WASHINGTON (AP) — Fourteen of the 15 boxes recovered from former President Donald Trump’s Florida estate early this year contained classified documents, many of them top secret, mixed in with miscellaneous newspapers, magazines and personal correspondence,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/22267182-trump-search-warrant-affidavit">according to an FBI affidavit</a>&nbsp;released Friday.

<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.617854/gov.uscourts.flsd.617854.102.1.pdf">Click here to read full document</a>&nbsp;from the Justice Department

No space at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate was authorized for the storage of classified material, according to the court papers, which laid out the FBI's rationale for searching the property this month, including “probable cause to believe that evidence of obstruction will be found.”

The 32-page affidavit — heavily redacted to protect the safety of witnesses and law enforcement officials and “the integrity of the ongoing investigation” — offers the most detailed description to date of the government records being stored at Mar-a-Lago long after Trump left the White House. It also reveals the gravity of the government’s concerns that the documents were there illegally.

The document makes clear how the haphazard retention of top secret government records, and the apparent failure to safeguard them despite months of entreaties from U.S. officials, has exposed Trump to fresh legal peril just as he lays the groundwork for another potential presidential run in 2024.

“The government is conducting a criminal investigation concerning the improper removal and storage of classified information in unauthorized spaces, as well as the unlawful concealment or removal of government records,” an FBI agent wrote on the first page of the affidavit in seeking a judge's permission for a warrant to search the property.

Documents previously made public show that federal agents are investigating potential violations of three federal laws, including one that governs gathering, transmitting or losing defense information under the Espionage Act. The other statutes address the concealment, mutilation or removal of records and the destruction, alteration or falsification of records in federal investigations.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-donald-trump-mar-a-lago-classified-information-8dd6297eaebc358ffc15c153dc1b000e">Trump has long insisted, despite clear evidence to the contrary,</a>&nbsp;that he fully cooperated with government officials. And he has rallied Republicans behind him by painting the search as a politically motivated witch hunt intended to damage his reelection prospects. He repeated that refrain on his social media site Friday, saying he and his representatives had had a close working relationship with the FBI and “GAVE THEM MUCH.”

The affidavit does not provide new details about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-donald-trump-mar-a-lago-merrick-garland-government-and-politics-f63c018b600e1539ff3660a896a132d0">11 sets of classified records recovered during the Aug. 8 search</a>&nbsp;at Mar-a-Lago but instead concerns a separate batch of 15 boxes that the National Archives and Records Administration retrieved from the home in January. The National Archives then sent the matter to the Justice Department, indicating in its referral that a review showed “a lot” of classified materials, according to the affidavit.

The affidavit argues a search of Mar-a-Lago was necessary due to the highly sensitive material found in the boxes recovered by the National Archives. Of 184 documents marked classified, 25 were at the top secret level, the affidavit says. Some had special markings suggesting they included information from highly sensitive human sources or the collection of electronic “signals” authorized by a special intelligence court.

Some of those classified records were mixed with other documents, including newspapers, magazines and miscellaneous print-outs, the affidavit says, citing a letter from the Archives.

Douglas London, a former senior CIA officer and author of “The Recruiter," said this showed Trump's lack of respect for controls. “One of the rules of classified is you don’t mix classified and unclassified so there’s no mistakes or accidents," he said.

The affidavit shows how agents were authorized to search a large swath of Mar-a-Lago, including Trump's official post-presidential “45 Office,” storage rooms and all other areas in which boxes or documents could be stored. They did not propose searching areas of the property used or rented by Mar-a-Largo members, such as private guest suites.

The document notes that no space at Mar-a-Lago had been authorized for the storage of classified information at least since the end of Trump’s term in office.

The FBI submitted the affidavit, or sworn statement, to a judge so it could obtain the warrant to search Trump's property. Affidavits typically contain vital information about an investigation, with agents spelling out&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-mar-a-lago-government-and-politics-59de0ccd435db270d65f155a7bd9a60e">the justification for why they want to search a particular property</a>&nbsp;and why they believe they’re likely to find evidence of a potential crime there.

Affidavits routinely remain sealed during pending investigations. But in an acknowledgment of the extraordinary public interest in the investigation, U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart on Thursday ordered the department by Friday to make public a redacted version of the affidavit.

In a separate document unsealed Friday, Justice Department officials explained that it was necessary to redact some information to “protect the safety and privacy of a significant number of civilian witnesses, in addition to law enforcement personnel, as well as to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation.”

The second half of the affidavit is almost entirely redacted, making it impossible to discern the scope of the investigation or where it might be headed. It does not identify by name any people who may be subjects of the investigation and it does not answer core questions, such as why top secret documents were taken to Mar-a-Lago at the end of the president's term even though the government regards them as presidential records and even though classified information requires special storage.

Though Trump's spokesman derided the investigation as “all politics,” the affidavit makes clear that the FBI search was hardly the first time federal law enforcement had expressed concerns about the records. The government issued a subpoena for records in May, the Trump legal team has said, and the Justice Department's top counterintelligence official visited Mar-a-Lago in June.

In addition, the affidavit includes excerpts from a June 8 letter in which a Justice Department official reminds a Trump lawyer that Mar-a-Lago is not authorized to hold classified records and requests that the room at the estate where the documents had been stored be secured and that they “be preserved in that room in their current condition until further notice.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-donald-trump-mar-a-lago-merrick-garland-government-and-politics-5ffebbfdae66d71790195f67f282fe80">The back-and-forth culminated in the Aug. 8 search</a>&nbsp;in which agents retrieved the 11 sets of classified records.

The document unsealed Friday also offer insight into arguments the Trump legal team is expected to make as the case moves forward. It includes a letter from Trump lawyer M. Evan Corcoran in which he asserts that a president has “absolute authority" to declassify documents and that “presidential actions involving classified documents are not subject to criminal sanction.”

Mark Zaid, a longtime national security lawyer who has criticized Trump for his handling of classified information, said the letter was “blatantly wrong” to assert Trump could declassify “anything and everything.”

“There are some legal, technical defenses as to certain provisions of the espionage act whether it would apply to the president,” Zaid said. “But some of those provisions make no distinction that would raise a defense.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — Fourteen of the 15 boxes recovered from former President Donald Trump's Florida estate earlier this year contained documents with classification markings,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/22267182-trump-search-warrant-affidavit">according to an FBI affidavit</a>&nbsp;released Friday explaining the justification for the search of the property this month.

<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.617854/gov.uscourts.flsd.617854.102.1.pdf">Click here to read full document</a> from the Justice Department

The 32-page affidavit, even in its redacted form, contains additional details about an ongoing criminal investigation that has brought fresh legal peril for Trump just as he lays the groundwork for another presidential run. It underscores the volume of sensitive government documents located at Mar-a-Lago and reveals FBI concerns that the records were being retained illegally.

Though the document offers the most substantial description of the investigation, federal officials also redacted significant portions of it to protect the identity of witnesses and to avoid revealing sensitive investigative tactics.

The FBI submitted the affidavit, or sworn statement, to a judge so it could obtain a warrant to search Trump's property. Affidavits typically contain vital information about an investigation, with agents spelling out the justification for why they want to search a particular property and why they believe they’re likely to find evidence of a potential crime there. But affidavits routinely remain sealed during pending investigations, making the judge’s decision to reveal portions of it all the more striking.

In an acknowledgment of the extraordinary public interest in the investigation, U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart on Thursday ordered the department by Friday to make public a redacted version of the affidavit. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-providing-redacted-trump-affidavit-a734bd242eef7f9a47fc11293c35e396">directive</a>&nbsp;came hours after federal law enforcement officials submitted under seal the portions of the affidavit that they want to keep secret as their investigation moves forward.

The redactions proposed by the Justice Department are extensive given the sensitivity of the investigation, lessening the likelihood that the document will offer a comprehensive look at the basis for the unprecedented search or significant insights about the direction of the probe. Yet even a redacted affidavit can contain at least some fresh revelations about the investigation, and is likely to help explain why federal agents who had tried for months to recover sensitive government records from Mar-a-Lago ultimately felt compelled to obtain a search warrant.

<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/22131425-mar-a-lago-search-documents">Documents previously made public</a>&nbsp;show the FBI retrieved from the property 11 sets of classified documents, including information marked at the top secret level. They also show that federal agents are investigating potential violations of three federal laws, including one that governs gathering, transmitting or losing defense information under the Espionage Act. The other statutes address the concealment, mutilation or removal of records and the destruction, alteration or falsification of records in federal investigations.

It's possible that the affidavit, particularly in its unredacted form, could shed light on key unanswered questions, including why sensitive presidential documents — classified documents, among them — were transported to Mar-a-Lago after Trump left the White House and why Trump and his representatives did not supply the entire tranche of material to the National Archives and Records Administration despite repeated entreaties.

It could also offer additional details on the back-and-forth between Trump and the FBI, including a subpoena for documents that was issued last spring, as well as a June visit by FBI and Justice Department officials to assess how the materials were being stored.

The Justice Department had earlier contested arguments by media organizations to make the affidavit public, saying any disclosure could contain private information about witnesses and about investigative tactics. But Reinhart, acknowledging the extraordinary public interest in the investigation, said last week that he was disinclined to keep the entire document sealed and told federal officials to submit to him in private the redactions it wanted to make.

In his order Thursday, Reinhart said the department had made compelling arguments to leave sealed broad swaths of the document that, if disclosed, would reveal grand jury information; the identities of witnesses and “uncharged parties"; and details about the investigation's “strategy, direction, scope, sources and methods.”

But he also said he was satisfied “that the Government has met its burden of showing that its proposed redactions are narrowly tailored to serve the Government’s legitimate interest in the integrity of the ongoing investigation and are the least onerous alternative to sealing the entire Affidavit.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661531953459.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Fourteen of the 15 boxes recovered from former President Donald Trump’s Florida estate early this year contained classified documents, many of them top secret, mixed in with miscellaneous newspapers, magazines and personal correspondence,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/22267182-trump-search-warrant-affidavit">according to an FBI affidavit</a>&nbsp;released Friday.<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.617854/gov.uscourts.flsd.617854.102.1.pdf">Click here to read full document</a>&nbsp;from the Justice DepartmentNo space at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate was authorized for the storage of classified material, according to the court papers, which laid out the FBI's rationale for searching the property this month, including “probable cause to believe that evidence of obstruction will be found.”The 32-page affidavit — heavily redacted to protect the safety of witnesses and law enforcement officials and “the integrity of the ongoing investigation” — offers the most detailed description to date of the government records being stored at Mar-a-Lago long after Trump left the White House. It also reveals the gravity of the government’s concerns that the documents were there illegally.The document makes clear how the haphazard retention of top secret government records, and the apparent failure to safeguard them despite months of entreaties from U.S. officials, has exposed Trump to fresh legal peril just as he lays the groundwork for another potential presidential run in 2024.“The government is conducting a criminal investigation concerning the improper removal and storage of classified information in unauthorized spaces, as well as the unlawful concealment or removal of government records,” an FBI agent wrote on the first page of the affidavit in seeking a judge's permission for a warrant to search the property.Documents previously made public show that federal agents are investigating potential violations of three federal laws, including one that governs gathering, transmitting or losing defense information under the Espionage Act. The other statutes address the concealment, mutilation or removal of records and the destruction, alteration or falsification of records in federal investigations.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-donald-trump-mar-a-lago-classified-information-8dd6297eaebc358ffc15c153dc1b000e">Trump has long insisted, despite clear evidence to the contrary,</a>&nbsp;that he fully cooperated with government officials. And he has rallied Republicans behind him by painting the search as a politically motivated witch hunt intended to damage his reelection prospects. He repeated that refrain on his social media site Friday, saying he and his representatives had had a close working relationship with the FBI and “GAVE THEM MUCH.”The affidavit does not provide new details about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-donald-trump-mar-a-lago-merrick-garland-government-and-politics-f63c018b600e1539ff3660a896a132d0">11 sets of classified records recovered during the Aug. 8 search</a>&nbsp;at Mar-a-Lago but instead concerns a separate batch of 15 boxes that the National Archives and Records Administration retrieved from the home in January. The National Archives then sent the matter to the Justice Department, indicating in its referral that a review showed “a lot” of classified materials, according to the affidavit.The affidavit argues a search of Mar-a-Lago was necessary due to the highly sensitive material found in the boxes recovered by the National Archives. Of 184 documents marked classified, 25 were at the top secret level, the affidavit says. Some had special markings suggesting they included information from highly sensitive human sources or the collection of electronic “signals” authorized by a special intelligence court.Some of those classified records were mixed with other documents, including newspapers, magazines and miscellaneous print-outs, the affidavit says, citing a letter from the Archives.Douglas London, a former senior CIA officer and author of “The Recruiter," said this showed Trump's lack of respect for controls. “One of the rules of classified is you don’t mix classified and unclassified so there’s no mistakes or accidents," he said.The affidavit shows how agents were authorized to search a large swath of Mar-a-Lago, including Trump's official post-presidential “45 Office,” storage rooms and all other areas in which boxes or documents could be stored. They did not propose searching areas of the property used or rented by Mar-a-Largo members, such as private guest suites.The document notes that no space at Mar-a-Lago had been authorized for the storage of classified information at least since the end of Trump’s term in office.The FBI submitted the affidavit, or sworn statement, to a judge so it could obtain the warrant to search Trump's property. Affidavits typically contain vital information about an investigation, with agents spelling out&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-mar-a-lago-government-and-politics-59de0ccd435db270d65f155a7bd9a60e">the justification for why they want to search a particular property</a>&nbsp;and why they believe they’re likely to find evidence of a potential crime there.Affidavits routinely remain sealed during pending investigations. But in an acknowledgment of the extraordinary public interest in the investigation, U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart on Thursday ordered the department by Friday to make public a redacted version of the affidavit.In a separate document unsealed Friday, Justice Department officials explained that it was necessary to redact some information to “protect the safety and privacy of a significant number of civilian witnesses, in addition to law enforcement personnel, as well as to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation.”The second half of the affidavit is almost entirely redacted, making it impossible to discern the scope of the investigation or where it might be headed. It does not identify by name any people who may be subjects of the investigation and it does not answer core questions, such as why top secret documents were taken to Mar-a-Lago at the end of the president's term even though the government regards them as presidential records and even though classified information requires special storage.Though Trump's spokesman derided the investigation as “all politics,” the affidavit makes clear that the FBI search was hardly the first time federal law enforcement had expressed concerns about the records. The government issued a subpoena for records in May, the Trump legal team has said, and the Justice Department's top counterintelligence official visited Mar-a-Lago in June.In addition, the affidavit includes excerpts from a June 8 letter in which a Justice Department official reminds a Trump lawyer that Mar-a-Lago is not authorized to hold classified records and requests that the room at the estate where the documents had been stored be secured and that they “be preserved in that room in their current condition until further notice.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-donald-trump-mar-a-lago-merrick-garland-government-and-politics-5ffebbfdae66d71790195f67f282fe80">The back-and-forth culminated in the Aug. 8 search</a>&nbsp;in which agents retrieved the 11 sets of classified records.The document unsealed Friday also offer insight into arguments the Trump legal team is expected to make as the case moves forward. It includes a letter from Trump lawyer M. Evan Corcoran in which he asserts that a president has “absolute authority" to declassify documents and that “presidential actions involving classified documents are not subject to criminal sanction.”Mark Zaid, a longtime national security lawyer who has criticized Trump for his handling of classified information, said the letter was “blatantly wrong” to assert Trump could declassify “anything and everything.”“There are some legal, technical defenses as to certain provisions of the espionage act whether it would apply to the president,” Zaid said. “But some of those provisions make no distinction that would raise a defense.”------WASHINGTON (AP) — Fourteen of the 15 boxes recovered from former President Donald Trump's Florida estate earlier this year contained documents with classification markings,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/22267182-trump-search-warrant-affidavit">according to an FBI affidavit</a>&nbsp;released Friday explaining the justification for the search of the property this month.<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.617854/gov.uscourts.flsd.617854.102.1.pdf">Click here to read full document</a> from the Justice DepartmentThe 32-page affidavit, even in its redacted form, contains additional details about an ongoing criminal investigation that has brought fresh legal peril for Trump just as he lays the groundwork for another presidential run. It underscores the volume of sensitive government documents located at Mar-a-Lago and reveals FBI concerns that the records were being retained illegally.Though the document offers the most substantial description of the investigation, federal officials also redacted significant portions of it to protect the identity of witnesses and to avoid revealing sensitive investigative tactics.The FBI submitted the affidavit, or sworn statement, to a judge so it could obtain a warrant to search Trump's property. Affidavits typically contain vital information about an investigation, with agents spelling out the justification for why they want to search a particular property and why they believe they’re likely to find evidence of a potential crime there. But affidavits routinely remain sealed during pending investigations, making the judge’s decision to reveal portions of it all the more striking.In an acknowledgment of the extraordinary public interest in the investigation, U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart on Thursday ordered the department by Friday to make public a redacted version of the affidavit. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-providing-redacted-trump-affidavit-a734bd242eef7f9a47fc11293c35e396">directive</a>&nbsp;came hours after federal law enforcement officials submitted under seal the portions of the affidavit that they want to keep secret as their investigation moves forward.The redactions proposed by the Justice Department are extensive given the sensitivity of the investigation, lessening the likelihood that the document will offer a comprehensive look at the basis for the unprecedented search or significant insights about the direction of the probe. Yet even a redacted affidavit can contain at least some fresh revelations about the investigation, and is likely to help explain why federal agents who had tried for months to recover sensitive government records from Mar-a-Lago ultimately felt compelled to obtain a search warrant.<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/22131425-mar-a-lago-search-documents">Documents previously made public</a>&nbsp;show the FBI retrieved from the property 11 sets of classified documents, including information marked at the top secret level. They also show that federal agents are investigating potential violations of three federal laws, including one that governs gathering, transmitting or losing defense information under the Espionage Act. The other statutes address the concealment, mutilation or removal of records and the destruction, alteration or falsification of records in federal investigations.It's possible that the affidavit, particularly in its unredacted form, could shed light on key unanswered questions, including why sensitive presidential documents — classified documents, among them — were transported to Mar-a-Lago after Trump left the White House and why Trump and his representatives did not supply the entire tranche of material to the National Archives and Records Administration despite repeated entreaties.It could also offer additional details on the back-and-forth between Trump and the FBI, including a subpoena for documents that was issued last spring, as well as a June visit by FBI and Justice Department officials to assess how the materials were being stored.The Justice Department had earlier contested arguments by media organizations to make the affidavit public, saying any disclosure could contain private information about witnesses and about investigative tactics. But Reinhart, acknowledging the extraordinary public interest in the investigation, said last week that he was disinclined to keep the entire document sealed and told federal officials to submit to him in private the redactions it wanted to make.In his order Thursday, Reinhart said the department had made compelling arguments to leave sealed broad swaths of the document that, if disclosed, would reveal grand jury information; the identities of witnesses and “uncharged parties"; and details about the investigation's “strategy, direction, scope, sources and methods.”But he also said he was satisfied “that the Government has met its burden of showing that its proposed redactions are narrowly tailored to serve the Government’s legitimate interest in the integrity of the ongoing investigation and are the least onerous alternative to sealing the entire Affidavit.”

 Read the affidavit FBI used to get a warrant to search Trump estate

JACKSON HOLE, Wyoming (AP) — Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell delivered a stark message Friday: The Fed will likely impose more large interest rate hikes in coming months and is resolutely focused on taming the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-inflation-july-report-ec477624de30115dd49f35009b2659c0">highest inflation in four decades</a>.

Powell also warned more explicitly than he has in the past that the Fed's continued tightening of credit will cause pain for many households and businesses as its higher rates further slow the economy and potentially lead to job losses.

“These are the unfortunate costs of reducing inflation,” he said in a high-profile speech at the Fed's annual economic symposium in Jackson Hole. “But a failure to restore price stability would mean far greater pain.”

Investors had been hoping for a signal that the Fed might soon moderate its rate increases later this year if inflation were to show further signs of easing. But the Fed chair indicated that that time may not be near.

After hiking its key short term rate by three-quarters of a point at each of its past two meetings — part of the Fed's fastest series of rate increases since the early 1980s — Powell said the Fed might ease up on that pace “at some point” — suggesting that any such slowing isn't near.

Powell said the size of the Fed’s rate increase at its next meeting in late September — whether one-half or three-quarters of a percentage point — will depend on inflation and jobs data. An increase of either size, though, would exceed the Fed’s traditional quarter-point hike, a reflection of how severe inflation has become.

The Fed chair said that while lower inflation readings that have been reported for July have been “welcome,” “a single month’s improvement falls far short of what the Committee will need to see before we are confident that inflation is moving down.”

He noted that the history of high inflation in the 1970s, when the central bank sought to counter high prices with only intermittent rate hikes, shows that the Fed must stay focused.

“The historical record cautions strongly against prematurely” lowering interest rates, he said. “We must keep at it until the job is done.”

Powell's speech is the marquee event of the the Fed's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-jackson-wyoming-4ab8b3d8fdbcf3a783af334fd251d0bf?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=TopNews&amp;utm_campaign=position_8">annual economic symposium at Jackson Hole</a>, the first time the conference of central bankers is being held in person since 2019, after it went virtual for two years during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since March, the Fed has implemented its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fed-interest-rates-inflation-be1b698e48327d3a33847be25aba3e3d">fastest pace of rate increases in decades</a>&nbsp;to try to curbinflation, which has punished households with soaring costs for food, gas, rent and other necessities. The central bank has lifted its benchmark rate by 2 full percentage points in just four meetings, to a range of 2.25% to 2.5%.

Those hikes have led to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-prices-economic-growth-mortgages-d5297d06bcb33fb77f3bd17792225865">higher costs for mortgages</a>, car loans and other consumer and business borrowing. Home sales&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/home-sales-prices-1331a8bd045d3cef81174e81154bb26d">have been plunging</a>&nbsp;since the Fed first signaled it would raise borrowing costs.

In June, the Fed's policymakers signaled that they expected their key rate to end 2022 in a range of 3.25% to 3.5% and then to rise further next year to between 3.75% and 4%. If rates reached their projected level at the end of this year, they would be at the highest point since 2008.

Powell is betting that he can engineer a high-risk outcome: Slow the economy enough to ease inflation pressures yet not so much as to trigger&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-covid-health-gross-domestic-product-economy-89cbfc145ad34a91679ffa43e617c896">a recession</a>.

His task has been complicated by the economy's cloudy picture: On Thursday, the government said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-gross-domestic-product-government-and-politics-bf6801a39f90e0751dd67eac112d82fe">the economy shrank at a 0.6% annual rate</a>&nbsp;in the April-June period, the second straight quarter of contraction. Yet employers are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-united-states-economy-unemployment-4895f1aa41fbe904400df8261446b737">still hiring rapidly,</a>&nbsp;and the number of people seeking unemployment aid, a measure of layoffs,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-states-economy-unemployment-4cb5aa27ce25cb1d84f156ea81816cbb">remains relatively low</a>.

At the same time, inflation is still crushingly high, though it has shown some signs of easing, notably in the form of declining gas prices.

At its meeting in July, Fed policymakers expressed two competing concerns that highlighted their delicate task.

According&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-prices-government-and-politics-91275cfd195b4fe6ce4a709c19225557">to minutes from that meeting</a>, the officials — who aren't identified by name — have prioritized their inflation fight. Still, some officials said there was a risk that the Fed would raise borrowing costs more than necessary, risking a recession. If inflation were to fall closer to the Fed's 2% target and the economy weakened further, those diverging views could become hard to reconcile.

At last year's Jackson Hole symposium, Powell listed five reasons why he thought inflation would be “transitory.” Yet instead it has persisted, and many economists have noted that those remarks haven't aged well.

Powell indirectly acknowledged that history at the outset of his remarks Friday, when he said that, “at past Jackson Hole conferences, I have discussed broad topics such as the ever-changing structure of the economy and the challenges of conducting monetary policy."

“Today," he said, “my remarks will be shorter, my focus narrower and my message more direct.”

JACKSON HOLE, Wyoming (AP) — Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell delivered a stark message Friday: The Fed will likely impose more large interest rate hikes in coming months and is resolutely focused on taming the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-inflation-july-report-ec477624de30115dd49f35009b2659c0">highest inflation in four decades</a>.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">WATCH: Complete remarks from Fed Chair Powell <a href="https://t.co/PlcKPiyjgd">pic.twitter.com/PlcKPiyjgd</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1563172138688753664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 26, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Powell also warned more explicitly than he has in the past that the Fed's continued tightening of credit will cause pain for many households and businesses as its higher rates further slow the economy and potentially lead to job losses.“These are the unfortunate costs of reducing inflation,” he said in a high-profile speech at the Fed's annual economic symposium in Jackson Hole. “But a failure to restore price stability would mean far greater pain.”Investors had been hoping for a signal that the Fed might soon moderate its rate increases later this year if inflation were to show further signs of easing. But the Fed chair indicated that that time may not be near.After hiking its key short term rate by three-quarters of a point at each of its past two meetings — part of the Fed's fastest series of rate increases since the early 1980s — Powell said the Fed might ease up on that pace “at some point” — suggesting that any such slowing isn't near.Powell said the size of the Fed’s rate increase at its next meeting in late September — whether one-half or three-quarters of a percentage point — will depend on inflation and jobs data. An increase of either size, though, would exceed the Fed’s traditional quarter-point hike, a reflection of how severe inflation has become.The Fed chair said that while lower inflation readings that have been reported for July have been “welcome,” “a single month’s improvement falls far short of what the Committee will need to see before we are confident that inflation is moving down.”He noted that the history of high inflation in the 1970s, when the central bank sought to counter high prices with only intermittent rate hikes, shows that the Fed must stay focused.“The historical record cautions strongly against prematurely” lowering interest rates, he said. “We must keep at it until the job is done.”Powell's speech is the marquee event of the the Fed's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-jackson-wyoming-4ab8b3d8fdbcf3a783af334fd251d0bf?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=TopNews&amp;utm_campaign=position_8">annual economic symposium at Jackson Hole</a>, the first time the conference of central bankers is being held in person since 2019, after it went virtual for two years during the COVID-19 pandemic.Since March, the Fed has implemented its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fed-interest-rates-inflation-be1b698e48327d3a33847be25aba3e3d">fastest pace of rate increases in decades</a>&nbsp;to try to curbinflation, which has punished households with soaring costs for food, gas, rent and other necessities. The central bank has lifted its benchmark rate by 2 full percentage points in just four meetings, to a range of 2.25% to 2.5%.Those hikes have led to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-prices-economic-growth-mortgages-d5297d06bcb33fb77f3bd17792225865">higher costs for mortgages</a>, car loans and other consumer and business borrowing. Home sales&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/home-sales-prices-1331a8bd045d3cef81174e81154bb26d">have been plunging</a>&nbsp;since the Fed first signaled it would raise borrowing costs.In June, the Fed's policymakers signaled that they expected their key rate to end 2022 in a range of 3.25% to 3.5% and then to rise further next year to between 3.75% and 4%. If rates reached their projected level at the end of this year, they would be at the highest point since 2008.Powell is betting that he can engineer a high-risk outcome: Slow the economy enough to ease inflation pressures yet not so much as to trigger&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-covid-health-gross-domestic-product-economy-89cbfc145ad34a91679ffa43e617c896">a recession</a>.His task has been complicated by the economy's cloudy picture: On Thursday, the government said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-gross-domestic-product-government-and-politics-bf6801a39f90e0751dd67eac112d82fe">the economy shrank at a 0.6% annual rate</a>&nbsp;in the April-June period, the second straight quarter of contraction. Yet employers are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-united-states-economy-unemployment-4895f1aa41fbe904400df8261446b737">still hiring rapidly,</a>&nbsp;and the number of people seeking unemployment aid, a measure of layoffs,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-states-economy-unemployment-4cb5aa27ce25cb1d84f156ea81816cbb">remains relatively low</a>.At the same time, inflation is still crushingly high, though it has shown some signs of easing, notably in the form of declining gas prices.At its meeting in July, Fed policymakers expressed two competing concerns that highlighted their delicate task.According&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-prices-government-and-politics-91275cfd195b4fe6ce4a709c19225557">to minutes from that meeting</a>, the officials — who aren't identified by name — have prioritized their inflation fight. Still, some officials said there was a risk that the Fed would raise borrowing costs more than necessary, risking a recession. If inflation were to fall closer to the Fed's 2% target and the economy weakened further, those diverging views could become hard to reconcile.At last year's Jackson Hole symposium, Powell listed five reasons why he thought inflation would be “transitory.” Yet instead it has persisted, and many economists have noted that those remarks haven't aged well.Powell indirectly acknowledged that history at the outset of his remarks Friday, when he said that, “at past Jackson Hole conferences, I have discussed broad topics such as the ever-changing structure of the economy and the challenges of conducting monetary policy."“Today," he said, “my remarks will be shorter, my focus narrower and my message more direct.”

🎥Fed Chair warns: Economic pain for households, businesses 

FURNAS COUNTY, Neb. (AP) — Authorities in Nebraska are trying to determine who released 16 million gallons of water by opening a dam on an irrigation channel one night this month — and why.

The puzzling water release from the Cambridge Canal reduced the flow to some 18,000 acres of crops and jeopardized expensive irrigation equipment, according to Brad Edgerton, the general manager of the Frenchman Cambridge Irrigation District that runs the nearly 48-mile-long waterway.

The canal was flowing at its normal rate of 150 cubic feet per second when Edgerton checked on his computer on the night of Aug. 13, but by the following morning the flow had been cut in half. Something had happened at the canal's dam near the town of Cambridge, about 200 miles west of Lincoln.

Edgerton drove there and discovered that someone had wrenched open the dam’s two 10-foot sluice gates, sending the precious water down the Republican River. He estimates that about 50-acre-feet of water was lost during the roughly eight hours that the gates were open, and that the water was worth around $2,600 based on the $52-per-acre-foot price that farmers pay.

“It was an unfortunate situation. In the scheme of things, it wasn’t a lot of water, but it was an inconvenience,” he said.

Edgerton scrambled to notify farmers downstream about the problem, called the sheriff and contacted the Bureau of Reclamation to get more water released from the Harry Strunk Reservoir to replenish the canal.

Furnas County Sheriff Doug Brown&nbsp;<a href="https://journalstar.com/news/state-and-regional/nebraska/crime-not-clear-in-furnas-county-s-16-million-gallon-whodunit/article_155ec3d0-75cd-59a9-bae9-d768a167988a.html#tracking-source=home-top-story">told</a>&nbsp;the Lincoln Journal Star that he could only guess why someone would release the water.

“There are a lot of different scenarios and theories,” he said. “But there is no evidence to lean one way or another, so all theories are still viable.”

Edgerton said he thinks the sheriff is following up on every rumor he hears but so far is stumped.

“I don’t believe they’re any closer to solving it,” he said Thursday.

It’s not clear if any state law governs the act of releasing canal water back into a river — or provides penalties — but Furnas County Attorney Patrick Calkins said he’ll try to find one if the sheriff does find out who grabbed the hand crank wheel from where it hung nearby and used it to open the gates.

“If we get information on who did this, I’d look at charging that person with something,” Calkins said.

By Associated PressFURNAS COUNTY, Neb. (AP) — Authorities in Nebraska are trying to determine who released 16 million gallons of water by opening a dam on an irrigation channel one night this month — and why.The puzzling water release from the Cambridge Canal reduced the flow to some 18,000 acres of crops and jeopardized expensive irrigation equipment, according to Brad Edgerton, the general manager of the Frenchman Cambridge Irrigation District that runs the nearly 48-mile-long waterway.The canal was flowing at its normal rate of 150 cubic feet per second when Edgerton checked on his computer on the night of Aug. 13, but by the following morning the flow had been cut in half. Something had happened at the canal's dam near the town of Cambridge, about 200 miles west of Lincoln.Edgerton drove there and discovered that someone had wrenched open the dam’s two 10-foot sluice gates, sending the precious water down the Republican River. He estimates that about 50-acre-feet of water was lost during the roughly eight hours that the gates were open, and that the water was worth around $2,600 based on the $52-per-acre-foot price that farmers pay.“It was an unfortunate situation. In the scheme of things, it wasn’t a lot of water, but it was an inconvenience,” he said.Edgerton scrambled to notify farmers downstream about the problem, called the sheriff and contacted the Bureau of Reclamation to get more water released from the Harry Strunk Reservoir to replenish the canal.Furnas County Sheriff Doug Brown&nbsp;<a href="https://journalstar.com/news/state-and-regional/nebraska/crime-not-clear-in-furnas-county-s-16-million-gallon-whodunit/article_155ec3d0-75cd-59a9-bae9-d768a167988a.html#tracking-source=home-top-story">told</a>&nbsp;the Lincoln Journal Star that he could only guess why someone would release the water.“There are a lot of different scenarios and theories,” he said. “But there is no evidence to lean one way or another, so all theories are still viable.”Edgerton said he thinks the sheriff is following up on every rumor he hears but so far is stumped.“I don’t believe they’re any closer to solving it,” he said Thursday.It’s not clear if any state law governs the act of releasing canal water back into a river — or provides penalties — but Furnas County Attorney Patrick Calkins said he’ll try to find one if the sheriff does find out who grabbed the hand crank wheel from where it hung nearby and used it to open the gates.“If we get information on who did this, I’d look at charging that person with something,” Calkins said.

Nebraska authorities baffled by missing canal water mystery

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A man hired last spring to carry out what appeared to be an active shooting at an Omaha charity — complete with actors smeared with fake blood — has been criminally charged with terrorism counts.

John Channels, of Omaha, was arrested and charged Tuesday with five counts of making terroristic threats and one weapons count. The Omaha World-Herald first reported the arrest.

The incident happened May 19, when Channels, 27, showed up at Omaha Catholic Charities firing blanks from a semiautomatic handgun and staging “victims” who appeared to have been wounded or killed, police said. The charity hired him to test its workers' preparedness for such an attack.

The incident caused panic among the charity’s employees because they had not been informed it was a drill. Police said the charity paid Channels $2,500 to carry out the mock shooting and went along with his request not to inform employees beforehand.

One employee told the World-Herald that in her panic at hearing the gunfire, she fled the building and leapt from a retaining wall intending to land and hide in a dumpster several feet below. But she missed and landed on the ground, where she curled up in pain before she ran several blocks to a restaurant.

Omaha Catholic Charities' executive director, Denise Bartels said in a statement Wednesday afternoon that the organization hired Channels “based upon recommendations from respected sources, and he clearly misrepresented himself and his qualifications."

Bartels said Channels didn't follow agreed upon procedures and didn't communicate properly with police. “We deeply regret following his recommendations and selecting him for the training," Bartels said, adding that staff members continue to be offered mental health support.

Channels was arrested and jailed Tuesday and did not have an attorney representing him on the terror charges as of Wednesday. At the time of his arrest, he was already out on bond for charges in a separate case accusing him of sexually assaulting a minor.

According to a police arrest affidavit, Channels told those at Catholic Charities who hired him that he had conducted other active shooter drills and that law enforcement officers would be present during the drill. But police say not only were officers not present for the drill, police were not even told of it ahead of time, leading officers to respond to panicked employees' calls with guns drawn.

Douglas County prosecutor Don Kleine said the mock drill could have had dire consequences — such as a panicked employee suffering a heart attack or Channels himself being shot by someone else or an officer.

“Somebody could have gotten killed,” Kleine told the World-Herald. “Just think of the potential things that could have happened with this — it’s frightful.”

By Associated PressOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A man hired last spring to carry out what appeared to be an active shooting at an Omaha charity — complete with actors smeared with fake blood — has been criminally charged with terrorism counts.John Channels, of Omaha, was arrested and charged Tuesday with five counts of making terroristic threats and one weapons count. The Omaha World-Herald first reported the arrest.The incident happened May 19, when Channels, 27, showed up at Omaha Catholic Charities firing blanks from a semiautomatic handgun and staging “victims” who appeared to have been wounded or killed, police said. The charity hired him to test its workers' preparedness for such an attack.The incident caused panic among the charity’s employees because they had not been informed it was a drill. Police said the charity paid Channels $2,500 to carry out the mock shooting and went along with his request not to inform employees beforehand.One employee told the World-Herald that in her panic at hearing the gunfire, she fled the building and leapt from a retaining wall intending to land and hide in a dumpster several feet below. But she missed and landed on the ground, where she curled up in pain before she ran several blocks to a restaurant.Omaha Catholic Charities' executive director, Denise Bartels said in a statement Wednesday afternoon that the organization hired Channels “based upon recommendations from respected sources, and he clearly misrepresented himself and his qualifications."Bartels said Channels didn't follow agreed upon procedures and didn't communicate properly with police. “We deeply regret following his recommendations and selecting him for the training," Bartels said, adding that staff members continue to be offered mental health support.Channels was arrested and jailed Tuesday and did not have an attorney representing him on the terror charges as of Wednesday. At the time of his arrest, he was already out on bond for charges in a separate case accusing him of sexually assaulting a minor.According to a police arrest affidavit, Channels told those at Catholic Charities who hired him that he had conducted other active shooter drills and that law enforcement officers would be present during the drill. But police say not only were officers not present for the drill, police were not even told of it ahead of time, leading officers to respond to panicked employees' calls with guns drawn.Douglas County prosecutor Don Kleine said the mock drill could have had dire consequences — such as a panicked employee suffering a heart attack or Channels himself being shot by someone else or an officer.“Somebody could have gotten killed,” Kleine told the World-Herald. “Just think of the potential things that could have happened with this — it’s frightful.”

Man who held fake shooting drill at Nebraska charity charged

BY PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/new-girls-yrtc-in-hastings-gets-100-compliance-with-corrections-standards/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — The state’s new Youth
 Rehabilitation and Treatment Center for girls in Hastings recently 
earned a 100% compliance grade from a national corrections group, 
according to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.

The Hastings center, which opened last 
year to replace the girls’ YRTC in Geneva, was found in compliance with 
343 standards mandated by the American Correctional Association.

“The auditors strongly complimented 
YRTC-Hastings, all the way from cleanliness to programming to the 
commitment and dedication of staff toward the youth,” said DHHS’ 
juvenile services administrator, Mark LaBouchardiere.&nbsp;

&nbsp;The Hastings facility currently holds 10 girls.&nbsp;

In addition, 49 youths are housed at the 
YRTC for boys in Kearney, and nine youths are living at the YRTC 
established in Lincoln in 2020 for high acuity behavioral needs.&nbsp;

The changes in the YRTC system came after
 state legislators found hazardous and alarming conditions at the Geneva
 center. There had also been complaints about assaults on staff and 
escapes from the Kearney YRTC.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661523699684.png" alt="The Nebraska State Capitol Building. (Rebecca S. Gratz for Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>The Nebraska State Capitol Building. (Rebecca S. Gratz for Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/new-girls-yrtc-in-hastings-gets-100-compliance-with-corrections-standards/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — The state’s new Youth
 Rehabilitation and Treatment Center for girls in Hastings recently 
earned a 100% compliance grade from a national corrections group, 
according to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.The Hastings center, which opened last 
year to replace the girls’ YRTC in Geneva, was found in compliance with 
343 standards mandated by the American Correctional Association.“The auditors strongly complimented 
YRTC-Hastings, all the way from cleanliness to programming to the 
commitment and dedication of staff toward the youth,” said DHHS’ 
juvenile services administrator, Mark LaBouchardiere.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Hastings facility currently holds 10 girls.&nbsp;In addition, 49 youths are housed at the 
YRTC for boys in Kearney, and nine youths are living at the YRTC 
established in Lincoln in 2020 for high acuity behavioral needs.&nbsp;The changes in the YRTC system came after
 state legislators found hazardous and alarming conditions at the Geneva
 center. There had also been complaints about assaults on staff and 
escapes from the Kearney YRTC.

New girls rehab center in Hastings scores 100% compliance grade

By JAZARI KUAL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/08/26/tyson-foods-and-habitat-for-humanity-omaha-mark-one-year-partnership/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

A yearlong partnership between Habitat for Humanity Omaha and Tyson Foods has helped 30 Tyson employees purchase a home.

Tyson Foods recognized that some of 
their employees needed help buying a home. They reached out to a dozen 
Habitat for Humanity chapters before contacting the Omaha organization, 
which agreed to partner with them.&nbsp;

Amanda Brewer, CEO of Habitat for 
Humanity Omaha, said that while every chapter has to follow the global 
organization’s rules, individual chapters are focused more on their 
specific community and its needs, and can operate with some autonomy.

Therefore, the Omaha chapter was able
 to work with Tyson Foods and help its employees participate in 
Habitat’s Almost Home program.&nbsp;

“Housing is a hidden problem,” Brewer said. “When the employer helps, it gets rid of the stigma.”&nbsp;

Brewer said a lot of barriers can 
keep someone from buying a home. The Almost Home program aims to help 
families who want to purchase a home become “mortgage-ready.”&nbsp;

Tyson Foods’ role in the partnership 
was to send out internal communication to its employees about the 
program and explain how they could go about signing up.&nbsp;

After they sign up, Habitat for 
Humanity matches participants with one of its financial counselors. From
 there, the financial counselors help participants construct a plan to 
raise their credit score and eliminate debt.&nbsp;

Some participants become ready to buy
 sooner than others, Brewer said, adding, “it is always possible to 
clear up their credit [to become mortgage ready].”&nbsp;

Three weeks ago, Thay Htoo, a Tyson 
Foods employee, moved into his new home with his girlfriend and three 
children. Htoo moved to the United States almost seven years ago from 
Thailand and has been a Tyson employee for five years.&nbsp;

“I know a lot of people at my 
workplace and community that went through Habitat, so I decided to do 
so,” Htoo said. He spoke with the Nebraska Examiner with the help of an 
interpreter.&nbsp;

Htoo said it took him two years to 
become mortgage-ready, but he said Habitat was supportive and helped him
 with everything he needed throughout the process.

Currently, Habitat for Humanity has 
three pathways to homeownership. Buyers can purchase a home built by 
Habitat for Humanity with financing through the organization, buy a 
house on the open market with financing from Habitat for Humanity, or 
purchase a home through the open market with a conventional loan.&nbsp;

Over the past year, Brewer said, 
Habitat for Humanity Omaha was able to help over 100 Tyson Foods 
employees in some way. Thirty employees were ready to buy a home after 
one year in the program, and 10 others are in the process of buying a 
home by the end of this month.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In celebration of this, several Tyson
 Food executives plan to attend a cookout with the new homeowners and 
Habitat staff on Friday.

Before the Habitat for Humanity Omaha
 chapter worked with Tyson Foods, it worked with Nelson Mandela 
Elementary School employees with its Almost Home program.&nbsp;

It has since begun partnerships with 
the Children’s Hospital &amp; Medical Center and Beardmore auto 
dealership in Bellevue to help their employees purchase homes.

Brewer said the local Habitat program
 only has capacity to add two Almost Home partnerships each year, but 
she said she hopes to scale up and work with more in the future.&nbsp;

The housing market has been 
profitable to investors looking to flip homes or increase rental 
property portfolios, making home buying more difficult for lower-income 
Omahans.&nbsp;

“We want to compete with the 
investors and help hard-working Omahans buy a house,” Brewer said. “If 
we want our workers to live in our community, then having employers be a
 part of the solutions is a win-win-win for everyone.”&nbsp;

Jazari Kual is a senior majoring in journalism and broadcasting media production at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661433710732.jpg" alt="Pixabay image" />
 <figcaption>Pixabay image</figcaption>
 </figure>By JAZARI KUAL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/08/26/tyson-foods-and-habitat-for-humanity-omaha-mark-one-year-partnership/">Nebraska Examiner</a>A yearlong partnership between Habitat for Humanity Omaha and Tyson Foods has helped 30 Tyson employees purchase a home.Tyson Foods recognized that some of 
their employees needed help buying a home. They reached out to a dozen 
Habitat for Humanity chapters before contacting the Omaha organization, 
which agreed to partner with them.&nbsp;Amanda Brewer, CEO of Habitat for 
Humanity Omaha, said that while every chapter has to follow the global 
organization’s rules, individual chapters are focused more on their 
specific community and its needs, and can operate with some autonomy.Therefore, the Omaha chapter was able
 to work with Tyson Foods and help its employees participate in 
Habitat’s Almost Home program.&nbsp;“Housing is a hidden problem,” Brewer said. “When the employer helps, it gets rid of the stigma.”&nbsp;Brewer said a lot of barriers can 
keep someone from buying a home. The Almost Home program aims to help 
families who want to purchase a home become “mortgage-ready.”&nbsp;<h2>Matched with financial counselor&nbsp;</h2>Tyson Foods’ role in the partnership 
was to send out internal communication to its employees about the 
program and explain how they could go about signing up.&nbsp;After they sign up, Habitat for 
Humanity matches participants with one of its financial counselors. From
 there, the financial counselors help participants construct a plan to 
raise their credit score and eliminate debt.&nbsp;Some participants become ready to buy
 sooner than others, Brewer said, adding, “it is always possible to 
clear up their credit [to become mortgage ready].”&nbsp;Three weeks ago, Thay Htoo, a Tyson 
Foods employee, moved into his new home with his girlfriend and three 
children. Htoo moved to the United States almost seven years ago from 
Thailand and has been a Tyson employee for five years.&nbsp;“I know a lot of people at my 
workplace and community that went through Habitat, so I decided to do 
so,” Htoo said. He spoke with the Nebraska Examiner with the help of an 
interpreter.&nbsp;Htoo said it took him two years to 
become mortgage-ready, but he said Habitat was supportive and helped him
 with everything he needed throughout the process.Currently, Habitat for Humanity has 
three pathways to homeownership. Buyers can purchase a home built by 
Habitat for Humanity with financing through the organization, buy a 
house on the open market with financing from Habitat for Humanity, or 
purchase a home through the open market with a conventional loan.&nbsp;<h2>Yearlong partnership&nbsp;</h2>Over the past year, Brewer said, 
Habitat for Humanity Omaha was able to help over 100 Tyson Foods 
employees in some way. Thirty employees were ready to buy a home after 
one year in the program, and 10 others are in the process of buying a 
home by the end of this month.&nbsp;&nbsp;In celebration of this, several Tyson
 Food executives plan to attend a cookout with the new homeowners and 
Habitat staff on Friday.Before the Habitat for Humanity Omaha
 chapter worked with Tyson Foods, it worked with Nelson Mandela 
Elementary School employees with its Almost Home program.&nbsp;It has since begun partnerships with 
the Children’s Hospital &amp; Medical Center and Beardmore auto 
dealership in Bellevue to help their employees purchase homes.Brewer said the local Habitat program
 only has capacity to add two Almost Home partnerships each year, but 
she said she hopes to scale up and work with more in the future.&nbsp;The housing market has been 
profitable to investors looking to flip homes or increase rental 
property portfolios, making home buying more difficult for lower-income 
Omahans.&nbsp;“We want to compete with the 
investors and help hard-working Omahans buy a house,” Brewer said. “If 
we want our workers to live in our community, then having employers be a
 part of the solutions is a win-win-win for everyone.”&nbsp;Jazari Kual is a senior majoring in journalism and broadcasting media production at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.&nbsp;

Tyson Foods, Habitat for Humanity Omaha mark one-year partnership

By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/08/26/flood-headed-to-southern-border-as-congressional-delegation-talks-immigration/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

ASHLAND, Nebraska — U.S. Rep. Mike Flood said Thursday that he’ll 
visit the southern U.S. border next week to see first-hand what’s been 
described to him as a crisis.

“I’ve heard from several congressmen who said you’ve heard about the 
immigration problem, but when you actually see it … you would be shocked
 at what a humanitarian crisis it really is,” Flood said.

The Republican congressman said that border security is the top 
question he is asked by constituents in his eastern Nebraska 
congressional district. He added that he supports completion of the 
border wall begun by former President Donald Trump and a greater use of 
technology to stop the flow of drugs across the border.

Flood was among four of the five state’s congressional 
representatives speaking and answering questions at the annual Federal 
Legislative Summit, sponsored by the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and 
the Omaha and Lincoln chambers.

About 300 people, including state senators, representatives of 
businesses and lobbyists, attended the event at the Strategic Air 
Command &amp; Aerospace Museum. U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer did not attend due
 to a death in her family.

Bryan Slone, president of the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and 
Industry, moderated a group discussion. Immigration was the subject of 
the first question he asked U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse and Reps. Flood, Adrian 
Smith and Don Bacon.

Slone said that with 52,000 vacant jobs in Nebraska, the lack of 
workforce is the “number one, two, three, four and five” issues facing 
the state’s business community.

What steps, he asked the elected officials, could be taken to ease 
the workforce shortage that relate to immigrants? He mentioned 
accelerating the resettlement of refugees,&nbsp; expanding work visas and 
looking at changes in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) 
program.

All four members of the delegation — all Republicans — mentioned that increasing security at the border is key.

Sasse said “small” immigration fixes and addressing workforce issues 
aren’t possible until there’s a framework for broader immigration reform
 and&nbsp; “presidential leadership.”

“We’ve had two administration in a row who haven’t, in any serious 
way, wanted to fix any of this,” Sasse said. “They want to maintain an 
issue that they want to use for politics.”

Bacon, who represents the Omaha area’s 2nd Congressional District, 
said he supports DACA reform, increased work visas and increased legal 
immigration to help agriculture find more workers.

But with approximately 4 million immigrants crossing the border 
illegally, Bacon said, it’s created a “toxic” atmosphere for seeking 
solutions.

Smith, who represents the 3rd Congressional District, said he also 
supports increasing legal immigration and use of technology to increase 
border security.

Both Smith and Flood spoke in support of making the legal immigration
 process less burdensome and reducing backlogs to obtain visas.

Flood said the backlog of legal visa applications has fallen from 
439,000 a month at the beginning of the year to about 388,000 this 
month, but he said more progress is needed.

Flood, who won a special election in June to fill out the remainder 
of the term of former Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, said “the crime piece that 
no one is talking about is the flow of the deadly drug fentanyl from 
China and then across the border into the U.S. from Mexico. He said 
fentanyl is causing overdoses in communities large and small in Nebraska
 and must be stopped.

In comments after the event, Flood, a former state senator, said he 
cannot support amnesty or a pathway to citizenship for immigrants who 
are in the country illegally or voting rights and government benefits 
for immigrants.

“I think at the end of the day, we have to build the wall. We also have to use technology,” he said.

When asked for a comment about Flood’s planned trip to the border, 
State Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks of Lincoln, his Democratic challenger in
 the November election, said, Hopefully he comes back with real 
solutions and this isn’t just a gimmick.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661520638859.png" alt="From left, Sen. Ben Sasse, Rep. Don Bacon, Rep. Adrian Smith and Rep. Mike Flood at the Federal Legislative Summit on Thursday Aug. 25, 2022. At right is Bryan Slone, president of the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry. (Courtesy of the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce)" />
 <figcaption>From left, Sen. Ben Sasse, Rep. Don Bacon, Rep. Adrian Smith and Rep. Mike Flood at the Federal Legislative Summit on Thursday Aug. 25, 2022. At right is Bryan Slone, president of the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry. (Courtesy of the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce)</figcaption>
 </figure>By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/08/26/flood-headed-to-southern-border-as-congressional-delegation-talks-immigration/">Nebraska Examiner</a>ASHLAND, Nebraska — U.S. Rep. Mike Flood said Thursday that he’ll 
visit the southern U.S. border next week to see first-hand what’s been 
described to him as a crisis.“I’ve heard from several congressmen who said you’ve heard about the 
immigration problem, but when you actually see it … you would be shocked
 at what a humanitarian crisis it really is,” Flood said.The Republican congressman said that border security is the top 
question he is asked by constituents in his eastern Nebraska 
congressional district. He added that he supports completion of the 
border wall begun by former President Donald Trump and a greater use of 
technology to stop the flow of drugs across the border.<h2>Summit of federal legislators</h2>Flood was among four of the five state’s congressional 
representatives speaking and answering questions at the annual Federal 
Legislative Summit, sponsored by the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and 
the Omaha and Lincoln chambers.About 300 people, including state senators, representatives of 
businesses and lobbyists, attended the event at the Strategic Air 
Command &amp; Aerospace Museum. U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer did not attend due
 to a death in her family.Bryan Slone, president of the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and 
Industry, moderated a group discussion. Immigration was the subject of 
the first question he asked U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse and Reps. Flood, Adrian 
Smith and Don Bacon.Slone said that with 52,000 vacant jobs in Nebraska, the lack of 
workforce is the “number one, two, three, four and five” issues facing 
the state’s business community.What steps, he asked the elected officials, could be taken to ease 
the workforce shortage that relate to immigrants? He mentioned 
accelerating the resettlement of refugees,&nbsp; expanding work visas and 
looking at changes in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) 
program.All four members of the delegation — all Republicans — mentioned that increasing security at the border is key.<h2>Presidential leadership lacking</h2>Sasse said “small” immigration fixes and addressing workforce issues 
aren’t possible until there’s a framework for broader immigration reform
 and&nbsp; “presidential leadership.”“We’ve had two administration in a row who haven’t, in any serious 
way, wanted to fix any of this,” Sasse said. “They want to maintain an 
issue that they want to use for politics.”Bacon, who represents the Omaha area’s 2nd Congressional District, 
said he supports DACA reform, increased work visas and increased legal 
immigration to help agriculture find more workers.But with approximately 4 million immigrants crossing the border 
illegally, Bacon said, it’s created a “toxic” atmosphere for seeking 
solutions.Smith, who represents the 3rd Congressional District, said he also 
supports increasing legal immigration and use of technology to increase 
border security.Both Smith and Flood spoke in support of making the legal immigration
 process less burdensome and reducing backlogs to obtain visas.Flood said the backlog of legal visa applications has fallen from 
439,000 a month at the beginning of the year to about 388,000 this 
month, but he said more progress is needed.<h2>Fentanyl flowing across border</h2>Flood, who won a special election in June to fill out the remainder 
of the term of former Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, said “the crime piece that 
no one is talking about is the flow of the deadly drug fentanyl from 
China and then across the border into the U.S. from Mexico. He said 
fentanyl is causing overdoses in communities large and small in Nebraska
 and must be stopped.In comments after the event, Flood, a former state senator, said he 
cannot support amnesty or a pathway to citizenship for immigrants who 
are in the country illegally or voting rights and government benefits 
for immigrants.“I think at the end of the day, we have to build the wall. We also have to use technology,” he said.When asked for a comment about Flood’s planned trip to the border, 
State Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks of Lincoln, his Democratic challenger in
 the November election, said, Hopefully he comes back with real 
solutions and this isn’t just a gimmick.”

Flood headed to border as delegation addresses immigration issues

The Biden Administration <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/08/24/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-student-loan-relief-for-borrowers-who-need-it-most/" target="_blank">recently announced</a>
 that the federal government will cancel up to $20,000 of Federal 
student loans per person. Millions of Americans will be recipients of 
the student loan debt relief; unfortunately, this creates an excellent 
opportunity for scammers. See our <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/18066-scam-alert-student-loan-forgiveness" target="_blank">recent warning about student loan forgiveness scams</a>.

As student loan holders navigate the new forgiveness program, con 
artists will undoubtedly be there to take advantage of any confusion. It
 happens with any big government initiative, including the <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/scams/23475-bbb-scam-alert-as-covid-19-vaccine-rolls-out-scammers-cash-in" target="_blank">COVID-19 vaccine roll-out</a>, <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/scams/24672-bbb-scam-alert-watch-out-for-false-promises-as-eviction-moratoriums-end" target="_blank">eviction moratorium</a> and <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/business/23585-bbb-scam-alert-covid-relief-scams-target-small-business-owners" target="_blank">pandemic relief programs</a>. Always be sure to do your research before sharing any personal information. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Tips to avoid student loan forgiveness scams

Read more on BBB.org about <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/22444-bbb-tip-new-college-grads-watch-out-for-these-scams" target="_blank">scams targeting recent college graduates</a> and <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/22776-government-impostors-press-release" target="_blank">government impostors</a>. Get further insight by reading&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/tips/14101-bbb-tip-loans" target="_blank">BBB’s tips on loans</a> and <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/tips/14106-tip-credit-repair-and-debt-relief-services" target="_blank">credit repair services</a>.&nbsp;

If you’ve spotted a student loan forgiveness scam (whether or not you’ve lost money), report it to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbb.org/ScamTracker" target="_blank">BBB.org/ScamTracker</a>. Your report can help others avoid falling victim to scams.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1579883951052.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BBBThe Biden Administration <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/08/24/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-student-loan-relief-for-borrowers-who-need-it-most/" target="_blank">recently announced</a>
 that the federal government will cancel up to $20,000 of Federal 
student loans per person. Millions of Americans will be recipients of 
the student loan debt relief; unfortunately, this creates an excellent 
opportunity for scammers. See our <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/18066-scam-alert-student-loan-forgiveness" target="_blank">recent warning about student loan forgiveness scams</a>.As student loan holders navigate the new forgiveness program, con 
artists will undoubtedly be there to take advantage of any confusion. It
 happens with any big government initiative, including the <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/scams/23475-bbb-scam-alert-as-covid-19-vaccine-rolls-out-scammers-cash-in" target="_blank">COVID-19 vaccine roll-out</a>, <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/scams/24672-bbb-scam-alert-watch-out-for-false-promises-as-eviction-moratoriums-end" target="_blank">eviction moratorium</a> and <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/business/23585-bbb-scam-alert-covid-relief-scams-target-small-business-owners" target="_blank">pandemic relief programs</a>. Always be sure to do your research before sharing any personal information. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>Tips to avoid student loan forgiveness scams</h2><ul>
 <li>Get to know the terms of your student loan and the relief program before acting. Always
 do your research before sharing personal information. Be sure to 
understand the ins and outs of your specific loan, as well as how 
student loan relief impacts you. Go straight to official government 
websites, such as <a href="https://www.ed.gov" target="_blank">ED.gov</a> and <a href="https://www.studentaid.gov" target="_blank">studentaid.gov</a>, for information. </li><li>Never pay money for a free government program.&nbsp;Scammers often <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/16920-bbb-tip-government-grant-scam" target="_blank">trick victims into paying</a>
 for free government programs – or they claim you can get additional 
benefits, faster benefits, etc., for a fee. A real government agency 
will not ask for an advanced processing fee. These are all red flags of a
 scam. </li><li>Be wary of out-of-the-blue calls, emails or text messages claiming to be from the government. In general, the government will not contact you using these methods unless you grant permission. </li><li>Watch out for phony government agencies or programs. If
 you speak to someone claiming to be a government representative who is 
offering you student loan relief, do some research before you agree to 
anything. Scammers often make up <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/16920-bbb-tip-government-grant-scam" target="_blank">look-alike government websites</a> that sound similar to legitimate agencies or programs.</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Think something seems suspicious? Reach out to the agency directly.
 If you have any concerns about an alleged government representative's 
legitimacy, hang up the phone or stop emailing/texting. Then, report the
 suspicious calls or messages. Then, find the official contact 
information (look on <a href="https://www.ed.gov" target="_blank">ED.gov</a> and <a href="https://www.studentaid.gov" target="_blank">studentaid.gov</a> or other official sites) and call to verify. </li><li>Be careful, even if the information comes from a friend.&nbsp;Even
 if a close friend or family member you trust sent you the information 
regarding student loan relief, make sure the claims are real first. 
During the COVID-19 pandemic, BBB received many reports of <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/scams/2012-bbb-scam-alert-imposters-using-facebook-for-covid-grant-scams" target="_blank">hacked social media accounts</a> being used to spread government impostor scams. </li>
 </ul><h2>For more information:</h2>Read more on BBB.org about <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/22444-bbb-tip-new-college-grads-watch-out-for-these-scams" target="_blank">scams targeting recent college graduates</a> and <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/22776-government-impostors-press-release" target="_blank">government impostors</a>. Get further insight by reading&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/tips/14101-bbb-tip-loans" target="_blank">BBB’s tips on loans</a> and <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/tips/14106-tip-credit-repair-and-debt-relief-services" target="_blank">credit repair services</a>.&nbsp;If you’ve spotted a student loan forgiveness scam (whether or not you’ve lost money), report it to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbb.org/ScamTracker" target="_blank">BBB.org/ScamTracker</a>. Your report can help others avoid falling victim to scams.

Student loan forgiveness is here. Here’s how to avoid scams

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is set to release Friday a heavily blacked out document explaining the justification for an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-donald-trump-mar-a-lago-merrick-garland-government-and-politics-f63c018b600e1539ff3660a896a132d0">FBI search</a>&nbsp;of former President Donald Trump's Florida estate earlier this month, when agents removed top secret government records and other classified documents.

The document, expected by noon, is likely to offer at least some new details about an ongoing criminal investigation that has brought fresh legal peril for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump</a>&nbsp;just as he lays the groundwork for another presidential run. Though Justice Department officials are expected to have removed sensitive details about witnesses, and the scope and direction of the probe, the affidavit may offer the fullest explanation yet about the events leading up to the Aug. 8 search of Mar-a-Lago.

The document being released is the redacted form of an affidavit, or sworn statement, that the FBI submitted to a judge so it could obtain a warrant to search Trump's property. Affidavits typically contain vital information about an investigation, with agents spelling out to a judge the justification for why they want to search a particular property and why they believe they’re likely to find evidence of a potential crime there. But affidavits routinely remain sealed during pending investigations, making the judge’s decision to reveal portions of it all the more striking.

The redactions proposed by the Justice Department are likely to be extensive given the sensitivity of the investigation, lessening the likelihood that the document will offer a comprehensive look at the basis for the unprecedented search or significant insights about the direction of the probe. Yet even a redacted affidavit can contain at least some fresh revelations about the investigation, and is likely to help explain why federal agents who had tried for months to recover sensitive government records from Mar-a-Lago ultimately felt compelled to obtain a search warrant.

<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/22131425-mar-a-lago-search-documents">Documents already made public</a>&nbsp;show the FBI retrieved from the property 11 sets of classified documents, including information marked at the top secret level. They also show that federal agents are investigating potential violations of three different federal laws, including one that governs gathering, transmitting or losing defense information under the Espionage Act. The other statutes address the concealment, mutilation or removal of records and the destruction, alteration or falsification of records in federal investigations.

The Justice Department had earlier contested arguments by media organizations to make any portion of the affidavit public, saying the disclosure could contain private information about witnesses and about investigative tactics. But Reinhart, acknowledging the extraordinary public interest in the investigation, said last week that he was disinclined to keep the entire document sealed and told federal officials to submit to him in private the redactions it wanted to make.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A judge on Thursday ordered the Justice Department to make public a redacted version of the affidavit it relied on when federal agents&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-donald-trump-mar-a-lago-merrick-garland-government-and-politics-f63c018b600e1539ff3660a896a132d0">searched the Florida estate of former President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;to look for classified documents.

The directive from U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart came hours after federal law enforcement officials submitted under seal the portions of the affidavit that they want to keep secret as their investigation moves forward. The judge set a deadline of noon Friday for a redacted, or blacked-out, version of the document.

The order means the public could soon get at least some additional details about what led FBI officials to search Mar-a-Lago on Aug. 8 as part of an investigation into classified documents being retained at the Palm Beach property.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/22131425-mar-a-lago-search-documents">Documents already made public</a>&nbsp;as part of the investigation show that the FBI retrieved from the property 11 sets of classified documents, including information marked at the top secret level.

Still, the redactions proposed by the Justice Department are likely to be extensive given the sensitivity of the investigation and unprecedented nature of the search, so it's unlikely that the public will receive a detailed glimpse of the basis for the search or the direction of the probe.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-donald-trump-mar-a-lago-criminal-investigations-government-and-politics-3c956774e0930c6f9c2c8591c43cfddc">department had contested arguments</a>&nbsp;by media organizations to make any portion of the affidavit public, but a judge last week said he was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-donald-trump-west-palm-beach-bf4bd77e66e22d0b089a2a56c4ffc9a7">disinclined to keep the entire document sealed</a>&nbsp;and told federal officials to submit to him in private the redactions it wanted to make. Even so, he acknowledged that the blacked-out portions might be so extensive as to leave the public version of the document without any meaningful information.

Multiple news media organizations, including The Associated Press, argued in court last week for the disclosure of the affidavit, citing the extraordinary public interest in the federal search of a former president's home. Trump and some of his supporters have also encouraged the document's release.

After the Justice Department submitted its filing under seal on Thursday, the media coalition responded by asking the judge to unseal portions of the department's brief and to direct the government, “going forward," to file publicly a redacted version of any sealed document it submits. The groups noted that significant information about the investigation is already public.

“At a minimum, any portions of the Brief that recite those facts about the investigation, without revealing additional ones not yet publicly available — in addition to any other portions that pose no threat to the investigation — should be unsealed,” the news organizations wrote.

They added, “If and when additional facts come to light and are confirmed to be accurate, or certain facts no longer pose a threat to the investigation for any other reason, there is no justification for maintaining them under seal either.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1660337904040.jpeg" alt="The receipt for property that was seized during the execution of a search warrant by the FBI at former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., is photographed Friday, Aug. 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick)" />
 <figcaption>The receipt for property that was seized during the execution of a search warrant by the FBI at former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., is photographed Friday, Aug. 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is set to release Friday a heavily blacked out document explaining the justification for an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-donald-trump-mar-a-lago-merrick-garland-government-and-politics-f63c018b600e1539ff3660a896a132d0">FBI search</a>&nbsp;of former President Donald Trump's Florida estate earlier this month, when agents removed top secret government records and other classified documents.The document, expected by noon, is likely to offer at least some new details about an ongoing criminal investigation that has brought fresh legal peril for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump</a>&nbsp;just as he lays the groundwork for another presidential run. Though Justice Department officials are expected to have removed sensitive details about witnesses, and the scope and direction of the probe, the affidavit may offer the fullest explanation yet about the events leading up to the Aug. 8 search of Mar-a-Lago.The document being released is the redacted form of an affidavit, or sworn statement, that the FBI submitted to a judge so it could obtain a warrant to search Trump's property. Affidavits typically contain vital information about an investigation, with agents spelling out to a judge the justification for why they want to search a particular property and why they believe they’re likely to find evidence of a potential crime there. But affidavits routinely remain sealed during pending investigations, making the judge’s decision to reveal portions of it all the more striking.In an acknowledgment of the extraordinary public interest in the investigation, U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart on Thursday ordered the department by Friday to make public a redacted version of the affidavit. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-providing-redacted-trump-affidavit-a734bd242eef7f9a47fc11293c35e396">directive</a>&nbsp;came hours after federal law enforcement officials submitted under seal the portions of the affidavit that they want to keep secret as their investigation moves forward.The redactions proposed by the Justice Department are likely to be extensive given the sensitivity of the investigation, lessening the likelihood that the document will offer a comprehensive look at the basis for the unprecedented search or significant insights about the direction of the probe. Yet even a redacted affidavit can contain at least some fresh revelations about the investigation, and is likely to help explain why federal agents who had tried for months to recover sensitive government records from Mar-a-Lago ultimately felt compelled to obtain a search warrant.<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/22131425-mar-a-lago-search-documents">Documents already made public</a>&nbsp;show the FBI retrieved from the property 11 sets of classified documents, including information marked at the top secret level. They also show that federal agents are investigating potential violations of three different federal laws, including one that governs gathering, transmitting or losing defense information under the Espionage Act. The other statutes address the concealment, mutilation or removal of records and the destruction, alteration or falsification of records in federal investigations.It's possible that the affidavit, particularly in its unredacted form, could shed light on key unanswered questions, including why sensitive presidential documents — classified documents, among them — were transported to Mar-a-Lago after Trump left the White House and why Trump and his representatives did not supply the entire tranche of material to the National Archives and Records Administration despite repeated entreaties.It could also offer additional details on the back-and-forth between Trump and the FBI, including a subpoena for documents that was issued last spring, as well as a June visit by FBI and Justice Department officials to assess how the materials were being stored.The Justice Department had earlier contested arguments by media organizations to make any portion of the affidavit public, saying the disclosure could contain private information about witnesses and about investigative tactics. But Reinhart, acknowledging the extraordinary public interest in the investigation, said last week that he was disinclined to keep the entire document sealed and told federal officials to submit to him in private the redactions it wanted to make.In his order Thursday, Reinhart said the department had made compelling arguments to leave sealed broad swaths of the document that, if disclosed, would reveal grand jury information; the identities of witnesses and “uncharged parties"; and details about the investigation's “strategy, direction, scope, sources and methods.”But he also said he was satisfied “that the Government has met its burden of showing that its proposed redactions are narrowly tailored to serve the Government’s legitimate interest in the integrity of the ongoing investigation and are the least onerous alternative to sealing the entire Affidavit.”------------WASHINGTON (AP) — A judge on Thursday ordered the Justice Department to make public a redacted version of the affidavit it relied on when federal agents&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-donald-trump-mar-a-lago-merrick-garland-government-and-politics-f63c018b600e1539ff3660a896a132d0">searched the Florida estate of former President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;to look for classified documents.The directive from U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart came hours after federal law enforcement officials submitted under seal the portions of the affidavit that they want to keep secret as their investigation moves forward. The judge set a deadline of noon Friday for a redacted, or blacked-out, version of the document.The order means the public could soon get at least some additional details about what led FBI officials to search Mar-a-Lago on Aug. 8 as part of an investigation into classified documents being retained at the Palm Beach property.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/22131425-mar-a-lago-search-documents">Documents already made public</a>&nbsp;as part of the investigation show that the FBI retrieved from the property 11 sets of classified documents, including information marked at the top secret level.Still, the redactions proposed by the Justice Department are likely to be extensive given the sensitivity of the investigation and unprecedented nature of the search, so it's unlikely that the public will receive a detailed glimpse of the basis for the search or the direction of the probe.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-donald-trump-mar-a-lago-criminal-investigations-government-and-politics-3c956774e0930c6f9c2c8591c43cfddc">department had contested arguments</a>&nbsp;by media organizations to make any portion of the affidavit public, but a judge last week said he was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-donald-trump-west-palm-beach-bf4bd77e66e22d0b089a2a56c4ffc9a7">disinclined to keep the entire document sealed</a>&nbsp;and told federal officials to submit to him in private the redactions it wanted to make. Even so, he acknowledged that the blacked-out portions might be so extensive as to leave the public version of the document without any meaningful information.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1660098153905.png" alt="Earlier this month, former President Trump delivered keynote remarks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Earlier this month, former President Trump delivered keynote remarks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>Multiple news media organizations, including The Associated Press, argued in court last week for the disclosure of the affidavit, citing the extraordinary public interest in the federal search of a former president's home. Trump and some of his supporters have also encouraged the document's release.After the Justice Department submitted its filing under seal on Thursday, the media coalition responded by asking the judge to unseal portions of the department's brief and to direct the government, “going forward," to file publicly a redacted version of any sealed document it submits. The groups noted that significant information about the investigation is already public.“At a minimum, any portions of the Brief that recite those facts about the investigation, without revealing additional ones not yet publicly available — in addition to any other portions that pose no threat to the investigation — should be unsealed,” the news organizations wrote.They added, “If and when additional facts come to light and are confirmed to be accurate, or certain facts no longer pose a threat to the investigation for any other reason, there is no justification for maintaining them under seal either.”

Trump search redacted affidavit set to be released

By BECKY GOFF Little Apple Post

MANHATTAN, Kan. — The Riley County Police Department has posted a warning on their social media accounts, letting the community know of an increase in overdoses presumably due to fake pills.

RCPD said authorities have responded to four overdoses in the last week, with two of them involving juveniles, one of them occurring at Manhattan High School during school hours.

RCPD said the overdoses are presumed to be caused by the individuals taking fake, pressed prescription pills containing Fentanyl.

Fentanyl has reached the top of the list for cause of death in Americans between the ages of 18 to 45 in just one year.

RCPD recommends parents have a conversation with their children about how dangerous the fake pills can be.

RCPD says if someone overdoses, that person is not a suspect in the investigation, their goal is to identify, apprehend and prosecute the individual(s) who are distributing the fake pills.

If you have any information about the distribution of these counterfeit pills you can submit a tip anonymously through Crime Stoppers at (785) 539-7777 or contact RCPD at (785) 537-2112 and ask to speak with the Special Investigations Unit (SIU).

An anonymous report can be <a href="https://www.p3tips.com/tipform.aspx?ID=353&amp;fbclid=IwAR1SmeNcAmJq6V73iTieGr6GsaItdeNqOF4Mmq_WqGoWMo3Cg1urOwzr9bg">submitted online using this link</a>.

Additional details can be found in the post below by RileyCountyPD.

By BECKY GOFF Little Apple PostMANHATTAN, Kan. — The Riley County Police Department has posted a warning on their social media accounts, letting the community know of an increase in overdoses presumably due to fake pills.RCPD said authorities have responded to four overdoses in the last week, with two of them involving juveniles, one of them occurring at Manhattan High School during school hours.RCPD said the overdoses are presumed to be caused by the individuals taking fake, pressed prescription pills containing Fentanyl.Fentanyl has reached the top of the list for cause of death in Americans between the ages of 18 to 45 in just one year.RCPD recommends parents have a conversation with their children about how dangerous the fake pills can be.RCPD says if someone overdoses, that person is not a suspect in the investigation, their goal is to identify, apprehend and prosecute the individual(s) who are distributing the fake pills.If you have any information about the distribution of these counterfeit pills you can submit a tip anonymously through Crime Stoppers at (785) 539-7777 or contact RCPD at (785) 537-2112 and ask to speak with the Special Investigations Unit (SIU).An anonymous report can be <a href="https://www.p3tips.com/tipform.aspx?ID=353&amp;fbclid=IwAR1SmeNcAmJq6V73iTieGr6GsaItdeNqOF4Mmq_WqGoWMo3Cg1urOwzr9bg">submitted online using this link</a>.Additional details can be found in the post below by RileyCountyPD.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FRileyCountyPD%2Fposts%2Fpfbid035Ggzs3RyZf8wuMTeB5aneUPSYgX97464pyFH12FmYd9dTLrWSXhUvE1sMcfKDzHSl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="757" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>

Police warn of overdoses involving fentanyl at Kan. high school

By JARED STRONG <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/08/25/usda-plans-historic-funding-to-help-struggling-farmers-and-develop-new-ag-leaders/">Iowa Capital Dispatch</a>

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will distribute up to $550 million
 to expand certain farmers’ access to land, money and markets and to 
create educational opportunities for students of higher-education 
institutions that cater to racial and ethnic minorities.

“The idea here obviously is to enlarge the number of people that are 
engaged in this very important occupation and calling,” U.S. Secretary 
of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said Wednesday during a call with reporters. 
“Why? Because we have an aging farming population. Why? Because we want 
to build a vibrant local and regional food system that is more resilient
 than the system we had as exposed by the pandemic. Why? Because we 
think it helps economic opportunity in rural communities and small 
towns.”

The new federal funding opportunities were created by two 
wide-ranging spending bills — the American Rescue Plan Act and the 
Inflation Reduction Act — and would devote up to $300 million for 
projects that help “underserved” farmers. Those generally have included 
agricultural producers who have had no or limited assistance from USDA 
programs in the past, including new farmers and ranchers, those with low
 incomes and those of racial or ethnic minorities.

Vilsack cited military veterans as a key underserved group in Iowa.

“Because Iowa is a home to so many returning veterans, that is a 
group of people that historically have sometimes wanted to get into 
farming but have had a difficult time knowing how to do it,” he said.

The USDA seeks proposals for projects that are “innovative and help 
move underserved producers from surviving to thriving.” The application 
deadline is Oct. 28.

Concurrently, Vilsack said, the USDA is working to provide billions 
of dollars of debt relief to struggling farmers and indicated that about
 one-fifth of USDA farm loans are or have been delinquent.

Also on Wednesday, the USDA announced up to $250 million of funding 
for minority-serving colleges and universities to help educate food and 
agriculture professionals, especially those who eventually work for the 
federal government.

Eligible applicants are 1890 land-grant institutions, 1994 land-grant
 institutions, Alaska Native-serving institutions, Native 
Hawaiian-serving institutions, certified Hispanic-serving institutions 
and Insular Area institutions of higher education located in the U.S. 
territories.

Some of that money will support internships and fellowships that place students in workplaces, including at the USDA.

“There’s roughly 120 scholars this year that are being assisted and 
helped under existing programs at USDA, which is, I think, a record 
number,” he said.

The country’s agricultural industry as a whole is aging, he warned. 
The most-recent Census of Agriculture in 2017 revealed that the average 
age of all farmers was 57.5 years and that 8% of farmers were younger 
than 35. The results of the 2022 census are expected to be published in 
2024.

“It’s really necessary and important for us in the food and 
agriculture industry to continue to look for ways in which we can 
recruit, train, educate and attract the next generation of leaders at 
USDA and in the food and agriculture industry,” Vilsack said.

He said the new funding is “historic and part of USDA’s unwavering commitment to advancing equity for all.”

The notice of funding opportunity will be available at&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://grants.gov/">grants.gov</a>&nbsp;in the coming days.

Last week, during <a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2022/08/18/biden-administration-plays-long-game-for-agriculture-and-trade/">a visit to a central Iowa farm</a>,
 Vilsack and U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne, D-Iowa, touted other aspects of the 
Inflation Reduction Act that pertain to agriculture. Chief among them 
for Axne was a $500 million earmark for biofuels infrastructure, which 
has become increasingly important as state and federal officials have 
sought to expand the availability of higher ethanol fuel blends.

Ethanol is a key market for Iowa’s corn — more than half of the state’s crop is used to produce it.

“We know that it will do multiple things, including to continue to 
lower the price of gas at the pump, creating great jobs here in Iowa and
 ensuring we address the issues that climate change is causing.”

Ethanol is a cleaner-burning fuel than gasoline made from oil, but 
studies have questioned whether its overall carbon footprint is smaller 
than gasoline.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661444535766.png" alt="U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack talks international trade at a Woodward farm on Aug. 18, 2022. (Jared Strong/Iowa Capital Dispatch)" />
 <figcaption>U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack talks international trade at a Woodward farm on Aug. 18, 2022. (Jared Strong/Iowa Capital Dispatch)</figcaption>
 </figure>By JARED STRONG <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/08/25/usda-plans-historic-funding-to-help-struggling-farmers-and-develop-new-ag-leaders/">Iowa Capital Dispatch</a>The U.S. Department of Agriculture will distribute up to $550 million
 to expand certain farmers’ access to land, money and markets and to 
create educational opportunities for students of higher-education 
institutions that cater to racial and ethnic minorities.“The idea here obviously is to enlarge the number of people that are 
engaged in this very important occupation and calling,” U.S. Secretary 
of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said Wednesday during a call with reporters. 
“Why? Because we have an aging farming population. Why? Because we want 
to build a vibrant local and regional food system that is more resilient
 than the system we had as exposed by the pandemic. Why? Because we 
think it helps economic opportunity in rural communities and small 
towns.”The new federal funding opportunities were created by two 
wide-ranging spending bills — the American Rescue Plan Act and the 
Inflation Reduction Act — and would devote up to $300 million for 
projects that help “underserved” farmers. Those generally have included 
agricultural producers who have had no or limited assistance from USDA 
programs in the past, including new farmers and ranchers, those with low
 incomes and those of racial or ethnic minorities.Vilsack cited military veterans as a key underserved group in Iowa.“Because Iowa is a home to so many returning veterans, that is a 
group of people that historically have sometimes wanted to get into 
farming but have had a difficult time knowing how to do it,” he said.The USDA seeks proposals for projects that are “innovative and help 
move underserved producers from surviving to thriving.” The application 
deadline is Oct. 28.<h2>Billions in debt relief</h2>Concurrently, Vilsack said, the USDA is working to provide billions 
of dollars of debt relief to struggling farmers and indicated that about
 one-fifth of USDA farm loans are or have been delinquent.Also on Wednesday, the USDA announced up to $250 million of funding 
for minority-serving colleges and universities to help educate food and 
agriculture professionals, especially those who eventually work for the 
federal government.Eligible applicants are 1890 land-grant institutions, 1994 land-grant
 institutions, Alaska Native-serving institutions, Native 
Hawaiian-serving institutions, certified Hispanic-serving institutions 
and Insular Area institutions of higher education located in the U.S. 
territories.Some of that money will support internships and fellowships that place students in workplaces, including at the USDA.“There’s roughly 120 scholars this year that are being assisted and 
helped under existing programs at USDA, which is, I think, a record 
number,” he said.The country’s agricultural industry as a whole is aging, he warned. 
The most-recent Census of Agriculture in 2017 revealed that the average 
age of all farmers was 57.5 years and that 8% of farmers were younger 
than 35. The results of the 2022 census are expected to be published in 
2024.“It’s really necessary and important for us in the food and 
agriculture industry to continue to look for ways in which we can 
recruit, train, educate and attract the next generation of leaders at 
USDA and in the food and agriculture industry,” Vilsack said.He said the new funding is “historic and part of USDA’s unwavering commitment to advancing equity for all.”The notice of funding opportunity will be available at&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://grants.gov/">grants.gov</a>&nbsp;in the coming days.<h2>Support for biofuels infrastructure</h2>Last week, during <a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2022/08/18/biden-administration-plays-long-game-for-agriculture-and-trade/">a visit to a central Iowa farm</a>,
 Vilsack and U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne, D-Iowa, touted other aspects of the 
Inflation Reduction Act that pertain to agriculture. Chief among them 
for Axne was a $500 million earmark for biofuels infrastructure, which 
has become increasingly important as state and federal officials have 
sought to expand the availability of higher ethanol fuel blends.Ethanol is a key market for Iowa’s corn — more than half of the state’s crop is used to produce it.“We know that it will do multiple things, including to continue to 
lower the price of gas at the pump, creating great jobs here in Iowa and
 ensuring we address the issues that climate change is causing.”Ethanol is a cleaner-burning fuel than gasoline made from oil, but 
studies have questioned whether its overall carbon footprint is smaller 
than gasoline.Vilsack called the recent legislation “the largest investment in 
conservation since the Dust Bowl” because of its $18 billion of 
additional funding for existing USDA land conservation programs.The Inflation Reduction Act also includes considerable funding for 
forest management, drought mitigation and renewable energy projects in 
rural areas.