MEXICO CITY (AP) — The Mexican border cities of Tijuana, Mexicali, Rosarito and Ensenada were hit by gang violence that included vehicles being set ablaze and road blockades.

The<a href="https://mx.usembassy.gov/alert-fires-roadblocks-and-police-activity-in-tijuana-mexicali-rosarito-ensenada-and-tecate/"> U.S. Consulate in Tijuana instructed its employees</a> “to shelter in place until further notice” around midnight because of the violence.

It was the third time this week Mexican cities have seen widespread arson and shootings by drug cartels. The gangs appear to be targeting stores, vehicles and innocent bystanders in response to disputes or attempts to capture gang members.

Tijuana officials said vehicles had been burned at about 10 points around the city, and Mayor Montserrat Caballero blamed it on disputes between drug gangs.

Caballero issued a public appeal to “organized crime,” the term used in Mexico for drug cartels, to stop the growing trend of targeting innocent civilians.

“Today we are saying to the organized crime groups that are committing these crimes, that Tijuana is going to remain open and take care of its citizens, and we also ask them to settle their debts with those who didn’t pay what they owe, not with families and hard-working citizens.”

The extent of the violence was still unclear Saturday. Late Friday, the U.S. Consulate General in Tijuana said in a statement that it “is aware of reports of multiple vehicle fires, roadblocks, and heavy police activity in Tijuana, Mexicali, Rosarito, Ensenada, and Tecate.”

The mayor’s comment about remaining open was an apparent reference to the border city of Ciudad Juarez, across from El Paso, Texas, where some classes and public events were cancelled after similar violence on Thursday.

Alleged gang members went on a shooting spree in Ciudad Juarez, killing nine people, including four employees of a radio station, after a fight between rival gangs at a local prison left two inmates dead.

On Tuesday, drug cartel gunmen burned vehicles and businesses in the western states of Jalisco and Guanajuato in response to an attempt to arrest a high-ranking cartel leader of the Jalisco cartel.

The area around Tijuana, which borders southern California, is a lucrative drug-trafficking corridor long dominated by the Arellano Felix cartel but which has since become a battle ground between various gangs, including the Jalisco and Sinaloa cartels.

Speaking about the Ciudad Juarez violence Thursday, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said: “They attacked the civilian, innocent population like a sort of revenge. It wasn’t just a clash between two groups, but it got to the point where they began to shoot civilians, innocent people. That is the most unfortunate thing in this affair.”

Four employees of the MegaRadio station who were broadcasting a live promotional event outside a pizza store in Ciudad Juarez were killed in the shootings.

Such random violence is not without precedent in Mexico.

In June of last year, a rival faction of the Gulf cartel entered the border city of Reynosa and killed 14 people the governor identified as “innocent citizens.” The military responded and killed four suspected gunmen.

And cartels in Mexico frequently hijack vehicles and burn them to distract police or prevent them from pursuing gunmen.

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The Mexican border cities of Tijuana, Mexicali, Rosarito and Ensenada were hit by gang violence that included vehicles being set ablaze and road blockades.The<a href="https://mx.usembassy.gov/alert-fires-roadblocks-and-police-activity-in-tijuana-mexicali-rosarito-ensenada-and-tecate/"> U.S. Consulate in Tijuana instructed its employees</a> “to shelter in place until further notice” around midnight because of the violence.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fphoto%2F%3Ffbid%3D434786292017760%26set%3Da.227341039428954&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="426" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>It was the third time this week Mexican cities have seen widespread arson and shootings by drug cartels. The gangs appear to be targeting stores, vehicles and innocent bystanders in response to disputes or attempts to capture gang members.Tijuana officials said vehicles had been burned at about 10 points around the city, and Mayor Montserrat Caballero blamed it on disputes between drug gangs.Caballero issued a public appeal to “organized crime,” the term used in Mexico for drug cartels, to stop the growing trend of targeting innocent civilians.“Today we are saying to the organized crime groups that are committing these crimes, that Tijuana is going to remain open and take care of its citizens, and we also ask them to settle their debts with those who didn’t pay what they owe, not with families and hard-working citizens.”The extent of the violence was still unclear Saturday. Late Friday, the U.S. Consulate General in Tijuana said in a statement that it “is aware of reports of multiple vehicle fires, roadblocks, and heavy police activity in Tijuana, Mexicali, Rosarito, Ensenada, and Tecate.”The mayor’s comment about remaining open was an apparent reference to the border city of Ciudad Juarez, across from El Paso, Texas, where some classes and public events were cancelled after similar violence on Thursday.Alleged gang members went on a shooting spree in Ciudad Juarez, killing nine people, including four employees of a radio station, after a fight between rival gangs at a local prison left two inmates dead.On Tuesday, drug cartel gunmen burned vehicles and businesses in the western states of Jalisco and Guanajuato in response to an attempt to arrest a high-ranking cartel leader of the Jalisco cartel.The area around Tijuana, which borders southern California, is a lucrative drug-trafficking corridor long dominated by the Arellano Felix cartel but which has since become a battle ground between various gangs, including the Jalisco and Sinaloa cartels.Speaking about the Ciudad Juarez violence Thursday, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said: “They attacked the civilian, innocent population like a sort of revenge. It wasn’t just a clash between two groups, but it got to the point where they began to shoot civilians, innocent people. That is the most unfortunate thing in this affair.”Four employees of the MegaRadio station who were broadcasting a live promotional event outside a pizza store in Ciudad Juarez were killed in the shootings.Such random violence is not without precedent in Mexico.In June of last year, a rival faction of the Gulf cartel entered the border city of Reynosa and killed 14 people the governor identified as “innocent citizens.” The military responded and killed four suspected gunmen.And cartels in Mexico frequently hijack vehicles and burn them to distract police or prevent them from pursuing gunmen.

US issues travel alert as wave of violence plagues Mexico

By REBECCA S.B. FISCHER <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-does-monkeypox-spread-an-epidemiologist-explains-why-it-isnt-an-sti-and-what-counts-as-close-contact-188130">The Conversation</a>

Monkeypox is caused by a virus that, despite periodic outbreaks, is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080%2F14787210.2019.1567330">not thought to spread easily from person to person</a> and historically <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/monkeypox">has not spurred long chains of transmission within communities</a>.
 Now, many researchers are left scratching their heads as to why 
monkeypox seems to be propagating so readily and unconventionally in the
 current global outbreak.

The monkeypox virus typically spreads through <a href="https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2022-DON381">direct contact with respiratory secretions, such as mucus or saliva</a>, or <a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/07/1123212">skin lesions</a>.
 Skin lesions traditionally appear soon after infection as a rash – 
small pimples or round papules on the face, hands or genitalia. These 
lesions may also appear inside the mouth, eyes and other parts of the 
body that produce mucus. They can last for several weeks and be a source
 of virus before they are fully healed. <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/monkeypox">Other symptoms</a> usually include fever, swollen lymph nodes, fatigue and headache.

I am an <a href="https://public-health.tamu.edu/directory/fischer.html">epidemiologist</a> who studies emerging infectious diseases that cause <a href="https://theconversation.com/whats-the-difference-between-pandemic-epidemic-and-outbreak-133048">outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics</a>.
 Understanding what’s currently known about how monkeypox is transmitted
 and ways to protect yourself and others from infection can help reduce 
the spread of the virus.

How is this outbreak different from prior ones?

The current monkeypox epidemic is a bit unusual in a few ways. 

First, the sheer scope of the current epidemic, with <a href="https://worldhealthorg.shinyapps.io/mpx_global/">over 25,000 cases worldwide as of early August</a> and in countries where the virus has never appeared, sets it apart from previous outbreaks. Monkeypox is <a href="https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2022-DON390">endemic to specific areas in central and western Africa</a>,
 where cases occur sporadically and outbreaks are usually contained and 
quickly burn out. In the current outbreak, global spread has been rapid.
 Young men, mostly ages 18 to 44, account for the majority of cases, and
 over 97% identify as men who have sex with men (MSM). <a href="https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2022.27.22.2200422">Some superspreading events</a>
 associated with air travel, international gatherings and 
multiple-partner sexual encounters contributed to early transmission of 
the virus.

Second, <a href="https://worldhealthorg.shinyapps.io/mpx_global/">the way symptoms are appearing</a> may facilitate spread among people who don’t yet know they are infected. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.21790">Most</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2022-072410">patients</a>
 reported mild symptoms without fever or swollen lymph nodes, symptoms 
that typically appear before a skin rash is visible. While most people 
do develop skin lesions, many reported having only a single papule that 
was often obscured inside a mucosal area, such as inside the mouth, 
throat or rectum, making it easier to miss.

A number of people reported no symptoms at all. Asymptomatic 
infections are more likely to go undiagnosed and unreported than those 
with symptoms. But it is not yet known how asymptomatic individuals may 
be contributing to spread or how many asymptomatic cases may be 
undetected so far.

For <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/03/well/live/monkeypox-risk.html">most people</a>,
 the risk of getting monkeypox is currently low. Anyone who has 
prolonged, close contact with an infected person is at risk, including 
partners, parents, children or siblings, among others. The most common 
settings for transmission are <a href="https://worldhealthorg.shinyapps.io/mpx_global/">within households or health care settings</a>.

Because of sustained transmission within the community of men who have sex with men, they are considered an <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/07/27/monkeypox-gay-men-vaccine-treatment/">at-risk group</a>, and targeted recommendations can help allocate resources and limit transmission. While monkeypox is <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/07/28/who-monkeypox-advice-men-sex/">spreading primarily among MSM</a>,
 this does not mean that the virus will remain confined to this group or
 that it won’t jump to other social networks. The virus itself has no 
regard for age, gender, ethnicity or sexual orientation.

<a href="https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/monkeypox-public-health-advice-for-men-who-have-sex-with-men">Anyone</a> who comes into direct contact with the monkeypox virus is at risk of being infected. <a href="https://worldhealthorg.shinyapps.io/mpx_global/">New cases</a>
 are recorded daily, with additional countries and regions reporting 
their first cases and already affected countries observing a continued 
rise in infections.

As with most infections, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/03/well/live/monkeypox-risk.html">other factors</a>,
 such as the amount of viral exposure, type of contact and individual 
immune response, play a role in whether an infection takes hold.

While sexual encounters are currently the predominant mode of transmission among reported cases, monkeypox is <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health-news/monkeypox-is-not-a-sexually-transmitted-infection-what-experts-want-you-to-know">not a sexually transmitted infection</a>. STIs are spread primarily through sexual contact, while monkeypox can spread through any form of prolonged, close contact.

Close contact that transmits the monkeypox virus involves encounters 
that are typically more intimate or involved than having a casual 
conversation or standing next to someone in an elevator. Transmission 
requires exchange of mucosal fluids or direct contact with the virus in 
sufficient quantity to seed an infection. This could occur through 
physical contact during kissing or cuddling.

Because sexual encounters involve direct skin-to-skin physical 
contact where bodily fluids may be exchanged, these close encounters can
 transmit viruses more easily. Recently, monkeypox DNA has been detected
 in feces and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(22)00513-8">various body fluids</a>,
 including saliva, blood, semen and urine. But the presence of viral DNA
 does not necessarily mean that the virus can infect someone else. 
Transmission from these sources is still under investigation.

As the virus moves through populations, <a href="https://www.who.int/director-general/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-covid-19-media-briefing--27-july-2022">public health officials</a>
 focus on getting the message out to the most at-risk and hardest hit 
communities about how to stay safe. Currently, breaking the transmission
 chain among sexual contacts is a priority, including but not limited to
 <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/monkeypox-public-health-advice-for-men-who-have-sex-with-men">MSM communities</a>. Targeted messaging is meant to protect the health of a specific group, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/07/26/1113713684/monkeypox-stigma-gay-community">not to stigmatize</a> the intended audience.

Other modes of transmission may play a greater role outside the MSM community. <a href="https://worldhealthorg.shinyapps.io/mpx_global/">Household transmission</a>,
 where individuals may come into close contact with infected people or 
contaminated items, is one of the most common types of exposure. 
Research is ongoing into the potential <a href="https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.07.21.22277864">airborne and respiratory droplet</a> spread of monkeypox in the current situation.

Outbreaks are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S2589-7500(20)30268-5">dynamic situations that evolve over time</a>,
 which is why public health messages may change as the epidemic 
progresses. Not every outbreak looks or behaves the same way – even 
pathogens seen in previous outbreaks can be different the next time 
around. As researchers learn more about how the disease is transmitted 
and identify changes in patterns of spread, public health officials will
 provide updates about specific forms of contact, behaviors or other 
factors that could increase infection risk. While changing guidelines 
can be frustrating or confusing, keeping up to date with the latest 
recommendations can help you protect yourself and stay safe.

What do I do if I’ve been exposed to monkeypox?

Anyone who has been infected can help contain spread by isolating 
from others, including pets. Covering skin lesions, wearing a mask in 
shared spaces and decontaminating shared surfaces or items, such as bed 
linens, dishes, clothes or towels, can also reduce spread. 

You can also help interrupt the transmission chain by participating in <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-MPX-Surveillance-2022.2">contact tracing</a>,
 notifying public health officials of others who may have been exposed 
through you, which is a basic tenet and common practice of disease 
control.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has further guidance on how to control monkeypox spread in both <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/clinicians/infection-control-home.html">household settings</a> and <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/specific-settings/congregate.html">shared living facilities</a>.

Lastly, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/considerations-for-monkeypox-vaccination.html">getting vaccinated</a> as soon as possible can still protect you from severe illness even if you’ve already been infected.

Rebecca S.B. Fischer is an Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at Texas A&amp;M University.

By REBECCA S.B. FISCHER <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-does-monkeypox-spread-an-epidemiologist-explains-why-it-isnt-an-sti-and-what-counts-as-close-contact-188130">The Conversation</a>Monkeypox is caused by a virus that, despite periodic outbreaks, is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080%2F14787210.2019.1567330">not thought to spread easily from person to person</a> and historically <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/monkeypox">has not spurred long chains of transmission within communities</a>.
 Now, many researchers are left scratching their heads as to why 
monkeypox seems to be propagating so readily and unconventionally in the
 current global outbreak.The monkeypox virus typically spreads through <a href="https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2022-DON381">direct contact with respiratory secretions, such as mucus or saliva</a>, or <a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/07/1123212">skin lesions</a>.
 Skin lesions traditionally appear soon after infection as a rash – 
small pimples or round papules on the face, hands or genitalia. These 
lesions may also appear inside the mouth, eyes and other parts of the 
body that produce mucus. They can last for several weeks and be a source
 of virus before they are fully healed. <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/monkeypox">Other symptoms</a> usually include fever, swollen lymph nodes, fatigue and headache.I am an <a href="https://public-health.tamu.edu/directory/fischer.html">epidemiologist</a> who studies emerging infectious diseases that cause <a href="https://theconversation.com/whats-the-difference-between-pandemic-epidemic-and-outbreak-133048">outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics</a>.
 Understanding what’s currently known about how monkeypox is transmitted
 and ways to protect yourself and others from infection can help reduce 
the spread of the virus.<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/v2J7rXuOiuw"></iframe>
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>How is this outbreak different from prior ones?</h2>The current monkeypox epidemic is a bit unusual in a few ways. First, the sheer scope of the current epidemic, with <a href="https://worldhealthorg.shinyapps.io/mpx_global/">over 25,000 cases worldwide as of early August</a> and in countries where the virus has never appeared, sets it apart from previous outbreaks. Monkeypox is <a href="https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2022-DON390">endemic to specific areas in central and western Africa</a>,
 where cases occur sporadically and outbreaks are usually contained and 
quickly burn out. In the current outbreak, global spread has been rapid.
 Young men, mostly ages 18 to 44, account for the majority of cases, and
 over 97% identify as men who have sex with men (MSM). <a href="https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2022.27.22.2200422">Some superspreading events</a>
 associated with air travel, international gatherings and 
multiple-partner sexual encounters contributed to early transmission of 
the virus.Second, <a href="https://worldhealthorg.shinyapps.io/mpx_global/">the way symptoms are appearing</a> may facilitate spread among people who don’t yet know they are infected. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.21790">Most</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2022-072410">patients</a>
 reported mild symptoms without fever or swollen lymph nodes, symptoms 
that typically appear before a skin rash is visible. While most people 
do develop skin lesions, many reported having only a single papule that 
was often obscured inside a mucosal area, such as inside the mouth, 
throat or rectum, making it easier to miss.<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Y9bjHNpqOro"></iframe>
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>A number of people reported no symptoms at all. Asymptomatic 
infections are more likely to go undiagnosed and unreported than those 
with symptoms. But it is not yet known how asymptomatic individuals may 
be contributing to spread or how many asymptomatic cases may be 
undetected so far.<h2>Who is at risk of getting monkeypox?</h2>For <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/03/well/live/monkeypox-risk.html">most people</a>,
 the risk of getting monkeypox is currently low. Anyone who has 
prolonged, close contact with an infected person is at risk, including 
partners, parents, children or siblings, among others. The most common 
settings for transmission are <a href="https://worldhealthorg.shinyapps.io/mpx_global/">within households or health care settings</a>.Because of sustained transmission within the community of men who have sex with men, they are considered an <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/07/27/monkeypox-gay-men-vaccine-treatment/">at-risk group</a>, and targeted recommendations can help allocate resources and limit transmission. While monkeypox is <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/07/28/who-monkeypox-advice-men-sex/">spreading primarily among MSM</a>,
 this does not mean that the virus will remain confined to this group or
 that it won’t jump to other social networks. The virus itself has no 
regard for age, gender, ethnicity or sexual orientation. <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/monkeypox-public-health-advice-for-men-who-have-sex-with-men">Anyone</a> who comes into direct contact with the monkeypox virus is at risk of being infected. <a href="https://worldhealthorg.shinyapps.io/mpx_global/">New cases</a>
 are recorded daily, with additional countries and regions reporting 
their first cases and already affected countries observing a continued 
rise in infections. As with most infections, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/03/well/live/monkeypox-risk.html">other factors</a>,
 such as the amount of viral exposure, type of contact and individual 
immune response, play a role in whether an infection takes hold.<h2>Is monkeypox an STI?</h2>While sexual encounters are currently the predominant mode of transmission among reported cases, monkeypox is <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health-news/monkeypox-is-not-a-sexually-transmitted-infection-what-experts-want-you-to-know">not a sexually transmitted infection</a>. STIs are spread primarily through sexual contact, while monkeypox can spread through any form of prolonged, close contact.Close contact that transmits the monkeypox virus involves encounters 
that are typically more intimate or involved than having a casual 
conversation or standing next to someone in an elevator. Transmission 
requires exchange of mucosal fluids or direct contact with the virus in 
sufficient quantity to seed an infection. This could occur through 
physical contact during kissing or cuddling.Because sexual encounters involve direct skin-to-skin physical 
contact where bodily fluids may be exchanged, these close encounters can
 transmit viruses more easily. Recently, monkeypox DNA has been detected
 in feces and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(22)00513-8">various body fluids</a>,
 including saliva, blood, semen and urine. But the presence of viral DNA
 does not necessarily mean that the virus can infect someone else. 
Transmission from these sources is still under investigation.As the virus moves through populations, <a href="https://www.who.int/director-general/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-covid-19-media-briefing--27-july-2022">public health officials</a>
 focus on getting the message out to the most at-risk and hardest hit 
communities about how to stay safe. Currently, breaking the transmission
 chain among sexual contacts is a priority, including but not limited to
 <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/monkeypox-public-health-advice-for-men-who-have-sex-with-men">MSM communities</a>. Targeted messaging is meant to protect the health of a specific group, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/07/26/1113713684/monkeypox-stigma-gay-community">not to stigmatize</a> the intended audience. Other modes of transmission may play a greater role outside the MSM community. <a href="https://worldhealthorg.shinyapps.io/mpx_global/">Household transmission</a>,
 where individuals may come into close contact with infected people or 
contaminated items, is one of the most common types of exposure. 
Research is ongoing into the potential <a href="https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.07.21.22277864">airborne and respiratory droplet</a> spread of monkeypox in the current situation. Outbreaks are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S2589-7500(20)30268-5">dynamic situations that evolve over time</a>,
 which is why public health messages may change as the epidemic 
progresses. Not every outbreak looks or behaves the same way – even 
pathogens seen in previous outbreaks can be different the next time 
around. As researchers learn more about how the disease is transmitted 
and identify changes in patterns of spread, public health officials will
 provide updates about specific forms of contact, behaviors or other 
factors that could increase infection risk. While changing guidelines 
can be frustrating or confusing, keeping up to date with the latest 
recommendations can help you protect yourself and stay safe. <h2>What do I do if I’ve been exposed to monkeypox?</h2>Anyone who has been infected can help contain spread by isolating 
from others, including pets. Covering skin lesions, wearing a mask in 
shared spaces and decontaminating shared surfaces or items, such as bed 
linens, dishes, clothes or towels, can also reduce spread. You can also help interrupt the transmission chain by participating in <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-MPX-Surveillance-2022.2">contact tracing</a>,
 notifying public health officials of others who may have been exposed 
through you, which is a basic tenet and common practice of disease 
control.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has further guidance on how to control monkeypox spread in both <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/clinicians/infection-control-home.html">household settings</a> and <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/specific-settings/congregate.html">shared living facilities</a>.Lastly, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/considerations-for-monkeypox-vaccination.html">getting vaccinated</a> as soon as possible can still protect you from severe illness even if you’ve already been infected.Rebecca S.B. Fischer is an Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at Texas A&amp;M University.<div><iframe src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/188130/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" width="1" height="1"></iframe></div>

🎥 Epidemiologist: How monkeypox spreads and why it isn’t an STI 

By PAUL&nbsp; HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/08/12/malcolm-x-louise-pound-and-howard-hanson-advanced-as-candidates-for-nebraska-hall-of-fame/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — Civil rights leader Malcolm X survived the first cut to be 
inducted into the Nebraska Hall of Fame on Friday along with 
educator/author Louise Pound and Pulitzer Prize-winning 
composer/director Howard Hanson.

The seven-member State Hall of Fame Committee pared the list of eight
 nominees to the three finalists after a brief discussion on Friday. The
 commission took<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/07/20/supporters-of-malcolm-x-ask-why-he-isnt-in-nebraska-hall-of-fame-already/"> testimony about the candidates</a> at public hearings held last month in each of the state’s three congressional districts, and considered written testimony.

A final selection will be made Sept. 12 at a public meeting at the State Capitol.

Pound, an English professor who was a pioneer in linguistic studies 
and the only woman in University of Nebraska history to letter in a 
men’s sport, received votes of six of the seven board members, with 
Malcolm X receiving five and Hanson four.

Every five years the Hall of Fame Commission picks a new inductee 
into the state Hall, which is located in the State Capitol. A person 
must be deceased for at least 35 years to be inducted.

There are 26 members of the Hall, including Buffalo Bill, Ponca Chief
 Standing Bear and Boys Town founder Father Flanagan, but no 
African-American inductees.

Fifteen years ago, Malcolm X was deemed too controversial to be inducted.

And there has been discussion that Malcolm X, born as Malcolm Little 
in Omaha in 1925, didn’t live long enough in Nebraska. His family fled 
the state when he was about 1 year old after being terrorized by the Klu
 Klux Klan, who burned down their house.

The stated criteria for induction is that a person was born in 
Nebraska, gained prominence while living in Nebraska, or who lived in 
the state and “whose residence in Nebraska was an important influence on
 their lives and which contributed to their greatness.”

One member of the Hall of Fame Commission, Sara Crook, a retired Peru
 State College history professor, said that while Malcolm X’s 
contributions as a civil rights leader are unquestioned, she didn’t 
think he considered himself “a Nebraskan.”

Only once did he return to Nebraska, she said, and that was much later in his life.

“I think we need more diversity in our Hall of Fame. I’m all on board
 with that,” Crook said. “I’m looking for a Nebraskan to put into the 
Nebraska Hall of Fame.”

But two other commissioners, Jill Dolberg, the interim director of 
History Nebraska, and Tim Heller of Omaha, said they didn’t share the 
same concern.

“He truly had a world-wide impact,” Heller said. Dolberg said he was 
one of the most influential civil rights leaders of the 20th Century.

Both commissioners said that what happened to his family in Omaha likely influenced his entire life.

Former State Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha, who has advocated for 
Malcolm X in the past, attended Friday’s meeting but did not speak.

After the meeting, Chambers said that “fame is notoriety” and there 
is no question that Malcolm X generated more of that than any of the 
other candidates.

There is a movie, “Malcolm X,”&nbsp; and a book, “The Autobiography of 
Malcolm X,” about his life, as well as other writings and recordings of 
his speeches about Black empowerment and as a minister with the Nation 
of Islam. There is also a museum at the site of his birthplace in North 
Omaha.

“Here was a man out in the open, saying things all of us were afraid 
to say,” Chambers said. Malcolm X, he added, “set a standard” for young 
black men.

Pound, who’s brother Roscoe, a famed botanist, is already in the 
Nebraska Hall of Fame, was promoted as an inspiration to women at a time
 when women were considered property of their husbands. At NU, she 
lettered in the men’s sport of tennis. She traveled to Germany to earn 
her doctorate degree because women weren’t able to obtain such a degree 
in the U.S.

Hanson, who was from Wahoo, was the longtime director of the Eastman 
School of Music in Rochester, New York. He is probably the state’s most 
renowned musician, said Ron Hull, a long-time broadcaster with NETV and 
the chairman of the commission.

The Rev. Hiram Hisanori Kano of Litchfield, a Japanese-American 
Episcopal priest who was said to be the only Nebraska interred during 
World War II, just missed the cut after receiving three votes.

Receiving one vote were Grover Cleveland Alexander, the third 
winningest baseball pitcher of all time; Ernst Herminghaus, a landscape 
architect whose work included Lincoln’s Pioneers Park and the State 
Capitol; and Calvin Chapman, a former mayor of Nebraska City who 
participated in the Underground Railroad.

Also nominated was Elzada Urseba Clover, the first botanist to catalog plants in the Grand Canyon.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658159710554.png" alt="Famed Oglala Lakota Chief Red Cloud is among those enshrined in the Nebraska Hall of Fame, located in the State Capitol. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner) " />
 <figcaption>Famed Oglala Lakota Chief Red Cloud is among those enshrined in the Nebraska Hall of Fame, located in the State Capitol. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner) </figcaption>
 </figure>By PAUL&nbsp; HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/08/12/malcolm-x-louise-pound-and-howard-hanson-advanced-as-candidates-for-nebraska-hall-of-fame/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — Civil rights leader Malcolm X survived the first cut to be 
inducted into the Nebraska Hall of Fame on Friday along with 
educator/author Louise Pound and Pulitzer Prize-winning 
composer/director Howard Hanson.The seven-member State Hall of Fame Committee pared the list of eight
 nominees to the three finalists after a brief discussion on Friday. The
 commission took<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/07/20/supporters-of-malcolm-x-ask-why-he-isnt-in-nebraska-hall-of-fame-already/"> testimony about the candidates</a> at public hearings held last month in each of the state’s three congressional districts, and considered written testimony.<h2>Final pick next month</h2>A final selection will be made Sept. 12 at a public meeting at the State Capitol.Pound, an English professor who was a pioneer in linguistic studies 
and the only woman in University of Nebraska history to letter in a 
men’s sport, received votes of six of the seven board members, with 
Malcolm X receiving five and Hanson four.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1660403708087.jpeg" alt="Ron Hull, a longtime broadcaster with Nebraska Public Media, presided over Friday’s meeting of the Nebraska Hall of Fame Commission. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Ron Hull, a longtime broadcaster with Nebraska Public Media, presided over Friday’s meeting of the Nebraska Hall of Fame Commission. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Every five years the Hall of Fame Commission picks a new inductee 
into the state Hall, which is located in the State Capitol. A person 
must be deceased for at least 35 years to be inducted.There are 26 members of the Hall, including Buffalo Bill, Ponca Chief
 Standing Bear and Boys Town founder Father Flanagan, but no 
African-American inductees.Fifteen years ago, Malcolm X was deemed too controversial to be inducted.<h2>Omaha home burned</h2>And there has been discussion that Malcolm X, born as Malcolm Little 
in Omaha in 1925, didn’t live long enough in Nebraska. His family fled 
the state when he was about 1 year old after being terrorized by the Klu
 Klux Klan, who burned down their house.The stated criteria for induction is that a person was born in 
Nebraska, gained prominence while living in Nebraska, or who lived in 
the state and “whose residence in Nebraska was an important influence on
 their lives and which contributed to their greatness.”One member of the Hall of Fame Commission, Sara Crook, a retired Peru
 State College history professor, said that while Malcolm X’s 
contributions as a civil rights leader are unquestioned, she didn’t 
think he considered himself “a Nebraskan.”Only once did he return to Nebraska, she said, and that was much later in his life.<h2>‘Looking for a Nebraskan’</h2>“I think we need more diversity in our Hall of Fame. I’m all on board
 with that,” Crook said. “I’m looking for a Nebraskan to put into the 
Nebraska Hall of Fame.”But two other commissioners, Jill Dolberg, the interim director of 
History Nebraska, and Tim Heller of Omaha, said they didn’t share the 
same concern.“He truly had a world-wide impact,” Heller said. Dolberg said he was 
one of the most influential civil rights leaders of the 20th Century.Both commissioners said that what happened to his family in Omaha likely influenced his entire life.Former State Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha, who has advocated for 
Malcolm X in the past, attended Friday’s meeting but did not speak.After the meeting, Chambers said that “fame is notoriety” and there 
is no question that Malcolm X generated more of that than any of the 
other candidates.There is a movie, “Malcolm X,”&nbsp; and a book, “The Autobiography of 
Malcolm X,” about his life, as well as other writings and recordings of 
his speeches about Black empowerment and as a minister with the Nation 
of Islam. There is also a museum at the site of his birthplace in North 
Omaha.<h2>Malcolm X set a standard</h2>“Here was a man out in the open, saying things all of us were afraid 
to say,” Chambers said. Malcolm X, he added, “set a standard” for young 
black men.Pound, who’s brother Roscoe, a famed botanist, is already in the 
Nebraska Hall of Fame, was promoted as an inspiration to women at a time
 when women were considered property of their husbands. At NU, she 
lettered in the men’s sport of tennis. She traveled to Germany to earn 
her doctorate degree because women weren’t able to obtain such a degree 
in the U.S.Hanson, who was from Wahoo, was the longtime director of the Eastman 
School of Music in Rochester, New York. He is probably the state’s most 
renowned musician, said Ron Hull, a long-time broadcaster with NETV and 
the chairman of the commission.The Rev. Hiram Hisanori Kano of Litchfield, a Japanese-American 
Episcopal priest who was said to be the only Nebraska interred during 
World War II, just missed the cut after receiving three votes.<h2>Four others got votes</h2>Receiving one vote were Grover Cleveland Alexander, the third 
winningest baseball pitcher of all time; Ernst Herminghaus, a landscape 
architect whose work included Lincoln’s Pioneers Park and the State 
Capitol; and Calvin Chapman, a former mayor of Nebraska City who 
participated in the Underground Railroad.Also nominated was Elzada Urseba Clover, the first botanist to catalog plants in the Grand Canyon.

Malcolm X among those advanced as candidates for Nebraska Hall of Fame

WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI recovered documents that were labeled “top secret” from former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, according to court papers released Friday after a federal judge unsealed the warrant that authorized&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump?utm_source=apnewsnav&amp;utm_medium=featured">the unprecedented search this week</a>.

A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/22131425-mar-a-lago-search-documents">property receipt unsealed by the court</a>&nbsp;shows FBI agents took&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/22131425-mar-a-lago-search-documents">11 sets of classified records</a>&nbsp;from the estate during a search on Monday.

The seized records include some marked not only top secret but also “sensitive compartmented information,” a special category meant to protect the nation's most important secrets that if revealed publicly could cause “exceptionally grave” damage to U.S. interests. The court records did not provide specific details about information the documents might contain.

The warrant says federal agents were 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 property receipt also shows federal agents collected other potential presidential records, including the order pardoning Trump ally Roger Stone, a “leatherbound box of documents,” and information about the “President of France.” A binder of photos, a handwritten note, “miscellaneous secret documents” and “miscellaneous confidential documents” were also seized in the search.

Trump’s attorney, Christina Bobb, who was present at Mar-a-Lago when the agents conducted the search, signed two property receipts — one that was two pages long and another that is a single page.

In a statement earlier Friday, Trump claimed that the documents seized by agents were “all declassified,” and argued that he would have turned them over if the Justice Department had asked.

While incumbent presidents generally have the power to declassify information, that authority lapses as soon as they leave office and it was not clear if the documents in question have ever been declassified. And even an incumbent's powers to declassify may be limited regarding secrets dealing with nuclear weapons programs, covert operations and operatives, and some data shared with allies.

Trump kept possession of the documents despite multiple requests from agencies, including the National Archives, to turn over presidential records in accordance with federal law.

The Mar-a-Lago search warrant served Monday was part of an ongoing Justice Department investigation into the discovery of classified White House records recovered from Trump’s home earlier this year. The Archives had asked the department to investigate after saying 15 boxes of records it retrieved from the estate included classified records.

It remains unclear whether the Justice Department moved forward with the warrant simply as a means to retrieve the records or as part of a wider criminal investigation. Multiple federal laws govern the handling of classified information, with both criminal and civil penalties, as well as presidential records.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart, the same judge who signed off on the search warrant, unsealed the warrant and property receipt Friday at the request of the Justice Department after Attorney General Merrick Garland declared there was “substantial public interest in this matter,” and Trump said he backed the warrant’s “immediate” release. The Justice Department told the judge Friday afternoon that Trump’s lawyers did not object to the proposal to make it public.

In messages posted on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote, “Not only will I not oppose the release of documents ... I am going a step further by ENCOURAGING the immediate release of those documents.”

The Justice Department's request was striking because such warrants traditionally remain sealed during a pending investigation. But the department appeared to recognize that its silence since the search had created a vacuum for bitter verbal attacks by Trump and his allies, and felt that the public was entitled to the FBI’s side about what prompted Monday’s action at the former president’s home.

“The public’s clear and powerful interest in understanding what occurred under these circumstances weighs heavily in favor of unsealing,” said a motion filed in federal court in Florida on Thursday.

The information was released as( Trump prepares for another run for the White House. During his 2016 campaign, he pointed frequently to an FBI investigation into his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/b1f8075d21964477b9deae6134f8d022">over whether she mishandled classified information</a>.

To obtain a search warrant, federal authorities must prove to a judge that probable cause exists to believe that a crime was committed. Garland said he personally approved the warrant, a decision he said the department did not take lightly given that standard practice where possible is to select less intrusive tactics than a search of one's home.

In this case, according to a person familiar with the matter, there was substantial engagement with Trump and his representatives prior to the search warrant, including a subpoena for records and a visit to Mar-a-Lago a couple of months ago by FBI and Justice Department officials to assess how the documents were stored. The person was not authorized to discuss the matter by name and spoke on condition of anonymity.

FBI and Justice Department policy cautions against discussing ongoing investigations, both to protect the integrity of the inquiries and to avoid unfairly maligning someone who is being scrutinized but winds up ultimately not being charged. That’s especially true in the case of search warrants, where supporting court papers are routinely kept secret as the investigation proceeds.

In this case, though, Garland cited the fact that Trump himself had provided the first public confirmation of the FBI search, “as is his right." The Justice Department, in its new filing, also said that disclosing information about it now would not harm the court's functions.

The Justice Department under Garland has been leery of public statements about politically charged investigations, or of confirming to what extent it might be investigating Trump as part of a broader probe into the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol and efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

The department has tried to avoid being seen as injecting itself into presidential politics, as happened in 2016 when then-FBI Director James Comey made an unusual public statement announcing that the FBI would not be recommending criminal charges against Clinton regarding her handling of email — and when he spoke up again just over a week before the election to notify Congress that the probe was being effectively reopened because of the discovery of new emails.

The attorney general also condemned verbal attacks on FBI and Justice Department personnel over the search. Some Republican allies of Trump have called for the FBI to be defunded. Large numbers of Trump supporters have called for the warrant to be released hoping they it will show that Trump was unfairly targeted.

“I will not stand by silently when their integrity is unfairly attacked,” Garland said of federal law enforcement agents, calling them “dedicated, patriotic public servants.”

Earlier Thursday, an armed man wearing body armor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-cincinnati-armed-man-b4701596a0eb9770e3b29e95328f5704">tried to breach a security screening area</a>&nbsp;at an FBI field office in Ohio, then fled and was later killed after a standoff with law enforcement. A law enforcement official briefed on the matter identified the man as Ricky Shiffer and said he is believed to have been in Washington in the days leading up to the attack on the Capitol and may have been there on the day it took place.

Associated Press writers Lindsay Whitehurst and Meg Kinnard contributed to this report.

<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 FBI recovered documents that were labeled “top secret” from former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, according to court papers released Friday after a federal judge unsealed the warrant that authorized&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump?utm_source=apnewsnav&amp;utm_medium=featured">the unprecedented search this week</a>.A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/22131425-mar-a-lago-search-documents">property receipt unsealed by the court</a>&nbsp;shows FBI agents took&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/22131425-mar-a-lago-search-documents">11 sets of classified records</a>&nbsp;from the estate during a search on Monday.The seized records include some marked not only top secret but also “sensitive compartmented information,” a special category meant to protect the nation's most important secrets that if revealed publicly could cause “exceptionally grave” damage to U.S. interests. The court records did not provide specific details about information the documents might contain.The warrant says federal agents were 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 property receipt also shows federal agents collected other potential presidential records, including the order pardoning Trump ally Roger Stone, a “leatherbound box of documents,” and information about the “President of France.” A binder of photos, a handwritten note, “miscellaneous secret documents” and “miscellaneous confidential documents” were also seized in the search.Trump’s attorney, Christina Bobb, who was present at Mar-a-Lago when the agents conducted the search, signed two property receipts — one that was two pages long and another that is a single page.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1660334468726.jpeg" alt="The notice filed by the Justice Department to the U.S. District Court South District of Florida informing the judge that lawyers for former President Donald Trump did not object to the government's motion to unseal the search warrant for Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate, is photographed Friday, Aug. 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick)" />
 <figcaption>The notice filed by the Justice Department to the U.S. District Court South District of Florida informing the judge that lawyers for former President Donald Trump did not object to the government's motion to unseal the search warrant for Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate, is photographed Friday, Aug. 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick)</figcaption>
 </figure>In a statement earlier Friday, Trump claimed that the documents seized by agents were “all declassified,” and argued that he would have turned them over if the Justice Department had asked.While incumbent presidents generally have the power to declassify information, that authority lapses as soon as they leave office and it was not clear if the documents in question have ever been declassified. And even an incumbent's powers to declassify may be limited regarding secrets dealing with nuclear weapons programs, covert operations and operatives, and some data shared with allies.Trump kept possession of the documents despite multiple requests from agencies, including the National Archives, to turn over presidential records in accordance with federal law.The Mar-a-Lago search warrant served Monday was part of an ongoing Justice Department investigation into the discovery of classified White House records recovered from Trump’s home earlier this year. The Archives had asked the department to investigate after saying 15 boxes of records it retrieved from the estate included classified records.It remains unclear whether the Justice Department moved forward with the warrant simply as a means to retrieve the records or as part of a wider criminal investigation. Multiple federal laws govern the handling of classified information, with both criminal and civil penalties, as well as presidential records.U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart, the same judge who signed off on the search warrant, unsealed the warrant and property receipt Friday at the request of the Justice Department after Attorney General Merrick Garland declared there was “substantial public interest in this matter,” and Trump said he backed the warrant’s “immediate” release. The Justice Department told the judge Friday afternoon that Trump’s lawyers did not object to the proposal to make it public.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1660299491275.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>In messages posted on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote, “Not only will I not oppose the release of documents ... I am going a step further by ENCOURAGING the immediate release of those documents.”The Justice Department's request was striking because such warrants traditionally remain sealed during a pending investigation. But the department appeared to recognize that its silence since the search had created a vacuum for bitter verbal attacks by Trump and his allies, and felt that the public was entitled to the FBI’s side about what prompted Monday’s action at the former president’s home.“The public’s clear and powerful interest in understanding what occurred under these circumstances weighs heavily in favor of unsealing,” said a motion filed in federal court in Florida on Thursday.The information was released as( Trump prepares for another run for the White House. During his 2016 campaign, he pointed frequently to an FBI investigation into his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/b1f8075d21964477b9deae6134f8d022">over whether she mishandled classified information</a>.To obtain a search warrant, federal authorities must prove to a judge that probable cause exists to believe that a crime was committed. Garland said he personally approved the warrant, a decision he said the department did not take lightly given that standard practice where possible is to select less intrusive tactics than a search of one's home.In this case, according to a person familiar with the matter, there was substantial engagement with Trump and his representatives prior to the search warrant, including a subpoena for records and a visit to Mar-a-Lago a couple of months ago by FBI and Justice Department officials to assess how the documents were stored. The person was not authorized to discuss the matter by name and spoke on condition of anonymity.FBI and Justice Department policy cautions against discussing ongoing investigations, both to protect the integrity of the inquiries and to avoid unfairly maligning someone who is being scrutinized but winds up ultimately not being charged. That’s especially true in the case of search warrants, where supporting court papers are routinely kept secret as the investigation proceeds.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/I2w26ecbq-Q?start=3" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>In this case, though, Garland cited the fact that Trump himself had provided the first public confirmation of the FBI search, “as is his right." The Justice Department, in its new filing, also said that disclosing information about it now would not harm the court's functions.The Justice Department under Garland has been leery of public statements about politically charged investigations, or of confirming to what extent it might be investigating Trump as part of a broader probe into the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol and efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.The department has tried to avoid being seen as injecting itself into presidential politics, as happened in 2016 when then-FBI Director James Comey made an unusual public statement announcing that the FBI would not be recommending criminal charges against Clinton regarding her handling of email — and when he spoke up again just over a week before the election to notify Congress that the probe was being effectively reopened because of the discovery of new emails.The attorney general also condemned verbal attacks on FBI and Justice Department personnel over the search. Some Republican allies of Trump have called for the FBI to be defunded. Large numbers of Trump supporters have called for the warrant to be released hoping they it will show that Trump was unfairly targeted.“I will not stand by silently when their integrity is unfairly attacked,” Garland said of federal law enforcement agents, calling them “dedicated, patriotic public servants.”Earlier Thursday, an armed man wearing body armor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-cincinnati-armed-man-b4701596a0eb9770e3b29e95328f5704">tried to breach a security screening area</a>&nbsp;at an FBI field office in Ohio, then fled and was later killed after a standoff with law enforcement. A law enforcement official briefed on the matter identified the man as Ricky Shiffer and said he is believed to have been in Washington in the days leading up to the attack on the Capitol and may have been there on the day it took place._____Associated Press writers Lindsay Whitehurst and Meg Kinnard contributed to this report.

🎥 Warrant: FBI seized 'top secret' documents from Trump home

By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraska-lawyers-not-going-to-pot-but-they-can-invest-in-medical-cannabis-operations-an-advisory-panel-says/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — Marijuana may be illegal in Nebraska, but a lawyer from the
 Cornhusker State is free to invest in cannabis operations in states 
where it is legal, a state ethics board is advising.

The<a target="_blank" href="https://supremecourt.nebraska.gov/advisory-committee-nebraska-attorneys"> eight-member Nebraska Lawyer’s Advisory Committee</a>,
 which issued an advisory on Thursday, usually weighs in on technical 
matters concerning the practice of law, such as whether conflicts of 
interests exist and the duty to represent clients.

But the legalization of medical marijuana in adjacent South Dakota 
prompted a couple of questions from a Nebraska attorney recently.

The attorney, who was not named in the advisory opinion, asked if 
they could invest in a medical cannabis business in another state, where
 such marijuana is legal, without violating the state’s Rules for 
Professional Conduct for lawyers. Another question: If they couldn’t 
invest, could their spouse?

The lawyer also wondered if they could advise a business owner who 
had workers who lived in a state, like South Dakota or Colorado, where 
marijuana was legal, on employment issues?

The committee, in a split decision, said that such investments would not violate the code of conduct.

The majority opinion noted that medical marijuana is legal in 37 
states and that Congress has blocked federal authorities from enforcing 
the federal prohibition against marijuana in states that have deemed it 
legal. Nineteen states, two U.S. territories and the District of 
Columbia have legalized cannabis for recreational use, according to the 
National Conference of State Legislatures.

“Merely investing in a cannabis 
company, which presumably operates within the bounds of the applicable 
state laws, does not in our opinion rise to the level of a criminal act,
 nor does such conduct reflect adversely on the lawyers honesty, 
trustworthiness, or fitness to practice ….” said the majority opinion 
from the advisory committee. 

It noted that ethics committees in 
two other states, New York and Washington State have reached similar 
conclusions, and that the committee had no power to advise non-lawyers, 
such as spouses.

But dissenters on the committee said the since marijuana is illegal 
in Nebraska and technically illegal federally, it would be an ethical 
breach.

However, the dissenters — who were not identified — suggested that 
the questions be referred to the Nebraska Supreme Court so it could 
address the issue “head on by making a rule upon which Nebraska lawyers 
can rely.”

The Supreme Court, the dissenters noted, is the “final authority” on ethical issues involving lawyers.

Mark Weber with the State Counsel for Discipline’s office declined to
 name the attorney who asked for the advisory, or who on the 
eight-member committee were in the majority or minority, saying that 
such information was confidential.

He did say that it was the first lawyer advisory he could recall that included a dissenting opinion.

Norfolk attorney David Copple, who chairs the advisory committee, did
 not immediately return a message seeking comment on Thursday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1660338412025.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraska-lawyers-not-going-to-pot-but-they-can-invest-in-medical-cannabis-operations-an-advisory-panel-says/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — Marijuana may be illegal in Nebraska, but a lawyer from the
 Cornhusker State is free to invest in cannabis operations in states 
where it is legal, a state ethics board is advising.The<a target="_blank" href="https://supremecourt.nebraska.gov/advisory-committee-nebraska-attorneys"> eight-member Nebraska Lawyer’s Advisory Committee</a>,
 which issued an advisory on Thursday, usually weighs in on technical 
matters concerning the practice of law, such as whether conflicts of 
interests exist and the duty to represent clients.But the legalization of medical marijuana in adjacent South Dakota 
prompted a couple of questions from a Nebraska attorney recently.<h2>Rules of conduct</h2>The attorney, who was not named in the advisory opinion, asked if 
they could invest in a medical cannabis business in another state, where
 such marijuana is legal, without violating the state’s Rules for 
Professional Conduct for lawyers. Another question: If they couldn’t 
invest, could their spouse?The lawyer also wondered if they could advise a business owner who 
had workers who lived in a state, like South Dakota or Colorado, where 
marijuana was legal, on employment issues?<h2>A split decision</h2>The committee, in a split decision, said that such investments would not violate the code of conduct.The majority opinion noted that medical marijuana is legal in 37 
states and that Congress has blocked federal authorities from enforcing 
the federal prohibition against marijuana in states that have deemed it 
legal. Nineteen states, two U.S. territories and the District of 
Columbia have legalized cannabis for recreational use, according to the 
National Conference of State Legislatures.“Merely investing in a cannabis 
company, which presumably operates within the bounds of the applicable 
state laws, does not in our opinion rise to the level of a criminal act,
 nor does such conduct reflect adversely on the lawyers honesty, 
trustworthiness, or fitness to practice ….” said the majority opinion 
from the advisory committee. It noted that ethics committees in 
two other states, New York and Washington State have reached similar 
conclusions, and that the committee had no power to advise non-lawyers, 
such as spouses.<h2>Supreme Court should weigh in</h2>But dissenters on the committee said the since marijuana is illegal 
in Nebraska and technically illegal federally, it would be an ethical 
breach.However, the dissenters — who were not identified — suggested that 
the questions be referred to the Nebraska Supreme Court so it could 
address the issue “head on by making a rule upon which Nebraska lawyers 
can rely.”The Supreme Court, the dissenters noted, is the “final authority” on ethical issues involving lawyers.Mark Weber with the State Counsel for Discipline’s office declined to
 name the attorney who asked for the advisory, or who on the 
eight-member committee were in the majority or minority, saying that 
such information was confidential.<h2>Rare dissenting opinion</h2>He did say that it was the first lawyer advisory he could recall that included a dissenting opinion.Norfolk attorney David Copple, who chairs the advisory committee, did
 not immediately return a message seeking comment on Thursday.

Panel: Neb. lawyers can invest in medical pot operations

WASHINGTON (AP) — A divided Congress gave final approval Friday to Democrats'&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-health-seniors-medicare-economy-68f2df858de98487e82e236ab31fab7e">flagship climate and health care bill</a>, handing President Joe Biden a back-from-the-dead triumph on coveted priorities that the party hopes will bolster their prospects for keeping their hold on Congress in November's elections.

The House used a party-line 220-207 vote to pass the legislation, which is but a shadow of the larger, more ambitious plan to supercharge environment and social programs that Biden and his party envisioned early last year. Even so, Democrats happily declared victory on top-tier goals like providing Congress’ largest ever investment in curbing carbon emissions, reining in pharmaceutical costs and taxing large companies, a vote they believe will show they can wring accomplishments from a routinely gridlocked Washington that often disillusions voters.

“Today is a day of celebration, a day we take another giant step in our momentous agenda," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. She said the measure “meets the moment, ensuring that our families thrive and that our planet survives.”

Republicans solidly opposed the legislation, calling it a cornucopia of wasteful liberal daydreams that would raise taxes and families' living costs. They did the same Sunday but Senate Democrats banded together and used Vice President Kamala Harris’ tiebreaking vote t&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-climate-tax-deal-vote-dbdb3107c4c5e3e0e5af8a58d56c7bc1">o power the measure</a>&nbsp;through that 50-50 chamber.

“Democrats, more than any other majority in history, are addicted to spending other people’s money, regardless of what we as a country can afford,” said House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. “I can almost see glee in their eyes.”

Biden's initial 10-year, $3.5 trillion proposal also envisioned free prekindergarten, paid family and medical leave, expanded Medicare benefits and eased immigration restrictions.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/manchin-rejects-biden-spending-bill-democrats-election-e7a0ca4c25c686e91cb21e166c44821b">That crashed</a>&nbsp;after centrist Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., said it was too costly, using the leverage every Democrat has in the evenly-divided Senate.

Still, the final legislation remained substantive. Its pillar is about $375 billion over 10 years to encourage industry and consumers to shift from carbon-emitting to cleaner forms of energy. That includes $4 billion to cope with the West's catastrophic drought.

Spending, tax credits and loans would bolster technology like solar panels, consumer efforts to improve home energy efficiency, emission-reducing equipment for coal- and gas-powered power plants and air pollution controls for farms, ports and low-income communities.

Another $64 billion would help 13 million people pay premiums over the next three years for privately bought health insurance. Medicare would gain the power to negotiate its costs for pharmaceuticals, initially in 2026 for only 10 drugs. Medicare beneficiaries' out-of-pocket prescription costs would be limited to $2,000 starting in 2025, and beginning next year would pay no more than $35 monthly for insulin, the costly diabetes drug.

The bill would raise around $740 billion in revenue over the decade, over a third from government savings from lower drug prices. More would flow from higher taxes on some $1 billion corporations, levies on companies that repurchase their own stock and stronger IRS tax collections. About $300 billion would remain to defray budget deficits, a sliver of the period's projected $16 trillion total.

Against the backdrop of GOP attacks on the FBI for its court-empowered search of former President Donald Trump's Florida estate for sensitive documents, Republicans repeatedly savaged the bill's boost to the IRS budget. That is aimed at collecting an estimated $120 billion in unpaid taxes over the coming decade, and Republicans have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-ap-fact-check-congress-government-and-politics-11eae023a3dc3a04584371843234cab7">misleadingly claimed</a>&nbsp;that the IRS will hire 87,000 agents to target average families.

Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., said Democrats would also “weaponize” the IRS with agents, “many of whom will be trained in the use of deadly force, to go after any American citizen.” Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, asked Thursday on “Fox and Friends" if there would be an IRS “strike force that goes in with AK-15s already loaded, ready to shoot some small business person."

Few IRS personnel are armed, and Democrats say the bill's $80 billion, 10-year budget increase would be to replace waves of retirees, not just agents, and modernize equipment. They have said typical families and small businesses would not be targeted, with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen directing the IRS this week to not “increase the share of small business or households below the $400,000 threshold" that would be audited.

Republicans say the legislation’s new business taxes will increase prices, worsening the nation’s bout with its worst inflation since 1981. Though Democrats have labeled the measure the Inflation Reduction Act, nonpartisan analysts say it will have a barely perceptible impact on prices.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-ap-fact-check-congress-government-and-politics-11eae023a3dc3a04584371843234cab7">GOP also says the bill would raise taxes on lower- and middle-income families</a>. An analysis by Congress' nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation, which didn't include the bill's tax breaks for health care and energy, estimated that the corporate tax boosts would marginally affect those taxpayers but indirectly, partly due to lower stock prices and wages.

The bill caps three months in which Congress has approved legislation on veterans' benefits, the semiconductor industry, gun checks for young buyers and Ukraine's invasion by Russia and adding Sweden and Finland to NATO. All passed with bipartisan support, suggesting Republicans also want to display their productive side.

It's unclear whether voters will reward Democrats for the legislation after months of painfully high inflation dominating voters' attention and Biden's dangerously low popularity with the public and a steady history of midterm elections that batter the party holding the White House.

The bill had its roots in early 2021, after Congress approved a $1.9 trillion measure over GOP opposition to combat the pandemic-induced economic downturn. Emboldened, the new president and his party reached further.

They called their $3.5 trillion plan Build Back Better. Besides social and environment initiatives, it proposed rolling back Trump-era tax breaks for the rich and corporations and $555 billion for climate efforts, well above the resources in Friday's legislation.

With Manchin opposing those amounts, it was sliced to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-immigration-joe-biden-health-lifestyle-bff841da156cb12cd47a564f9e0267eb">a roughly $2 trillion measure that Democrats moved through the House in November</a>. He unexpectedly sank that bill too, earning scorn from exasperated fellow Democrats from Capitol Hill and the White House.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-joe-manchin-congress-government-and-politics-29a6a2cca519d402a54652d12881787f">Last gasp talks between Manchin and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.,</a>&nbsp;seemed fruitless until&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-biden-sports-congress-e499871130fa9881beb0618ebddfe88c">the two unexpectedly</a>&nbsp;announced agreement last month on the new package.

Manchin won billions for carbon capture technology for the fossil fuel industries he champions, plus procedures for more oil drilling on federal lands and promises for faster energy project permitting.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-kyrsten-sinema-joe-manchin-congress-c0d40a6f2490b2613a690995daca7e11">Centrist Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz.,</a>&nbsp;also won concessions, eliminating planned higher taxes on hedge fund managers and helping win the drought funds.

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-health-seniors-medicare-economy-68f2df858de98487e82e236ab31fab7e">A flagship Democratic economic bill</a>&nbsp;perched on the edge of House passage Friday, placing President Joe Biden on the brink of a back-from-the-dead triumph on goals for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-science-congress-climate-and-environment-f084d23d61ebb068068d4aa92c82fdbb?taid=62f52f2bdcbb3b0001bb2286&amp;utm_campaign=TrueAnthem&amp;utm_medium=AP&amp;utm_source=Twitter">the climate</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-seniors-medicare-prescription-drug-costs-drugs-8aaa8fd3959c1da5fba5b5a352b6afb0">health care</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-manchin-congress-internal-revenue-service-government-and-politics-dd2e6eaeb914eea553615e231332f3fb">taxes</a>&nbsp;that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-united-states-trending-news-climate-and-environment-385328acb81f3bd07f225b73db748cab">could energize his party</a>&nbsp;ahead of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-abortion-biden-us-supreme-court-health-dc870c873aec72e5c266133a01694aa3">November’s elections</a>.

Democrats were poised to muscle the measure through the narrowly divided House Friday over solid Republican opposition. They employed similar party unity and Vice President Kamala Harris' tiebreaking vote Sunday to power the measure through the 50-50 Senate.

The package is but a shadow of Biden's initial vision and was produced only after a year of often bitter infighting between party leaders, progressives and centrists led by Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., empowered by that chamber's even split. Ultimately, Democrats thirsty to declare victory forged a compromise on abiding goals like reining in pharmaceutical costs,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-biden-kyrsten-sinema-congress-399fcec95d37d5b0b9a197ed4c8d33fa">taxing large companies</a>&nbsp;and, especially, curbing carbon emissions. They are hoping to show they can wring accomplishments from an often fractiously gridlocked Washington that alienates many voters.

“Climate is a health issue. It’s a jobs issue. It’s a security issue. And it’s a values issue for us," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., told reporters this week. “I want more, of course, we always want more, but this is a great deal.”

The bill's pillar is about $375 billion over 10 years to encourage industry and consumers to shift from carbon-emitting to cleaner forms of energy, hailed by experts as Congress' biggest climate investment ever. That includes $4 billion added to cope with the West's catastrophic drought.

In a pair of top Democratic health priorities, another $64 billion would help 13 million people pay premiums over the next three years for privately bought health insurance. Medicare would gain the power to negotiate its costs for pharmaceuticals, initially in 2026 for only 10 drugs. Medicare beneficiaries' out-of-pocket prescription costs would be limited to $2,000 starting in 2025, and starting next year they would pay no more than $35 monthly for insulin, the costly diabetes drug.

The bill would raise around $740 billion in revenue over the decade, over a third from government savings from lower drug prices. More would flow from higher taxes on some $1 billion corporations, levies on companies that repurchase their own stock and stronger IRS tax collections. About $300 billion would remain to defray budget deficits, a fraction of the period's projected total of $16 trillion.

Republicans say the legislation's tax increases will force companies to raise prices, worsening the nation's bout with its worst inflation since 1981 that is wounding Democrats' election prospects. Nonpartisan analysts say the measure will have negligible inflation impact one way or the other.

Echoing other culture war themes, the GOP has criticized initiatives like tax breaks for clean energy and electric vehicles as wasteful liberal daydreams. “If the Green New Deal and corporate welfare had a baby, it would look like this,” said Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas, the House Ways and Means Committee's top Republican.

Republicans say Democrats' plan to expand the IRS budget, aimed at collecting about $120 billion in unpaid taxes, envisions 87,000 agents who'd be coming after families. Democrats called foul, saying their $80 billion IRS budget boost would be to replace waves of retirees, not just agents, and to modernize equipment, and say families and small businesses earning below $400,000 annually would not be targeted.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-ap-fact-check-congress-government-and-politics-11eae023a3dc3a04584371843234cab7">GOP also says the bill would raise taxes on lower- and middle-income families</a>. An analysis by Congress' nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation, which didn't include the bill's tax breaks for health care and energy, estimated that the corporate tax boosts would marginally affect those taxpayers, partly due to lower stock prices and wages.

The bill caps a fertile three months in which Congress has voted to improve veterans’ health benefits, gird the semiconductor industry, moderately strengthen gun restrictions for younger buyers, finance Ukraine's war with Russia and add Finland and Sweden to NATO. All passed with bipartisan support, suggesting Republicans also want to display their productive side.

It's unclear voters will reward Democrats for the legislation after months of painfully high inflation dominating voters' attention. Though record gasoline prices have dipped, Biden's popularity dangles damagingly low and midterm elections have a consistent history of ending careers of lawmakers from the party that holds the White House.

Democrats' economic bill had its roots in early 2021, after Congress approved a $1.9 trillion measure over GOP opposition to combat the pandemic-induced economic downturn. Emboldened, the new president and his party reached further.

They initially produced an ambitious 10-year, $3.5 trillion environment and social plan they called Build Back Better. It featured free prekindergarten, paid family and medical leave, expanded Medicare benefits, increases for education and housing and an easing of immigration restrictions. It sought to roll back Trump-era tax breaks for the rich and corporations and proposed $555 billion for climate efforts, well above the resources in Friday's legislation.

With Manchin opposing those amounts, it was sliced to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-immigration-joe-biden-health-lifestyle-bff841da156cb12cd47a564f9e0267eb">a roughly $2 trillion measure that Democrats moved through the House in November</a>. Just before Christmas, Manchin unexpectedly sank that bill, citing fears of inflation and international uncertainty and earning brickbats from exasperated fellow Democrats from Capitol Hill and the White House.

With&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-joe-manchin-congress-government-and-politics-29a6a2cca519d402a54652d12881787f">on-and-off closed-door talks between Manchin and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.,</a>&nbsp;seemingly dying, the two lawmakers shocked Washington and announced agreement last month on the new, pared-down package.

Manchin won billions for carbon capture technology for the fossil fuel industries he champions, plus procedures for more oil drilling on federal lands and promises for faster energy project permitting.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-kyrsten-sinema-joe-manchin-congress-c0d40a6f2490b2613a690995daca7e11">Centrist Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz.,</a>&nbsp;also used her leverage for late concessions, eliminating planned higher taxes on hedge fund managers and helping win the drought funds.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1660327472444.png" alt=""By reducing the cost of prescription drugs and health care, while taking bold action on climate, House Democrats passing this bill today puts people over politics," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>"By reducing the cost of prescription drugs and health care, while taking bold action on climate, House Democrats passing this bill today puts people over politics," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A divided Congress gave final approval Friday to Democrats'&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-health-seniors-medicare-economy-68f2df858de98487e82e236ab31fab7e">flagship climate and health care bill</a>, handing President Joe Biden a back-from-the-dead triumph on coveted priorities that the party hopes will bolster their prospects for keeping their hold on Congress in November's elections.The House used a party-line 220-207 vote to pass the legislation, which is but a shadow of the larger, more ambitious plan to supercharge environment and social programs that Biden and his party envisioned early last year. Even so, Democrats happily declared victory on top-tier goals like providing Congress’ largest ever investment in curbing carbon emissions, reining in pharmaceutical costs and taxing large companies, a vote they believe will show they can wring accomplishments from a routinely gridlocked Washington that often disillusions voters.“Today is a day of celebration, a day we take another giant step in our momentous agenda," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. She said the measure “meets the moment, ensuring that our families thrive and that our planet survives.”Republicans solidly opposed the legislation, calling it a cornucopia of wasteful liberal daydreams that would raise taxes and families' living costs. They did the same Sunday but Senate Democrats banded together and used Vice President Kamala Harris’ tiebreaking vote t&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-climate-tax-deal-vote-dbdb3107c4c5e3e0e5af8a58d56c7bc1">o power the measure</a>&nbsp;through that 50-50 chamber.“Democrats, more than any other majority in history, are addicted to spending other people’s money, regardless of what we as a country can afford,” said House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. “I can almost see glee in their eyes.”Biden's initial 10-year, $3.5 trillion proposal also envisioned free prekindergarten, paid family and medical leave, expanded Medicare benefits and eased immigration restrictions.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/manchin-rejects-biden-spending-bill-democrats-election-e7a0ca4c25c686e91cb21e166c44821b">That crashed</a>&nbsp;after centrist Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., said it was too costly, using the leverage every Democrat has in the evenly-divided Senate.Still, the final legislation remained substantive. Its pillar is about $375 billion over 10 years to encourage industry and consumers to shift from carbon-emitting to cleaner forms of energy. That includes $4 billion to cope with the West's catastrophic drought.Spending, tax credits and loans would bolster technology like solar panels, consumer efforts to improve home energy efficiency, emission-reducing equipment for coal- and gas-powered power plants and air pollution controls for farms, ports and low-income communities.Another $64 billion would help 13 million people pay premiums over the next three years for privately bought health insurance. Medicare would gain the power to negotiate its costs for pharmaceuticals, initially in 2026 for only 10 drugs. Medicare beneficiaries' out-of-pocket prescription costs would be limited to $2,000 starting in 2025, and beginning next year would pay no more than $35 monthly for insulin, the costly diabetes drug.The bill would raise around $740 billion in revenue over the decade, over a third from government savings from lower drug prices. More would flow from higher taxes on some $1 billion corporations, levies on companies that repurchase their own stock and stronger IRS tax collections. About $300 billion would remain to defray budget deficits, a sliver of the period's projected $16 trillion total.Against the backdrop of GOP attacks on the FBI for its court-empowered search of former President Donald Trump's Florida estate for sensitive documents, Republicans repeatedly savaged the bill's boost to the IRS budget. That is aimed at collecting an estimated $120 billion in unpaid taxes over the coming decade, and Republicans have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-ap-fact-check-congress-government-and-politics-11eae023a3dc3a04584371843234cab7">misleadingly claimed</a>&nbsp;that the IRS will hire 87,000 agents to target average families.Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., said Democrats would also “weaponize” the IRS with agents, “many of whom will be trained in the use of deadly force, to go after any American citizen.” Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, asked Thursday on “Fox and Friends" if there would be an IRS “strike force that goes in with AK-15s already loaded, ready to shoot some small business person."Few IRS personnel are armed, and Democrats say the bill's $80 billion, 10-year budget increase would be to replace waves of retirees, not just agents, and modernize equipment. They have said typical families and small businesses would not be targeted, with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen directing the IRS this week to not “increase the share of small business or households below the $400,000 threshold" that would be audited.Republicans say the legislation’s new business taxes will increase prices, worsening the nation’s bout with its worst inflation since 1981. Though Democrats have labeled the measure the Inflation Reduction Act, nonpartisan analysts say it will have a barely perceptible impact on prices.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-ap-fact-check-congress-government-and-politics-11eae023a3dc3a04584371843234cab7">GOP also says the bill would raise taxes on lower- and middle-income families</a>. An analysis by Congress' nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation, which didn't include the bill's tax breaks for health care and energy, estimated that the corporate tax boosts would marginally affect those taxpayers but indirectly, partly due to lower stock prices and wages.The bill caps three months in which Congress has approved legislation on veterans' benefits, the semiconductor industry, gun checks for young buyers and Ukraine's invasion by Russia and adding Sweden and Finland to NATO. All passed with bipartisan support, suggesting Republicans also want to display their productive side.It's unclear whether voters will reward Democrats for the legislation after months of painfully high inflation dominating voters' attention and Biden's dangerously low popularity with the public and a steady history of midterm elections that batter the party holding the White House.The bill had its roots in early 2021, after Congress approved a $1.9 trillion measure over GOP opposition to combat the pandemic-induced economic downturn. Emboldened, the new president and his party reached further.They called their $3.5 trillion plan Build Back Better. Besides social and environment initiatives, it proposed rolling back Trump-era tax breaks for the rich and corporations and $555 billion for climate efforts, well above the resources in Friday's legislation.With Manchin opposing those amounts, it was sliced to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-immigration-joe-biden-health-lifestyle-bff841da156cb12cd47a564f9e0267eb">a roughly $2 trillion measure that Democrats moved through the House in November</a>. He unexpectedly sank that bill too, earning scorn from exasperated fellow Democrats from Capitol Hill and the White House.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-joe-manchin-congress-government-and-politics-29a6a2cca519d402a54652d12881787f">Last gasp talks between Manchin and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.,</a>&nbsp;seemed fruitless until&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-biden-sports-congress-e499871130fa9881beb0618ebddfe88c">the two unexpectedly</a>&nbsp;announced agreement last month on the new package.Manchin won billions for carbon capture technology for the fossil fuel industries he champions, plus procedures for more oil drilling on federal lands and promises for faster energy project permitting.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-kyrsten-sinema-joe-manchin-congress-c0d40a6f2490b2613a690995daca7e11">Centrist Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz.,</a>&nbsp;also won concessions, eliminating planned higher taxes on hedge fund managers and helping win the drought funds.-----WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-health-seniors-medicare-economy-68f2df858de98487e82e236ab31fab7e">A flagship Democratic economic bill</a>&nbsp;perched on the edge of House passage Friday, placing President Joe Biden on the brink of a back-from-the-dead triumph on goals for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-science-congress-climate-and-environment-f084d23d61ebb068068d4aa92c82fdbb?taid=62f52f2bdcbb3b0001bb2286&amp;utm_campaign=TrueAnthem&amp;utm_medium=AP&amp;utm_source=Twitter">the climate</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-seniors-medicare-prescription-drug-costs-drugs-8aaa8fd3959c1da5fba5b5a352b6afb0">health care</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-manchin-congress-internal-revenue-service-government-and-politics-dd2e6eaeb914eea553615e231332f3fb">taxes</a>&nbsp;that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-united-states-trending-news-climate-and-environment-385328acb81f3bd07f225b73db748cab">could energize his party</a>&nbsp;ahead of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-abortion-biden-us-supreme-court-health-dc870c873aec72e5c266133a01694aa3">November’s elections</a>.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1660308855735.png" alt="House Speaker Nancy Pelosi enters her news conference on Capitol Hill, Thursday-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>House Speaker Nancy Pelosi enters her news conference on Capitol Hill, Thursday-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>Democrats were poised to muscle the measure through the narrowly divided House Friday over solid Republican opposition. They employed similar party unity and Vice President Kamala Harris' tiebreaking vote Sunday to power the measure through the 50-50 Senate.The package is but a shadow of Biden's initial vision and was produced only after a year of often bitter infighting between party leaders, progressives and centrists led by Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., empowered by that chamber's even split. Ultimately, Democrats thirsty to declare victory forged a compromise on abiding goals like reining in pharmaceutical costs,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-biden-kyrsten-sinema-congress-399fcec95d37d5b0b9a197ed4c8d33fa">taxing large companies</a>&nbsp;and, especially, curbing carbon emissions. They are hoping to show they can wring accomplishments from an often fractiously gridlocked Washington that alienates many voters.“Climate is a health issue. It’s a jobs issue. It’s a security issue. And it’s a values issue for us," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., told reporters this week. “I want more, of course, we always want more, but this is a great deal.”The bill's pillar is about $375 billion over 10 years to encourage industry and consumers to shift from carbon-emitting to cleaner forms of energy, hailed by experts as Congress' biggest climate investment ever. That includes $4 billion added to cope with the West's catastrophic drought.Spending, tax credits and loans would bolster technology like solar panels, consumer efforts to improve home energy efficiency, emission-reducing equipment for coal- and gas-powered power plants and air pollution controls for farms, ports and low-income communities.In a pair of top Democratic health priorities, another $64 billion would help 13 million people pay premiums over the next three years for privately bought health insurance. Medicare would gain the power to negotiate its costs for pharmaceuticals, initially in 2026 for only 10 drugs. Medicare beneficiaries' out-of-pocket prescription costs would be limited to $2,000 starting in 2025, and starting next year they would pay no more than $35 monthly for insulin, the costly diabetes drug.The bill would raise around $740 billion in revenue over the decade, over a third from government savings from lower drug prices. More would flow from higher taxes on some $1 billion corporations, levies on companies that repurchase their own stock and stronger IRS tax collections. About $300 billion would remain to defray budget deficits, a fraction of the period's projected total of $16 trillion.Republicans say the legislation's tax increases will force companies to raise prices, worsening the nation's bout with its worst inflation since 1981 that is wounding Democrats' election prospects. Nonpartisan analysts say the measure will have negligible inflation impact one way or the other.Echoing other culture war themes, the GOP has criticized initiatives like tax breaks for clean energy and electric vehicles as wasteful liberal daydreams. “If the Green New Deal and corporate welfare had a baby, it would look like this,” said Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas, the House Ways and Means Committee's top Republican.Republicans say Democrats' plan to expand the IRS budget, aimed at collecting about $120 billion in unpaid taxes, envisions 87,000 agents who'd be coming after families. Democrats called foul, saying their $80 billion IRS budget boost would be to replace waves of retirees, not just agents, and to modernize equipment, and say families and small businesses earning below $400,000 annually would not be targeted.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-ap-fact-check-congress-government-and-politics-11eae023a3dc3a04584371843234cab7">GOP also says the bill would raise taxes on lower- and middle-income families</a>. An analysis by Congress' nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation, which didn't include the bill's tax breaks for health care and energy, estimated that the corporate tax boosts would marginally affect those taxpayers, partly due to lower stock prices and wages.The bill caps a fertile three months in which Congress has voted to improve veterans’ health benefits, gird the semiconductor industry, moderately strengthen gun restrictions for younger buyers, finance Ukraine's war with Russia and add Finland and Sweden to NATO. All passed with bipartisan support, suggesting Republicans also want to display their productive side.It's unclear voters will reward Democrats for the legislation after months of painfully high inflation dominating voters' attention. Though record gasoline prices have dipped, Biden's popularity dangles damagingly low and midterm elections have a consistent history of ending careers of lawmakers from the party that holds the White House.Democrats' economic bill had its roots in early 2021, after Congress approved a $1.9 trillion measure over GOP opposition to combat the pandemic-induced economic downturn. Emboldened, the new president and his party reached further.They initially produced an ambitious 10-year, $3.5 trillion environment and social plan they called Build Back Better. It featured free prekindergarten, paid family and medical leave, expanded Medicare benefits, increases for education and housing and an easing of immigration restrictions. It sought to roll back Trump-era tax breaks for the rich and corporations and proposed $555 billion for climate efforts, well above the resources in Friday's legislation.With Manchin opposing those amounts, it was sliced to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-immigration-joe-biden-health-lifestyle-bff841da156cb12cd47a564f9e0267eb">a roughly $2 trillion measure that Democrats moved through the House in November</a>. Just before Christmas, Manchin unexpectedly sank that bill, citing fears of inflation and international uncertainty and earning brickbats from exasperated fellow Democrats from Capitol Hill and the White House.With&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-joe-manchin-congress-government-and-politics-29a6a2cca519d402a54652d12881787f">on-and-off closed-door talks between Manchin and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.,</a>&nbsp;seemingly dying, the two lawmakers shocked Washington and announced agreement last month on the new, pared-down package.Manchin won billions for carbon capture technology for the fossil fuel industries he champions, plus procedures for more oil drilling on federal lands and promises for faster energy project permitting.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-kyrsten-sinema-joe-manchin-congress-c0d40a6f2490b2613a690995daca7e11">Centrist Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz.,</a>&nbsp;also used her leverage for late concessions, eliminating planned higher taxes on hedge fund managers and helping win the drought funds.

Congress OKs controversial $740B climate, health bill

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

HAYS, Kan. — The Hays school board voted 6-1 Friday morning to reverse its prohibition on Satanism in the schools' dress code.

The school board met in executive session for 45 minutes in consultation with its attorney and an attorney from the Kansas Association of School Boards.

About two dozen community members were present at the meeting, but there was no public comment session during the special meeting.

The revised policy unifies all the school dress code policies in the district to match board and KASB policy. It says ...

"Students must dress in a manner that is not obscene, offensive or substantially or materially disruptive to the learning environment. Apparel that is sexually suggestive or that promotes violence, illegal activities, drugs, alcohol or tobacco or that is determined to be gang related is prohibited."

Board member Tammy Wellbrock said the changes allows for consistency across the district. Board member Meagan Zampieri-Lillpopp said the consistency will help families.

The former policy in the elementary and middle school handbooks specially prohibited apparel that promoted satanism.&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/e153a0fc-fe06-4de4-b5c7-d6f0d57fa59b">At the board's July meeting, a parent, who said she was a longtime member of the Satanic Temple, opposed the policy because she said it infringed on her children's expression of their religion.</a>

The handbooks were brought back to the board with the word satanism removed from the elementary and middle school handbooks. The high school handbook never specifically addressed satanism.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/232ef2ef-ffa2-4666-9afa-3fe0993b01bb">The board Aug. 5 on a vote of 5-2 added a prohibition to satanic apparel to all of the schools' handbooks.</a>

The board's attorney at that Aug. 5 meeting told members they might be opening the district to a lawsuit based on that action.

The board Friday did not specifically address if the district had been threatened with a lawsuit. However, Hays Post received a copy of an open records request that had been submitted to the district on materials related to the satanism issue filed by Adam Steinbaugh, a First Amendment attorney.

Board member Curt Vajnar, who had initially made the motion on Aug. 5 to add the prohibition of satanic apparel to all school handbooks, referenced the threat of lawsuits prior to his vote to support the removal of the reference to satanism in the handbooks on Friday.

"I will vote yes for this," Vajnar said. "I don't like it. The liability of teachers and administrators does concern me. If we are going to lose millions of dollars in a lawsuit, and we have no way to win, we're caught."

Board Member Allen Park, who also&nbsp;initially voted for the prohibition of satanic apparel, also backpedaled Friday.

"I appreciate all the interests and concerns of our citizens," Park said. "I think we need to have that information. I think we can all agree there is a reason there is a separation of church and state in there, and this is what we have been practicing for almost a decade."

Board President Craig Pallister also reversed his stance on the issue.

"It has been hard on all the people who have been in this discussion," Pallister said, "because you have your heart. You have your head, and you have your position on the school board. I have had to really look at my heart, my head and my position on the school board and, as Curt said, the legal liability."

Pallister, who is a former district middle school principal, said the change will allow administrators to quell any disruption to the school day.

Board Ken Brooks was the lone board member who voted to oppose the removal of satanism as a prohibited part of the dress code.

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostHAYS, Kan. — The Hays school board voted 6-1 Friday morning to reverse its prohibition on Satanism in the schools' dress code.The school board met in executive session for 45 minutes in consultation with its attorney and an attorney from the Kansas Association of School Boards.About two dozen community members were present at the meeting, but there was no public comment session during the special meeting.The revised policy unifies all the school dress code policies in the district to match board and KASB policy. It says ..."Students must dress in a manner that is not obscene, offensive or substantially or materially disruptive to the learning environment. Apparel that is sexually suggestive or that promotes violence, illegal activities, drugs, alcohol or tobacco or that is determined to be gang related is prohibited."Board member Tammy Wellbrock said the changes allows for consistency across the district. Board member Meagan Zampieri-Lillpopp said the consistency will help families. The former policy in the elementary and middle school handbooks specially prohibited apparel that promoted satanism.&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/e153a0fc-fe06-4de4-b5c7-d6f0d57fa59b">At the board's July meeting, a parent, who said she was a longtime member of the Satanic Temple, opposed the policy because she said it infringed on her children's expression of their religion.</a>The handbooks were brought back to the board with the word satanism removed from the elementary and middle school handbooks. The high school handbook never specifically addressed satanism.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/232ef2ef-ffa2-4666-9afa-3fe0993b01bb">The board Aug. 5 on a vote of 5-2 added a prohibition to satanic apparel to all of the schools' handbooks.</a>The board's attorney at that Aug. 5 meeting told members they might be opening the district to a lawsuit based on that action.The board Friday did not specifically address if the district had been threatened with a lawsuit. However, Hays Post received a copy of an open records request that had been submitted to the district on materials related to the satanism issue filed by Adam Steinbaugh, a First Amendment attorney.Board member Curt Vajnar, who had initially made the motion on Aug. 5 to add the prohibition of satanic apparel to all school handbooks, referenced the threat of lawsuits prior to his vote to support the removal of the reference to satanism in the handbooks on Friday."I will vote yes for this," Vajnar said. "I don't like it. The liability of teachers and administrators does concern me. If we are going to lose millions of dollars in a lawsuit, and we have no way to win, we're caught." Board Member Allen Park, who also&nbsp;initially voted for the prohibition of satanic apparel, also backpedaled Friday."I appreciate all the interests and concerns of our citizens," Park said. "I think we need to have that information. I think we can all agree there is a reason there is a separation of church and state in there, and this is what we have been practicing for almost a decade."Board President Craig Pallister also reversed his stance on the issue."It has been hard on all the people who have been in this discussion," Pallister said, "because you have your heart. You have your head, and you have your position on the school board. I have had to really look at my heart, my head and my position on the school board and, as Curt said, the legal liability."Pallister, who is a former district middle school principal, said the change will allow administrators to quell any disruption to the school day. Board Ken Brooks was the lone board member who voted to oppose the removal of satanism as a prohibited part of the dress code.

Kan. school board reverses position on satanic apparel ban

By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraskas-largest-cattle-feedlot-gets-ok-from-dundy-county-board/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — A proposal for the largest cattle feedlot in the state — a 
project estimated to cost $200 million — got the green light from a 
southwest Nebraska county on Thursday.

The Dundy County Board voted 3-0 to approve plans by Blackshirt 
Feeders to build a 150,000-head feedlot north of Haigler, near the 
Colorado-Nebraska state line.

The project will feature a digester to turn manure into methane, and 
will have a rolled concrete surface that Blackshirt officials say will 
cut down on dust and be easier to clean.

“This is going to be beyond a state 
of the art facility,” said Steve Mossman, a Lincoln attorney who 
represents Blackshirt Feeders.

The site north of Haigler was chosen 
after controversy arose about another proposed location in Dundy County,
 23 miles north of Benkelman.

The new location has fewer neighbors,
 better water and fewer road issues, according to Mossman, and all the 
property tax benefits will go to Dundy County schools.

Richard Bartholomew of Benkelman, the
 vice chairman of the Dundy County Board, said there were few negative 
comments about the new site.

“It’s kind of hard to predict the 
future, but we’re certainly hopeful that this will be a positive 
influence on our county, on our area,” Bartholomew said.

The facility, which will be built in 
three phases of 50,000-head capacity each, is projected to provide 65 
full-time jobs in Dundy County. The rural county of just under 2,000 
people is west of McCook, in the extreme southwest corner of Nebraska.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The facility is being developed by three Canadian veterinarians with 
experience in feedlots, including Dr. Eric Behlke, a native of 
Benkelman.

The approval came with nine conditions concerning groundwater 
testing, controlling flies and dust and proper disposal of dead 
livestock.

The facility still needs to gain permission from the local natural 
resources district and the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy
 before it moves ahead.

Mossman said that 13 center-pivot irrigation systems in the vicinity 
of the proposed feedlot will be retired to transfer enough water for the
 project.

Among the concerns raised locally and elsewhere was the increasing 
size of such feeding operations, and whether it might push smaller 
livestock feedlots out of business. Mossman said a bigger issue is too 
much concentration in the meatpacking industry.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1660313917702.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraskas-largest-cattle-feedlot-gets-ok-from-dundy-county-board/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — A proposal for the largest cattle feedlot in the state — a 
project estimated to cost $200 million — got the green light from a 
southwest Nebraska county on Thursday.The Dundy County Board voted 3-0 to approve plans by Blackshirt 
Feeders to build a 150,000-head feedlot north of Haigler, near the 
Colorado-Nebraska state line.The project will feature a digester to turn manure into methane, and 
will have a rolled concrete surface that Blackshirt officials say will 
cut down on dust and be easier to clean.<h2>‘Beyond state of the art’</h2>“This is going to be beyond a state 
of the art facility,” said Steve Mossman, a Lincoln attorney who 
represents Blackshirt Feeders.The site north of Haigler was chosen 
after controversy arose about another proposed location in Dundy County,
 23 miles north of Benkelman.The new location has fewer neighbors,
 better water and fewer road issues, according to Mossman, and all the 
property tax benefits will go to Dundy County schools.Richard Bartholomew of Benkelman, the
 vice chairman of the Dundy County Board, said there were few negative 
comments about the new site.<h2>Built in phases</h2>“It’s kind of hard to predict the 
future, but we’re certainly hopeful that this will be a positive 
influence on our county, on our area,” Bartholomew said.The facility, which will be built in 
three phases of 50,000-head capacity each, is projected to provide 65 
full-time jobs in Dundy County. The rural county of just under 2,000 
people is west of McCook, in the extreme southwest corner of Nebraska.&nbsp;&nbsp;The facility is being developed by three Canadian veterinarians with 
experience in feedlots, including Dr. Eric Behlke, a native of 
Benkelman.The approval came with nine conditions concerning groundwater 
testing, controlling flies and dust and proper disposal of dead 
livestock.<h2>Concern about smaller operations</h2>The facility still needs to gain permission from the local natural 
resources district and the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy
 before it moves ahead.Mossman said that 13 center-pivot irrigation systems in the vicinity 
of the proposed feedlot will be retired to transfer enough water for the
 project.Among the concerns raised locally and elsewhere was the increasing 
size of such feeding operations, and whether it might push smaller 
livestock feedlots out of business. Mossman said a bigger issue is too 
much concentration in the meatpacking industry.

Nebraska’s largest cattle feedlot gets the green light

The Federal Trade Commission is sending 
payments totaling more than $9.7 million to 61,990 consumers who were 
charged hidden fees by LendingClub Corporation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619632629588.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FTCThe Federal Trade Commission is sending 
payments totaling more than $9.7 million to 61,990 consumers who were 
charged hidden fees by LendingClub Corporation.These payments are the result of a claims process conducted by the FTC in February 2022. It is the <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2022/01/ftc-returns-more-10-million-consumers-who-paid-hidden-fees-lendingclub">second distribution of funds</a> in this matter and brings the total amount refunded to consumers to more than $17.6 million. Consumers who chose to 
receive a PayPal payment will have 30 days to accept it. Consumers who 
chose to receive a check will have 90 days to cash it. Recipients who
 have questions about their refund should call the refund administrator,
 Rust Consulting, Inc., at 833-630-1417. The Commission never requires 
people to pay money or provide account information to get a refund.The FTC&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2018/04/ftc-charges-lending-club-deceiving-consumers-0">sued LendingClub in April 2018</a>,
 charging that the company falsely promised loan applicants that they 
would receive a specific loan amount with “no hidden fees,” when in 
reality the company deducted hundreds or even thousands of dollars in 
hidden up-front fees from the loans. The FTC also alleged that 
LendingClub told consumers they were approved for loans when they were 
not—which delayed applicants from seeking loans elsewhere—and took money
 from consumers’ bank accounts without authorization. <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2021/07/lendingclub-agrees-pay-18-million-settle-ftc-charges">LendingClub agreed to a settlement in July 2021</a>
 that bars them from making misrepresentations to loan applicants and 
requires that the company clearly and conspicuously disclose the amount 
of any fees and the total amount of funds that borrowers will receive.<a>The Commission’s&nbsp;</a><a href="https://www.ftc.gov/now-leaving?external_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpublic.tableau.com%2Fprofile%2Ffederal.trade.commission%23!%2Fvizhome%2FRefunds_15797958402020%2FRefundsbyCase&amp;back_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ftc.gov%2Fnews-events%2Fnews%2Fpress-releases%2F2022%2F08%2Ffederal-trade-commission-returns-more-97-million-consumers-harmed-lendingclubs-deceptive-hidden-fees">interactive dashboards for refund data</a>&nbsp;provide
 a state-by-state breakdown of Commission refunds. In 2021, Commission 
actions led to more than $472 million in refunds to consumers across the
 country, but the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2021 that the Commission 
lacks authority under Section 13(b) to seek monetary relief in federal 
court going forward. The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2021/04/ftc-asks-congress-pass-legislation-reviving-agencys-authority">Commission has urged Congress</a>&nbsp;to restore the Commission’s ability to get money back for consumers.