers and cannot be processed?”

When vaccines became available, Gluhovsky helped with a mobile unit that immunized thousands of plant workers.

Now that he has returned from his latest deployment — this time to 
Kuwait, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar — Gluhovsky has joined his wife 
in helping refugees who fled war in Ukraine and settled in Kansas City. 
He said his church has devoted resources to help five families with 
apartments, health care, driving lessons and anything else they need.

He said his wife’s relatives have all emigrated from Ukraine.

“It is heart-wrenching to see what’s going on, and we pray daily for 
the war to cease so that people can come back to their homes and 
rebuild,” Gluhovsky said. “In the meantime, we do what we can to provide
 support.”

Gluhovsky decided to stay in the state that provided him so many opportunities.

“Absolutely love Kansas,” Gluhovsky said. “Best place to raise 
children, if you ask me. Down to earth people. Strong family values. And
 just have been really blessed with good friends, good employers. And I 
wouldn’t trade Kansas Army National Guard for any other state guard.”

During his deployments, Gluhovsky relied on support from his wife, coworkers, friends and church to attend “the home front.”

He has worked at Envision for about 10 years and serves as a regional
 director of advanced practice providers for the company. Envision is 
one of the largest physician and medical providers in the United States.

Robert Page III, president of the Alliance American Group at Envision
 Healthcare, said the company is “so incredibly proud of our clinicians 
and clinical support teammates who dedicate their lives to helping those
 in need — through serving our country and our patients.”

“They make many sacrifices for the greater good, and we thank them 
and their families for all that they do,” Page said. “In turn, our 
national medical group is committed to supporting service members like 
Gleb as they work to help communities at home and abroad.”

Gluhovsky said health care work has become increasingly stressful 
since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. His advice to others in the 
profession: “Take it one step at a time.”

“People will need health care going forward. They always do,” 
Gluhovsky said. “And those of us that have gotten into medical 
profession did so not as a money-making business, but rather as 
providing help to those who need it most.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668187525843.png" alt="Gleb Gluhovsky, a colonel in the Kansas Army National Guard, arrived in 1991 in Kansas City as a teenage refugee from the Soviet Union. He has been deployed five times since 2007, including a mission in western Kansas to keep meatpacking plants open during the pandemic. (Submitted)" />
 <figcaption>Gleb Gluhovsky, a colonel in the Kansas Army National Guard, arrived in 1991 in Kansas City as a teenage refugee from the Soviet Union. He has been deployed five times since 2007, including a mission in western Kansas to keep meatpacking plants open during the pandemic. (Submitted)</figcaption>
 </figure>By SHERMAN SMITH <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/11/11/kansas-national-guard-veteran-values-service-in-country-that-welcomed-him-as-refugee/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Gleb Gluhovsky enlisted 
for military service as a way of repaying the country that saved his 
life as a teenage refugee from war-torn Eastern Europe.Gluhovsky,&nbsp;a physician assistant and colonel in the Kansas Army 
National Guard, has been deployed to Kosovo, Egypt, Kuwait and Liberal, 
Kansas, where he helped keep meatpacking plants open at the start of the
 COVID-19 pandemic by testing workers.Now, having recently returned from his latest deployment to the 
Middle East, Gluhovsky is helping refugees from Ukraine settle in the 
Kansas City area. His wife is from Crimea, an area of Ukraine that was 
annexed by Russia in 2014.He works for Envision Healthcare, where he curates nurse 
practitioners and other physician assistants for seven Kansas City-area 
hospitals. He said his service in the National Guard is made possible 
because Envision always “had my back” while he was deployed.For Gluhovsky, military service is “a really good way to make sure 
that you’re not living just for yourself but also giving back to 
others.”“Should you serve, you will gain a new family that will care for you 
and help you throughout the career,” Gluhovsky said. “It doesn’t come 
without sacrifices, and strong family and strong home support is 
definitely a must. But at the same time, it’s extremely rewarding.”<h2>From Chișinău to KC</h2>Gluhovsky’s family lived in Chișinău, the capital of Moldova, when the former Soviet Union began to fall apart.The family wasn’t Moldovan or Russian, he said, but spoke Russian.“We kind of got caught in between the wave of Moldova nationalism and
 Russian anti-Semitism,” Gluhovsky said. “So it was really good of the 
United States to take us in at the time.”Gluhovsky was 17 in 1991 when the family arrived in Kansas City as 
refugees. He found a couple of jobs to help support the family and began
 learning to speak English.His interest in health care was inspired by the death of his 
grandfather, who suffered a heart attack when Gluhovsky was 6 years old.
 The ambulance service declined to send emergency medical workers 
because they didn’t want the death statistic on their record.The “callous response” was shocking to Gluhovsky, who said the situation “beget the dream” of becoming an emergency physician.In Kansas, he became a paramedic before signing up for military 
service in 1999. He then became a physician assistant, and commissioned 
officer, in 2002.“Joining the military was just one of the ways that I could give back
 to the community and thank the United States for essentially saving my 
life and that of my family,” Gluhovsky said.<h2>Dark times</h2>Gluhovsky returned to Eastern Europe in 2007 for the first of his five deployments with the National Guard.He provided border security for 13 months in Kosovo, where his 
language skills were needed. Later deployments took him to Sinai, Egypt,
 and to Kuwait, Iraq and Jordan.Gluhovsky volunteered for National Guard mission to western Kansas 
“during the dark times of COVID,” when meatpacking plants teetered on 
the brink of closure because of mass infections. He worked on a 
community testing team for almost a year, screening employees so they 
could return to work if they weren’t sick.Lee Norman, a retired colonel in the National Guard and former health
 secretary who managed the state’s COVID-19 response, said Gluhovsky’s 
leadership was “integral in protecting workers’ health and in keeping 
the plants functioning.”“If the plants were not able to process 
livestock due to too few workers,” Norman said, “there would have been 
huge problems on our hands — both economic harm and the logistical 
issue: What do you do with livestock that back up with the ranchers and 
producers and cannot be processed?”When vaccines became available, Gluhovsky helped with a mobile unit that immunized thousands of plant workers.Now that he has returned from his latest deployment — this time to 
Kuwait, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar — Gluhovsky has joined his wife 
in helping refugees who fled war in Ukraine and settled in Kansas City. 
He said his church has devoted resources to help five families with 
apartments, health care, driving lessons and anything else they need.He said his wife’s relatives have all emigrated from Ukraine.“It is heart-wrenching to see what’s going on, and we pray daily for 
the war to cease so that people can come back to their homes and 
rebuild,” Gluhovsky said. “In the meantime, we do what we can to provide
 support.”<h2>Love for Kansas</h2>Gluhovsky decided to stay in the state that provided him so many opportunities.“Absolutely love Kansas,” Gluhovsky said. “Best place to raise 
children, if you ask me. Down to earth people. Strong family values. And
 just have been really blessed with good friends, good employers. And I 
wouldn’t trade Kansas Army National Guard for any other state guard.”During his deployments, Gluhovsky relied on support from his wife, coworkers, friends and church to attend “the home front.”He has worked at Envision for about 10 years and serves as a regional
 director of advanced practice providers for the company. Envision is 
one of the largest physician and medical providers in the United States.Robert Page III, president of the Alliance American Group at Envision
 Healthcare, said the company is “so incredibly proud of our clinicians 
and clinical support teammates who dedicate their lives to helping those
 in need — through serving our country and our patients.”“They make many sacrifices for the greater good, and we thank them 
and their families for all that they do,” Page said. “In turn, our 
national medical group is committed to supporting service members like 
Gleb as they work to help communities at home and abroad.”Gluhovsky said health care work has become increasingly stressful 
since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. His advice to others in the 
profession: “Take it one step at a time.”“People will need health care going forward. They always do,” 
Gluhovsky said. “And those of us that have gotten into medical 
profession did so not as a money-making business, but rather as 
providing help to those who need it most.”

Kansas veteran values service in country that welcomed him as refugee

Employers reveal growing comfort with work-at-home, hybrid schedules

By CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/11/11/business-survey-remote-working-in-nebraska-may-be-leveling-off/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

OMAHA — While remote workers have 
multiplied since the pandemic hit, a new survey of Nebraska businesses 
signals that the trend locally might have leveled off.

“Remote working has grown, but 
managers don’t expect it will grow further in the next year,” said 
economist Eric Thompson, who led the study. “The flip side is they don’t
 think it’s a temporary thing. They’re expecting this increase to hold.”

Another interesting twist: Half
 of the businesses surveyed want to maintain office space not only for 
in-house workers but for remote workers on the occasion they report to 
the office.

For the most part, the respondents had not shrunk their physical digs
 in the wake of COVID-19. Rather, nearly 90% said they hadn’t changed 
the square footage since the pandemic hit in early 2020. Just over 7% 
said they increased it, and 3.7% reduced their physical quarters.

When asked about the coming year, 
nearly 11% anticipated their office space growing compared to only 3% 
that said they’d likely go smaller.

Newly released, <a target="_blank" href="https://business.unl.edu/research/bureau-of-business-research/bureau-reports/documents/FinalReportNebraskaSpaceUseandCOVID-19.pdf">the report</a>
 — titled “Nebraska Space Use Survey: The Influence of the COVID-19 
Pandemic” — was prepared by Thompson and Mitch Herian, both of the 
Bureau of Business Research at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

It was done on behalf of the Nebraska
 Business Development Center and the U.S. Small Business Administration 
to explore attitudes toward remote work and changing space needs of 
service businesses.

Types of businesses involved in the 
survey included finance, information, professional, educational support 
and technical services.

Not covered by the survey were goods-producing businesses, retailers, transportation or health care businesses.

About 300 questionnaires were 
answered, for a response rate of nearly 19%. The sampling represented 
various sizes and locations. About 58% of respondents said they owned 
the property in which their business operated.

Catherine Lang, NBDC executive 
director, said the data collected provides a way to benchmark attitudes 
about remote work moving forward.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has altered the way Nebraskans work forever,” she said.

According to the survey, a vast 
majority of employees, more than 80%, still worked full time in the 
office, but a marked increase worked remotely.

The share of those working at home at
 least part of the time jumped from nearly 11% pre-COVID to, at the 
close of the survey a few weeks ago, about 17%.

Looking ahead a year, though, 
respondents anticipated no real change in the percentage of remote 
workers, showing at least a short-term leveling off of the phenomenon.&nbsp;

“Elon Musk aside,” quipped Thompson, “it’s interesting that the growth in remote work seems like it can be maintained.”&nbsp;

The quip referred to Musk’s order 
this week to the staff of his recently purchased Twitter social network.
 The billionaire said he was ending the work-from-anywhere arrangement 
in place when he took over, and would grant exceptions case-by-case.

Thompson, director of the Bureau of 
Business Research, said that among the survey’s bigger take-aways was 
that many businesses leaders wanted to maintain physical space for their
 workers on the occasion they showed up in person. And, he said, it was 
notable that the increase in remote working and manager comfort level 
“hasn’t actually translated into a widespread reduction in the use of 
office space.”&nbsp;

One potential reason that businesses are not planning change may be 
logistical, the study leaders said. Among the 58% of respondents who own
 their work site, 67% do not lease to other tenants, raising the 
possibility that they could have difficulty altering the amount of 
space, especially since the pandemic.

Thompson said the increased comfort 
level with remote working might be driven in part by the labor shortage,
 and by employers wanting to be sensitive and responsive to employee 
wishes.

“Certainly with the challenges in hiring recently,” Thompson said, “they have extra incentive to be open-minded.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668191660377.png" alt="Business office park in west Omaha. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Business office park in west Omaha. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Employers reveal growing comfort with work-at-home, hybrid schedules</h2>By CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/11/11/business-survey-remote-working-in-nebraska-may-be-leveling-off/">Nebraska Examiner</a>OMAHA — While remote workers have 
multiplied since the pandemic hit, a new survey of Nebraska businesses 
signals that the trend locally might have leveled off.“Remote working has grown, but 
managers don’t expect it will grow further in the next year,” said 
economist Eric Thompson, who led the study. “The flip side is they don’t
 think it’s a temporary thing. They’re expecting this increase to hold.”<h2>More growth than shrinkage planned</h2>Another interesting twist: Half
 of the businesses surveyed want to maintain office space not only for 
in-house workers but for remote workers on the occasion they report to 
the office.For the most part, the respondents had not shrunk their physical digs
 in the wake of COVID-19. Rather, nearly 90% said they hadn’t changed 
the square footage since the pandemic hit in early 2020. Just over 7% 
said they increased it, and 3.7% reduced their physical quarters.When asked about the coming year, 
nearly 11% anticipated their office space growing compared to only 3% 
that said they’d likely go smaller.Newly released, <a target="_blank" href="https://business.unl.edu/research/bureau-of-business-research/bureau-reports/documents/FinalReportNebraskaSpaceUseandCOVID-19.pdf">the report</a>
 — titled “Nebraska Space Use Survey: The Influence of the COVID-19 
Pandemic” — was prepared by Thompson and Mitch Herian, both of the 
Bureau of Business Research at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.<h2>Exploring attitudes, trends</h2>It was done on behalf of the Nebraska
 Business Development Center and the U.S. Small Business Administration 
to explore attitudes toward remote work and changing space needs of 
service businesses.Types of businesses involved in the 
survey included finance, information, professional, educational support 
and technical services.Not covered by the survey were goods-producing businesses, retailers, transportation or health care businesses.About 300 questionnaires were 
answered, for a response rate of nearly 19%. The sampling represented 
various sizes and locations. About 58% of respondents said they owned 
the property in which their business operated.<h2>In-person work still highly valued</h2>Among notable findings:<ul>
 <li>Of
 businesses surveyed, nearly 28% have become more comfortable allowing 
remote work since the onset of the pandemic, and about 13% were less so.
 The remaining 59% said their feelings hadn’t changed.</li><li>The
 comfort level was greater in urban areas. About 35% of the respondents 
in Omaha or Lincoln have become more at ease with remote work, compared 
to 19% from smaller areas.</li><li>Even
 as comfort grew, a clear majority of nearly 79% of respondents agreed 
or strongly agreed that in-person work is vital to the company’s 
operations.</li>
 </ul>Catherine Lang, NBDC executive 
director, said the data collected provides a way to benchmark attitudes 
about remote work moving forward.“The COVID-19 pandemic has altered the way Nebraskans work forever,” she said.<h2>A leveling off</h2>According to the survey, a vast 
majority of employees, more than 80%, still worked full time in the 
office, but a marked increase worked remotely.The share of those working at home at
 least part of the time jumped from nearly 11% pre-COVID to, at the 
close of the survey a few weeks ago, about 17%.Looking ahead a year, though, 
respondents anticipated no real change in the percentage of remote 
workers, showing at least a short-term leveling off of the phenomenon.&nbsp;“Elon Musk aside,” quipped Thompson, “it’s interesting that the growth in remote work seems like it can be maintained.”&nbsp;The quip referred to Musk’s order 
this week to the staff of his recently purchased Twitter social network.
 The billionaire said he was ending the work-from-anywhere arrangement 
in place when he took over, and would grant exceptions case-by-case.<h2>Takeaways</h2>Thompson, director of the Bureau of 
Business Research, said that among the survey’s bigger take-aways was 
that many businesses leaders wanted to maintain physical space for their
 workers on the occasion they showed up in person. And, he said, it was 
notable that the increase in remote working and manager comfort level 
“hasn’t actually translated into a widespread reduction in the use of 
office space.”&nbsp;One potential reason that businesses are not planning change may be 
logistical, the study leaders said. Among the 58% of respondents who own
 their work site, 67% do not lease to other tenants, raising the 
possibility that they could have difficulty altering the amount of 
space, especially since the pandemic.Thompson said the increased comfort 
level with remote working might be driven in part by the labor shortage,
 and by employers wanting to be sensitive and responsive to employee 
wishes.“Certainly with the challenges in hiring recently,” Thompson said, “they have extra incentive to be open-minded.”

Survey: Remote working in Nebraska may be leveling off

By MARGERY A. BECK Associated Press

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A man sentenced to death for the killing and dismemberment of a Lincoln woman he met through the dating app Tinder lost his initial appeal in which he argued he should have been granted a mistrial after violently disrupting his own trial.

The Nebraska Supreme Court on Thursday rejected the appeal of Aubrey Trail, 56, who was convicted of first-degree murder in the 2017 death of 24-year-old Sydney Loofe and sentenced to death last year. Trail's girlfriend at the time of Loofe's death, Bailey Boswell, was also convicted as an active participant in Loofe's death and sentenced last November to life in prison.

The high court rejected all of Trail's appeal claims, which included arguments that the trial court violated his constitutional rights by excluding potential jurors who indicated they would not be able to perform jury duties dictated by Nebraska law because they were opposed to the death penalty.

Trail's claims also included the arguments that the judge should have declared a mistrial — or later, granted a request for a new trial — after Trail disrupted the third day of his trial by yelling, "Bailey is innocent, and I curse you all!" before cutting his own throat with a razor blade he had obtained in jail and sneaked into the courtroom.

In denying Trail's motions for a mistrial or new trial, the district court found that Trail's act of self-harm was "a calculating gesture." On Thursday, the state's high court said it would not second-guess the trial court's decision in the matter. The Supreme Court cited other appeals court cases that also ruled against defendants who had disrupted their own court hearings, saying that to allow mistrials in such cases "would provide a criminal defendant with a convenient device for provoking a mistrial whenever he chose to do so."

"As with these other defendants, we will not permit Trail to benefit from his own bad behavior during trial," Justice John Freudenberg wrote for the court in its unanimous ruling.

Prosecutors said Trail and Boswell planned the abduction and killing of Loofe, whom Boswell met using the online dating app Tinder. Two days after Boswell and Loofe met for a date on Nov. 14, 2017, Loofe's mother reported her missing. Loofe's dismembered remains were found weeks later, stuffed into garbage bags that had been dumped in a field near Edgar, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) southwest of Lincoln.

Trail later told investigators that he strangled Sydney Loofe with an extension cord, prosecutors said. He and Boswell then dismembered and disposed of Loofe's body with items they bought at a home improvement store the day before her death.

Neither an attorney for Trail nor the Nebraska Attorney General's Office immediately responded Thursday to requests for comment on the ruling.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668182562940.png" alt="Sydney Loof" />
 <figcaption>Sydney Loof</figcaption>
 </figure>By MARGERY A. BECK Associated PressOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A man sentenced to death for the killing and dismemberment of a Lincoln woman he met through the dating app Tinder lost his initial appeal in which he argued he should have been granted a mistrial after violently disrupting his own trial.The Nebraska Supreme Court on Thursday rejected the appeal of Aubrey Trail, 56, who was convicted of first-degree murder in the 2017 death of 24-year-old Sydney Loofe and sentenced to death last year. Trail's girlfriend at the time of Loofe's death, Bailey Boswell, was also convicted as an active participant in Loofe's death and sentenced last November to life in prison.The high court rejected all of Trail's appeal claims, which included arguments that the trial court violated his constitutional rights by excluding potential jurors who indicated they would not be able to perform jury duties dictated by Nebraska law because they were opposed to the death penalty.Trail's claims also included the arguments that the judge should have declared a mistrial — or later, granted a request for a new trial — after Trail disrupted the third day of his trial by yelling, "Bailey is innocent, and I curse you all!" before cutting his own throat with a razor blade he had obtained in jail and sneaked into the courtroom.In denying Trail's motions for a mistrial or new trial, the district court found that Trail's act of self-harm was "a calculating gesture." On Thursday, the state's high court said it would not second-guess the trial court's decision in the matter. The Supreme Court cited other appeals court cases that also ruled against defendants who had disrupted their own court hearings, saying that to allow mistrials in such cases "would provide a criminal defendant with a convenient device for provoking a mistrial whenever he chose to do so.""As with these other defendants, we will not permit Trail to benefit from his own bad behavior during trial," Justice John Freudenberg wrote for the court in its unanimous ruling.Prosecutors said Trail and Boswell planned the abduction and killing of Loofe, whom Boswell met using the online dating app Tinder. Two days after Boswell and Loofe met for a date on Nov. 14, 2017, Loofe's mother reported her missing. Loofe's dismembered remains were found weeks later, stuffed into garbage bags that had been dumped in a field near Edgar, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) southwest of Lincoln.Trail later told investigators that he strangled Sydney Loofe with an extension cord, prosecutors said. He and Boswell then dismembered and disposed of Loofe's body with items they bought at a home improvement store the day before her death.Neither an attorney for Trail nor the Nebraska Attorney General's Office immediately responded Thursday to requests for comment on the ruling.

Death sentence upheld in Nebraska killing, dismemberment

NEW YORK (AP) — It took less than a week for FTX to go from the third-largest cryptocurrency exchange in the world to bankruptcy court.

The embattled cryptocurrency exchange, short billions of dollars, is seeking bankruptcy protection after the exchange experienced the crypto equivalent of a bank run. FTX, its affiliated hedge fund Alameda Research, and dozens of other companies filed a bankruptcy petition in Delaware on Friday morning.

CEO and founder Sam Bankman-Fried has resigned, the company said. Bankman-Fried was recently estimated to be worth $23 billion and has been a prominent political donor to Democrats. His net worth has all but evaporated, according to Forbes and Bloomberg, which closely track the net worth of the world's richest people.

Bankman-Fried has other problems as well. On Thursday, a person familiar with the matter said the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission were looking into FTX to determine whether any criminal activity or securities offenses were committed. The person could not discuss details of the investigations publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

The investigation is centered on the possibility that FTX may have used customers’ deposits to fund bets at Alameda Research. In traditional markets, brokers are expected to separate client funds from other company assets. Violations can be punished by regulators.

FTX had agreed earlier this week to sell itself to bigger rival Binance after experiencing the cryptocurrency equivalent of a bank run. Customers fled the exchange after becoming concerned about whether FTX had sufficient capital.

The crypto world had hoped that Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange, might be able to rescue FTX and its depositors. However, after Binance had a chance to look at the books of FTX, it became clear that the smaller exchange’s problems were too big to solve and Binance backed out of the deal.

FTX is the latest in a series of cascading disasters that have shaken the crypto sector, now under intense pressure from collapsing prices and circling financial regulators. Its failure is also sending tsunami-like waves throughout the crypto universe.

Cryptocurrency lender BlockFi announced on Twitter late Thursday that it is “not able to do business as usual” and pausing client withdrawals as a result of FTX's implosion.

In a letter posted to its Twitter profile late Thursday, BlockFi — which was bailed out by Bankman-Fried’s FTX early last summer — said it was “shocked and dismayed by the news regarding FTX and Alameda.”

The company ended by saying any future communications about its status “will be less frequent that what our clients and other stakeholders are used to.”

Bitcoin tumbled immediately after the letter was posted, losing close to 5% before inching back above $17,000 overnight. The original cryptocurrency, bitcoin had been hovering around $20,000 for months before the FTX's problems became public this week, sending it briefly to around $15,500.

NEW YORK (AP) — The swift collapse of cryptocurrency exchange FTX sent more shockwaves through the crypto world on Thursday, with authorities now investigating the firm for potential securities violations and analysts bracing for a further downturn in crypto prices.

A person familiar with matter said that the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission are examining FTX to determine whether any criminal activity or securities offenses were committed. The person could not discuss details of the investigations publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

This week's developments marked a shocking turn of events for FTX CEO and founder Sam Bankman-Fried, who was hailed as somewhat of a savior earlier this year when he helped shore up a number of cryptocurrency companies that ran into financial trouble.

The investigation into Bankman-Fried and FTX by those in the crypto world as well as securities regulators is centering on the possibility that the firm may have used customers’ deposits to fund bets at Bankman-Fried’s hedge fund, Alameda Research. In traditional markets, brokers are expected to separate client funds from other company assets. Violations can be punished by regulators.

Meanwhile, investors in popular digital currencies got some relief from the latest crypto crisis Thursday after days of selling. Bitcoin rose to $17,691 after dropping as low as $15,512 on Wednesday. Ethereum rose 12%. The gains came after a government report showing inflation cooled a bit last month gave a lift to riskier assets.

The crypto world had hoped that Binance, the world's largest crypto exchange, might be able to rescue FTX and its depositors. However, after Binance had a chance to look at the books of FTX, it became clear that the smaller exchange's problems were too big to solve.

A person familiar with the dealings between FTX and Binance described the books as a “black hole” where it was impossible to differentiate between the assets and liabilities of FTX the exchange and those of Alameda Research. This person spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak publicly about the matter.

This person said Bankman-Fried committed the “ultimate sin” by tapping into FTX's custodial assets to fund Alameda Research.

In a further illustration of FTX’s financial straits, Bankman-Fried asked his investors Wednesday for $8 billion to cover withdrawal requests, according to The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed sources.

In a series of Tweets on Thursday, the FTX founder and CEO said that he did not have enough liquidity to cover withdrawals and that he was more leveraged than he had thought.

“I f(asterisk)(asterisk)(asterisk)ed up, and should have done better,” he said.

The latest crisis in the crypto industry prompted renewed calls for stricter regulation. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the FTX developments "highlights why prudent regulation of cryptocurrencies is indeed needed. The White House, along with the relevant agencies, will again closely monitor the situation as it develops.”

The collapse of the cryptocurrency’s third largest exchange is likely to cause further disruption across the entire crypto world, analysts say, meaning Thursday's rally could be temporary.

"The unwinding of FTX, as well as its shock of confidence to the system, will cause crypto prices to fall even further leading to “a new cascade of margin calls,” said analysts at J.P. Morgan in a note to investors. This would be similar to the selloff that happened after the collapse of the stable coin Terra earlier this year, where prices continued to decline weeks after its failure.

“This deleveraging is likely to last for at least a few weeks unless a rescue for Alameda Research and FTX is agreed quickly,” J.P. Morgan analysts wrote.

The crypto industry is waiting to see what other companies are impacted by the FTX collapse. The venture capital fund Sequoia Capital said Thursday it is writing down its total investment of nearly $215 million n FTX.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1620732850317.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — It took less than a week for FTX to go from the third-largest cryptocurrency exchange in the world to bankruptcy court.The embattled cryptocurrency exchange, short billions of dollars, is seeking bankruptcy protection after the exchange experienced the crypto equivalent of a bank run. FTX, its affiliated hedge fund Alameda Research, and dozens of other companies filed a bankruptcy petition in Delaware on Friday morning.CEO and founder Sam Bankman-Fried has resigned, the company said. Bankman-Fried was recently estimated to be worth $23 billion and has been a prominent political donor to Democrats. His net worth has all but evaporated, according to Forbes and Bloomberg, which closely track the net worth of the world's richest people.Bankman-Fried has other problems as well. On Thursday, a person familiar with the matter said the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission were looking into FTX to determine whether any criminal activity or securities offenses were committed. The person could not discuss details of the investigations publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.The investigation is centered on the possibility that FTX may have used customers’ deposits to fund bets at Alameda Research. In traditional markets, brokers are expected to separate client funds from other company assets. Violations can be punished by regulators.FTX had agreed earlier this week to sell itself to bigger rival Binance after experiencing the cryptocurrency equivalent of a bank run. Customers fled the exchange after becoming concerned about whether FTX had sufficient capital.The crypto world had hoped that Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange, might be able to rescue FTX and its depositors. However, after Binance had a chance to look at the books of FTX, it became clear that the smaller exchange’s problems were too big to solve and Binance backed out of the deal.FTX is the latest in a series of cascading disasters that have shaken the crypto sector, now under intense pressure from collapsing prices and circling financial regulators. Its failure is also sending tsunami-like waves throughout the crypto universe.Cryptocurrency lender BlockFi announced on Twitter late Thursday that it is “not able to do business as usual” and pausing client withdrawals as a result of FTX's implosion.In a letter posted to its Twitter profile late Thursday, BlockFi — which was bailed out by Bankman-Fried’s FTX early last summer — said it was “shocked and dismayed by the news regarding FTX and Alameda.”The company ended by saying any future communications about its status “will be less frequent that what our clients and other stakeholders are used to.”Bitcoin tumbled immediately after the letter was posted, losing close to 5% before inching back above $17,000 overnight. The original cryptocurrency, bitcoin had been hovering around $20,000 for months before the FTX's problems became public this week, sending it briefly to around $15,500.------------NEW YORK (AP) — The swift collapse of cryptocurrency exchange FTX sent more shockwaves through the crypto world on Thursday, with authorities now investigating the firm for potential securities violations and analysts bracing for a further downturn in crypto prices.FTX had agreed earlier this week to sell itself to bigger rival Binance after experiencing the cryptocurrency equivalent of a bank run. Customers fled the exchange after becoming concerned about whether FTX had sufficient capital.A person familiar with matter said that the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission are examining FTX to determine whether any criminal activity or securities offenses were committed. The person could not discuss details of the investigations publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.This week's developments marked a shocking turn of events for FTX CEO and founder Sam Bankman-Fried, who was hailed as somewhat of a savior earlier this year when he helped shore up a number of cryptocurrency companies that ran into financial trouble.The investigation into Bankman-Fried and FTX by those in the crypto world as well as securities regulators is centering on the possibility that the firm may have used customers’ deposits to fund bets at Bankman-Fried’s hedge fund, Alameda Research. In traditional markets, brokers are expected to separate client funds from other company assets. Violations can be punished by regulators.Meanwhile, investors in popular digital currencies got some relief from the latest crypto crisis Thursday after days of selling. Bitcoin rose to $17,691 after dropping as low as $15,512 on Wednesday. Ethereum rose 12%. The gains came after a government report showing inflation cooled a bit last month gave a lift to riskier assets.The crypto world had hoped that Binance, the world's largest crypto exchange, might be able to rescue FTX and its depositors. However, after Binance had a chance to look at the books of FTX, it became clear that the smaller exchange's problems were too big to solve.A person familiar with the dealings between FTX and Binance described the books as a “black hole” where it was impossible to differentiate between the assets and liabilities of FTX the exchange and those of Alameda Research. This person spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak publicly about the matter.This person said Bankman-Fried committed the “ultimate sin” by tapping into FTX's custodial assets to fund Alameda Research.In a further illustration of FTX’s financial straits, Bankman-Fried asked his investors Wednesday for $8 billion to cover withdrawal requests, according to The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed sources.In a series of Tweets on Thursday, the FTX founder and CEO said that he did not have enough liquidity to cover withdrawals and that he was more leveraged than he had thought.“I f(asterisk)(asterisk)(asterisk)ed up, and should have done better,” he said.The latest crisis in the crypto industry prompted renewed calls for stricter regulation. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the FTX developments "highlights why prudent regulation of cryptocurrencies is indeed needed. The White House, along with the relevant agencies, will again closely monitor the situation as it develops.”The collapse of the cryptocurrency’s third largest exchange is likely to cause further disruption across the entire crypto world, analysts say, meaning Thursday's rally could be temporary."The unwinding of FTX, as well as its shock of confidence to the system, will cause crypto prices to fall even further leading to “a new cascade of margin calls,” said analysts at J.P. Morgan in a note to investors. This would be similar to the selloff that happened after the collapse of the stable coin Terra earlier this year, where prices continued to decline weeks after its failure.“This deleveraging is likely to last for at least a few weeks unless a rescue for Alameda Research and FTX is agreed quickly,” J.P. Morgan analysts wrote.The crypto industry is waiting to see what other companies are impacted by the FTX collapse. The venture capital fund Sequoia Capital said Thursday it is writing down its total investment of nearly $215 million n FTX.

Crypto exchange FTX, short billions of dollars, files for bankruptcy

Editor’s note:
 Brad Ashford, a former Nebraska legislator and member of Congress, 
wrote several columns for the Nebraska Examiner before his death in 
April of this year. His widow, Ann Ashford, continues to share some of 
Brad’s essays with the Nebraska Examiner. Here is a note she sent ahead of Veterans Day.

Brad wrote this in the summer of 1995 and sent it to columnist 
Mike Kelly at the Omaha World-Herald that fall. I do not believe it was 
published in its entirety. Brad’s sense of duty to and respect for his 
father and all those who serve this country led to his commitment to 
veterans’ care and sponsorship of the CHIP IN for Veterans Act of 2016, 
allowing for the first public-private partnerships to build veterans’ 
health care facilities. — Ann Ashford

By BRAD ASHFORD <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/11/11/an-ak-sar-ben-knight/">Courtesy Nebraska Examiner</a>

Since my father’s death in 1977, I have kept his wartime diary in my 
desk drawer with other objects from my past; old check books, pen sets 
from birthdays far gone, tattered wallets and the like. I had taken the 
diary out periodically. I liked the way it looked and felt, pocket-sized
 in black leather with red edges to the lined pages. Though I had read 
the diary many times in the past, the passages were short and terse, 
revealing very little. The entry for May 12, 1944, was typical, “R.R. 
Bridge at Liege. Moderate flak. No losses. Bridge destroyed.”

My father, like so many other fathers of my generation, fought in 
World War II. He was a bomber pilot stationed near London through most 
of 1944. In fact, Don Ashford was a particularly valiant pilot. He flew 
over sixty missions over France and Germany in a B-26 bomber. The twin 
engine plane known as the Martin Marauder had been built at the Martin 
Bomber Plant on the site of the present-day Offutt Air Force Base. He 
named his plane the “Ak-Sar-Ben Knight” after the well-known civic 
organization and horse track. In fact there were two Ak-Sar-Ben Knights.
 Number 1 crash landed after a bombing raid over France and was replaced
 by another. My father was decorated for pulling two crew members from 
the burning wreckage of the first plane. He returned to Omaha a hero.

I learned precious little from my father about his war time exploits.
 Instead he would relate lighthearted stories about a “secret mission” 
to Scotland for a case of scotch whiskey to replenish the squadron 
commander’s supply; or spending many hours in a Paris hotel bar with a 
German Luftwaffe Colonel whom he found drowning his sorrows in the 
period just before the Allied entered Paris. When I asked my father how 
he got into Paris while the Germans were still there, he replied, “by 
taxi.” No other explanation was offered.

This spring I decided to take my son John Paul and his friend to 
Paris. He was taking French in school and I thought age 15 would be an 
excellent age for him to experience another culture. As the time for the
 trip approached, however, I was drawn back to the diary. I knew that my
 father had flown on D-Day but knew little about the mission. The diary 
entry for June 6, 1944, read simply, “Gun positions on Cherbourg 
Peninsula. First ships over invasion coast. Heavy flak. One ship lost. 
Biggest show ever.” Though I had been to France on a couple of occasions
 I had never been to Normandy. Something was telling me not to miss it 
this trip.

The day we picked to go to Normandy was cold and foggy, much like the
 real thing as we were told by our guide. As we approached the invasion 
beaches I was overcome by an intense feeling of closeness to my father. I
 kept thinking that we were making a connection with a man my son never 
met. As the day progressed, those feelings grew more intense. At the 
American Cemetery near Omaha Beach a large map is carved on the memorial
 which marks the entrance to the Cemetery. The map depicts the positions
 of the air, naval, and land forces of the invasion force on the morning
 of June 6, 1944. A green arrow describes the advance of the 9th
 Air Corps which included the Ak-Sar-Ben Knight on the Cherbourg 
Peninsula, approximately 25 kilometers from the invasion beaches. The 
entry in the diary was beginning to come alive.

At the museum in Caen, the capital of southern Normandy, a film 
traced the rise of fascism in Germany and across Europe, the Nazi 
invasion of France, and finally the liberation of Europe. As if spliced 
into the film for our benefit, there appeared on the screen a squadron 
of B-26 Martin Marauders dropping their bombs on what the narrator 
described as the Cherbourg peninsula. Though I cannot claim to have seen
 the Ak-Sar-Ben Knight that day, the diary told me that it was in that 
group of planes somewhere.

As we left the theater I knew that something significant had 
occurred. My son would understand that the grandfather he never knew was
 in fact a real hero and I have the very real satisfaction of knowing 
that I had helped bring my father and my son together for a brief time.

My father returned from the war, finished college, married my mother,
 and went to work at our family business, The Nebraska Clothing Company.
 He ran the business until it closed in 1976, hanging on to the dream 
that retailing was not dead in downtown Omaha. He opened one of the 
first shops in the Old Market Passageway called D. Ashford’s, a men’s 
clothing store. He died soon after the store opened in November of 1977 
at age 55, three years before the birth of his oldest grandson. He would
 be very proud to see what is happening in the Old Market today 18 years
 after his death, and prouder still of the 15 year old grandson whose 
life he touched on a foggy afternoon in Normandy.

Brad Ashford was a public servant and attorney. He served four terms in the Nebraska Unicameral Legislature and one term in the U.S. House of Representatives. Brad's later focus was on bringing a New Attitude to all involved in governance — to work together without regard to labels. He died April 19, 2022.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668178760689.png" alt="The crew of the Ak-Sar-Ben Knight, along with the dog that went with them. Don Ashford is pictured in back row, far right. (Courtesy of Ann Ashford)" />
 <figcaption>The crew of the Ak-Sar-Ben Knight, along with the dog that went with them. Don Ashford is pictured in back row, far right. (Courtesy of Ann Ashford)</figcaption>
 </figure>Editor’s note:
 Brad Ashford, a former Nebraska legislator and member of Congress, 
wrote several columns for the Nebraska Examiner before his death in 
April of this year. His widow, Ann Ashford, continues to share some of 
Brad’s essays with the Nebraska Examiner. Here is a note she sent ahead of Veterans Day.Brad wrote this in the summer of 1995 and sent it to columnist 
Mike Kelly at the Omaha World-Herald that fall. I do not believe it was 
published in its entirety. Brad’s sense of duty to and respect for his 
father and all those who serve this country led to his commitment to 
veterans’ care and sponsorship of the CHIP IN for Veterans Act of 2016, 
allowing for the first public-private partnerships to build veterans’ 
health care facilities. — Ann AshfordBy BRAD ASHFORD <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/11/11/an-ak-sar-ben-knight/">Courtesy Nebraska Examiner</a>Since my father’s death in 1977, I have kept his wartime diary in my 
desk drawer with other objects from my past; old check books, pen sets 
from birthdays far gone, tattered wallets and the like. I had taken the 
diary out periodically. I liked the way it looked and felt, pocket-sized
 in black leather with red edges to the lined pages. Though I had read 
the diary many times in the past, the passages were short and terse, 
revealing very little. The entry for May 12, 1944, was typical, “R.R. 
Bridge at Liege. Moderate flak. No losses. Bridge destroyed.”My father, like so many other fathers of my generation, fought in 
World War II. He was a bomber pilot stationed near London through most 
of 1944. In fact, Don Ashford was a particularly valiant pilot. He flew 
over sixty missions over France and Germany in a B-26 bomber. The twin 
engine plane known as the Martin Marauder had been built at the Martin 
Bomber Plant on the site of the present-day Offutt Air Force Base. He 
named his plane the “Ak-Sar-Ben Knight” after the well-known civic 
organization and horse track. In fact there were two Ak-Sar-Ben Knights.
 Number 1 crash landed after a bombing raid over France and was replaced
 by another. My father was decorated for pulling two crew members from 
the burning wreckage of the first plane. He returned to Omaha a hero.I learned precious little from my father about his war time exploits.
 Instead he would relate lighthearted stories about a “secret mission” 
to Scotland for a case of scotch whiskey to replenish the squadron 
commander’s supply; or spending many hours in a Paris hotel bar with a 
German Luftwaffe Colonel whom he found drowning his sorrows in the 
period just before the Allied entered Paris. When I asked my father how 
he got into Paris while the Germans were still there, he replied, “by 
taxi.” No other explanation was offered.This spring I decided to take my son John Paul and his friend to 
Paris. He was taking French in school and I thought age 15 would be an 
excellent age for him to experience another culture. As the time for the
 trip approached, however, I was drawn back to the diary. I knew that my
 father had flown on D-Day but knew little about the mission. The diary 
entry for June 6, 1944, read simply, “Gun positions on Cherbourg 
Peninsula. First ships over invasion coast. Heavy flak. One ship lost. 
Biggest show ever.” Though I had been to France on a couple of occasions
 I had never been to Normandy. Something was telling me not to miss it 
this trip.The day we picked to go to Normandy was cold and foggy, much like the
 real thing as we were told by our guide. As we approached the invasion 
beaches I was overcome by an intense feeling of closeness to my father. I
 kept thinking that we were making a connection with a man my son never 
met. As the day progressed, those feelings grew more intense. At the 
American Cemetery near Omaha Beach a large map is carved on the memorial
 which marks the entrance to the Cemetery. The map depicts the positions
 of the air, naval, and land forces of the invasion force on the morning
 of June 6, 1944. A green arrow describes the advance of the 9th
 Air Corps which included the Ak-Sar-Ben Knight on the Cherbourg 
Peninsula, approximately 25 kilometers from the invasion beaches. The 
entry in the diary was beginning to come alive.At the museum in Caen, the capital of southern Normandy, a film 
traced the rise of fascism in Germany and across Europe, the Nazi 
invasion of France, and finally the liberation of Europe. As if spliced 
into the film for our benefit, there appeared on the screen a squadron 
of B-26 Martin Marauders dropping their bombs on what the narrator 
described as the Cherbourg peninsula. Though I cannot claim to have seen
 the Ak-Sar-Ben Knight that day, the diary told me that it was in that 
group of planes somewhere.As we left the theater I knew that something significant had 
occurred. My son would understand that the grandfather he never knew was
 in fact a real hero and I have the very real satisfaction of knowing 
that I had helped bring my father and my son together for a brief time.My father returned from the war, finished college, married my mother,
 and went to work at our family business, The Nebraska Clothing Company.
 He ran the business until it closed in 1976, hanging on to the dream 
that retailing was not dead in downtown Omaha. He opened one of the 
first shops in the Old Market Passageway called D. Ashford’s, a men’s 
clothing store. He died soon after the store opened in November of 1977 
at age 55, three years before the birth of his oldest grandson. He would
 be very proud to see what is happening in the Old Market today 18 years
 after his death, and prouder still of the 15 year old grandson whose 
life he touched on a foggy afternoon in Normandy.Brad Ashford was a public servant and attorney. He served four terms in the Nebraska Unicameral Legislature and one term in the U.S. House of Representatives. Brad's later focus was on bringing a New Attitude to all involved in governance — to work together without regard to labels. He died April 19, 2022.&nbsp;