By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/protest-camp-near-lincolns-wilderness-park-to-be-dismantled/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN
 — A protest camp is being dismantled Tuesday that had occupied the site
 of a planned housing development near Lincoln’s Wilderness Park, across
 the road from a private enclave that hosted sweat lodge ceremonies.

In a statement Monday, representatives of the Niskíthe Prayer Camp said the protest resulted in “better, stronger relationships with our city leaders and our community” but added there is more work to be done.

“We
 have the beginnings of a plan toward more meaningful representation of 
native voices in city government, and we have a commitment from the 
mayor to continue to work with us to honor our culture and protect our 
ceremonies,” the statement said.

The
 protest camp was erected two weeks ago on the site of the proposed 
Wilderness Crossing subdivision, a 75-acre plot of farmland now owned by the Catholic Diocese of Lincoln that lies between First Street and U.S. 77, south of Pioneers Boulevard.&nbsp;

The development will
 be across a gravel road from Lincoln’s largest city park, Wilderness 
Park, a cluster of trees and trails that spans 1,472 acres along Salt 
Creek, as well as a private enclave called The Fish Farm where sweat 
lodge ceremonies have been held since the 1970s.&nbsp;

The
 protest began after the City Council approved the Wilderness Crossing 
development plans. Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird later signed off on the 
plans, which included some
 adjustments by Manzitto Construction, such as setbacks and a buffer 
strip, that have been employed by other developments near the park.&nbsp;

Protesters,
 though, wanted more protection, and larger setbacks, from the site of 
their religious ceremonies, as well as the creation of a Native American
 advisory committee to provide input on city development plans.

The
 Lincoln mayor, representatives of Manzitto Construction and the bishop 
of the Lincoln Diocese all met with representatives of the protest 
group.

Protesters plan a march
 Wednesday with the final tepee to the Lincoln City Hall and the 
Cathedral of the Risen Christ. The walk will begin with a sunrise 
ceremony at the protest camp, and will depart for City Hall at 8:30 a.m.

Beyond
 the protest walk, protesters said that they will continue to “pursue 
legal protections for the land, coalition-building, advocating for 
structural change in the city government, and engaging in ongoing direct
 actions.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1651587358656.png" alt="A group of opponents to a housing development along Lincoln’s Wilderness Park set up a camp on May 2 in protest. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>A group of opponents to a housing development along Lincoln’s Wilderness Park set up a camp on May 2 in protest. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/protest-camp-near-lincolns-wilderness-park-to-be-dismantled/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN
 — A protest camp is being dismantled Tuesday that had occupied the site
 of a planned housing development near Lincoln’s Wilderness Park, across
 the road from a private enclave that hosted sweat lodge ceremonies.In a statement Monday, representatives of the Niskíthe Prayer Camp said the protest resulted in “better, stronger relationships with our city leaders and our community” but added there is more work to be done.“We
 have the beginnings of a plan toward more meaningful representation of 
native voices in city government, and we have a commitment from the 
mayor to continue to work with us to honor our culture and protect our 
ceremonies,” the statement said.<h2>Sweat lodge site</h2>The
 protest camp was erected two weeks ago on the site of the proposed 
Wilderness Crossing subdivision, a 75-acre plot of farmland now owned by the Catholic Diocese of Lincoln that lies between First Street and U.S. 77, south of Pioneers Boulevard.&nbsp;The development will
 be across a gravel road from Lincoln’s largest city park, Wilderness 
Park, a cluster of trees and trails that spans 1,472 acres along Salt 
Creek, as well as a private enclave called The Fish Farm where sweat 
lodge ceremonies have been held since the 1970s.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1652806484554.jpeg" alt="Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird (Courtesy of Lincoln Mayor’s Office)" />
 <figcaption>Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird (Courtesy of Lincoln Mayor’s Office)</figcaption>
 </figure>The
 protest began after the City Council approved the Wilderness Crossing 
development plans. Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird later signed off on the 
plans, which included some
 adjustments by Manzitto Construction, such as setbacks and a buffer 
strip, that have been employed by other developments near the park.&nbsp;<h2>Sought more protection</h2>Protesters,
 though, wanted more protection, and larger setbacks, from the site of 
their religious ceremonies, as well as the creation of a Native American
 advisory committee to provide input on city development plans.The
 Lincoln mayor, representatives of Manzitto Construction and the bishop 
of the Lincoln Diocese all met with representatives of the protest 
group.Protesters plan a march
 Wednesday with the final tepee to the Lincoln City Hall and the 
Cathedral of the Risen Christ. The walk will begin with a sunrise 
ceremony at the protest camp, and will depart for City Hall at 8:30 a.m.Beyond
 the protest walk, protesters said that they will continue to “pursue 
legal protections for the land, coalition-building, advocating for 
structural change in the city government, and engaging in ongoing direct
 actions.”

Protest camp near Lincoln’s Wilderness Park to be dismantled

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Warren Buffett’s company has revealed all the investment moves it made in the first quarter, when it spent more than $51 billion on stocks. 

But Buffett had already shared the biggest investments with Berkshire Hathaway shareholders at the company’s recent annual meeting.

 That means investors already knew that Buffett had invested heavily in Chevron, Occidental Petroleum and HP Inc. during the quarter while picking up nearly 4 million more Apple shares and betting that Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard will go through. 

But Monday’s Securities and Exchange Commission filing also revealed new stakes in Citigroup, Ally Financial, media company Paramount Global and others.

By Associated PressOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Warren Buffett’s company has revealed all the investment moves it made in the first quarter, when it spent more than $51 billion on stocks. But Buffett had already shared the biggest investments with Berkshire Hathaway shareholders at the company’s recent annual meeting. That means investors already knew that Buffett had invested heavily in Chevron, Occidental Petroleum and HP Inc. during the quarter while picking up nearly 4 million more Apple shares and betting that Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard will go through. But Monday’s Securities and Exchange Commission filing also revealed new stakes in Citigroup, Ally Financial, media company Paramount Global and others.

Buffett's firm reveals new stakes in Paramount, Citigroup

WASHINGTON (AP) —U.S. regulators on Tuesday authorized a COVID-19 booster shot for healthy 5- to 11-year-olds, hoping an extra vaccine dose will enhance their protection as infections once again creep upward.

Everyone 12 and older already was supposed to get one booster dose for the best protection against the newest coronavirus variants -- and some people, including those 50 and older, can choose a second booster.

The Food and Drug Administration’s authorization now opens a third shot to elementary-age kids, too — at least five months after their last dose.

There is one more hurdle: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must decide whether to formally recommend the booster for this age group. The CDC’s scientific advisers are scheduled to meet on Thursday.

Pfizer’s shot is the only COVID-19 vaccine available for children of any age in the U.S. Those ages 5 to 11 receive one-third of the dose given to everyone 12 and older.

Whether elementary-age children need a booster has been overshadowed by parents’ outcry to vaccinate even younger tots, those under 5 -- the only group not yet eligible in the U.S. Both Pfizer and rival Moderna have been studying their shots in the youngest children, and the FDA is expected to evaluate data from one or both companies sometime next month.

For the 5- to 11-year-olds, it’s not clear how much demand there will be for boosters. Only about 30% of that age group have had the initial two Pfizer doses since vaccinations opened to them in November.

But in a small study, Pfizer found a booster revved up those kids’ levels of virus-fighting antibodies -- including those able to fight omicron -- the same kind of jump adults get from an extra shot.

While the coronavirus is more dangerous to adults than to children, youngsters can get severely ill -- and more than 350 children ages 5 to 11 have died, according to CDC’s count.

Adding to public confusion, the CDC estimates 3 out of every 4 U.S. children of all ages have been infected with the coronavirus since the pandemic’s start -- many of them during the winter omicron wave. Still, health authorities urge vaccination even in people who’ve previously had COVID-19, to strengthen their protection.

Vaccination may not always prevent milder infections, especially as omicron and its siblings are better than some prior variants at slipping past those defenses. But health authorities agree the vaccinations continue to offer strong protection against the worst outcomes of COVID-19, including hospitalization and death.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635537216378.png" alt="Children's vaccine photo courtesy Pfizer" />
 <figcaption>Children's vaccine photo courtesy Pfizer</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —U.S. regulators on Tuesday authorized a COVID-19 booster shot for healthy 5- to 11-year-olds, hoping an extra vaccine dose will enhance their protection as infections once again creep upward.Everyone 12 and older already was supposed to get one booster dose for the best protection against the newest coronavirus variants -- and some people, including those 50 and older, can choose a second booster.The Food and Drug Administration’s authorization now opens a third shot to elementary-age kids, too — at least five months after their last dose.There is one more hurdle: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must decide whether to formally recommend the booster for this age group. The CDC’s scientific advisers are scheduled to meet on Thursday.Pfizer’s shot is the only COVID-19 vaccine available for children of any age in the U.S. Those ages 5 to 11 receive one-third of the dose given to everyone 12 and older.Whether elementary-age children need a booster has been overshadowed by parents’ outcry to vaccinate even younger tots, those under 5 -- the only group not yet eligible in the U.S. Both Pfizer and rival Moderna have been studying their shots in the youngest children, and the FDA is expected to evaluate data from one or both companies sometime next month.For the 5- to 11-year-olds, it’s not clear how much demand there will be for boosters. Only about 30% of that age group have had the initial two Pfizer doses since vaccinations opened to them in November.But in a small study, Pfizer found a booster revved up those kids’ levels of virus-fighting antibodies -- including those able to fight omicron -- the same kind of jump adults get from an extra shot.While the coronavirus is more dangerous to adults than to children, youngsters can get severely ill -- and more than 350 children ages 5 to 11 have died, according to CDC’s count.Adding to public confusion, the CDC estimates 3 out of every 4 U.S. children of all ages have been infected with the coronavirus since the pandemic’s start -- many of them during the winter omicron wave. Still, health authorities urge vaccination even in people who’ve previously had COVID-19, to strengthen their protection.Vaccination may not always prevent milder infections, especially as omicron and its siblings are better than some prior variants at slipping past those defenses. But health authorities agree the vaccinations continue to offer strong protection against the worst outcomes of COVID-19, including hospitalization and death.___

FDA: Kids ages 5 to 11 can now get a COVID-19 booster

WASHINGTON (AP) — Under fire from parents and politicians, President Joe Biden’s administration announced steps Monday to ease a nationwide shortage of baby formula, including reopening the largest domestic manufacturing plant and increasing imports from overseas.

The Food and Drug Administration said it was streamlining its review process to make it easier for foreign manufacturers to begin shipping more formula into the U.S.

“The FDA expects that the measures and steps it’s taking with infant formula manufacturers and others will mean more and more supply is on the way or on store shelves moving forward,” FDA Commissioner Robert Califf told reporters.

Califf said the U.S. will prioritize companies that can provide the largest shipments and quickly show documentation that their formulas are safe and compatible with U.S. nutrition standards. The policy is structured as a temporary measure lasting six months.

The imports announcement came shortly after regulators said they’d reached a deal to allow Abbott Nutrition to restart its Sturgis, Michigan-based plant, which has been closed since February due to contamination issues. The company must overhaul its safety protocols and procedures before resuming production.

Neither step will have an immediate effect on tight supplies that have left many parents searching for formula online or in food banks.

After getting the FDA’s OK, Abbott said it will take eight to ten weeks before new products begin arriving in stores. The company didn’t set a timeline to restart manufacturing.

Getting imports into the U.S. supply chain will also take several weeks, according to administration officials. Products from Australia, New Zealand and the U.K. are expected to meet the standards needed for importation.

But regulators said national industry data shows most U.S. stores, on average, still have 80% of their formula inventory in stock. They suggested some of the empty shelves seen in recent days may be due to panic buying by parents.

Monday’s announcement was previewed last week by the White House, which has been leaning on the FDA and formula makers to quickly find ways to alleviate the shortage. Outrage over the issue has quickly snowballed and handed Republicans a fresh talking point to use against President Biden ahead of November elections.

The shortage stems from a February recall by Abbott that exacerbated ongoing supply chain disruptions among formula makers, leaving fewer options on stores shelves across much of the country. The shortage has led retailers like CVS and Walgreens to limit how many containers customers can purchase per visit.

Abbott’s voluntary recall was triggered by four illnesses reported in babies who had consumed powdered formula from its plant. All four infants were hospitalized with a rare type of bacterial infection and two died.

After a six-week inspection, FDA investigators published a list of problems in March, including lax safety and sanitary standards and a history of bacterial contamination in several parts of the plant. Under Monday’s agreement, Abbott must regularly consult with an outside safety expert to restart and maintain production.

Chicago-based Abbott has emphasized that its products have not been directly linked to the bacterial infections in children. Samples of the bacteria found at its plant did not match the strains collected from two babies by federal investigators.

But FDA officials pushed back on that reasoning Monday on a call with reporters— their first time publicly addressing the company’s argument. FDA staffers noted they were unable to collect bacterial strains from two of the four patients, limiting their chances of finding a match

“Right from the get-go we were limited in our ability to determine with a causal link whether the product was linked to these four cases because we only had sequences on two,” FDA’s food director Susan Mayne said.

Fixing the violations uncovered at Abbott’s plant takes time, according to former FDA officials. Companies need to exhaustively clean the facility and equipment, retrain staff, repeatedly test and document there is no contamination.

As part of the FDA’s new import policy, regulators said companies would need to provide documentation of their factory’s inspections.

Pediatricians say baby formulas produced in Canada and Europe are roughly equivalent to those in the U.S. But traditionally, 98% of the infant formula supply in the U.S. is made domestically. Companies seeking to enter the U.S. face several major hurdles, including rigorous research and manufacturing standards imposed by the FDA.

San Diego father Steven Hyde has faced heart-wrenching challenges finding formula for his medical fragile daughter, who was on an Abbott formula but has had to switch with the recall and subsequent shortages in other brands.

Zoie Hyde was born 19 months ago with no kidneys, a rare life-threatening condition that requires dialysis and a feeding tube until she weighs enough for a kidney transplant.

Hyde said he used an organic brand from overseas until costs and customs hurdles made that too difficult. Friends and strangers from out of state have sent him other brands, but each time she switches requires more blood tests and monitoring, Davis said.

Despite her challenges, Zoie is walking, talking and “doing pretty good” on other developmental milestones, Davis said.

“She’s a shining light in my life,” he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1652716180802.png" alt="President Biden spoke with retailers and manufacturers last week to discuss ways to do more to help families access infant formula.-White House photo" />
 <figcaption>President Biden spoke with retailers and manufacturers last week to discuss ways to do more to help families access infant formula.-White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Under fire from parents and politicians, President Joe Biden’s administration announced steps Monday to ease a nationwide shortage of baby formula, including reopening the largest domestic manufacturing plant and increasing imports from overseas.The Food and Drug Administration said it was streamlining its review process to make it easier for foreign manufacturers to begin shipping more formula into the U.S.“The FDA expects that the measures and steps it’s taking with infant formula manufacturers and others will mean more and more supply is on the way or on store shelves moving forward,” FDA Commissioner Robert Califf told reporters.Califf said the U.S. will prioritize companies that can provide the largest shipments and quickly show documentation that their formulas are safe and compatible with U.S. nutrition standards. The policy is structured as a temporary measure lasting six months.The imports announcement came shortly after regulators said they’d reached a deal to allow Abbott Nutrition to restart its Sturgis, Michigan-based plant, which has been closed since February due to contamination issues. The company must overhaul its safety protocols and procedures before resuming production.Neither step will have an immediate effect on tight supplies that have left many parents searching for formula online or in food banks.After getting the FDA’s OK, Abbott said it will take eight to ten weeks before new products begin arriving in stores. The company didn’t set a timeline to restart manufacturing.Getting imports into the U.S. supply chain will also take several weeks, according to administration officials. Products from Australia, New Zealand and the U.K. are expected to meet the standards needed for importation.But regulators said national industry data shows most U.S. stores, on average, still have 80% of their formula inventory in stock. They suggested some of the empty shelves seen in recent days may be due to panic buying by parents.Monday’s announcement was previewed last week by the White House, which has been leaning on the FDA and formula makers to quickly find ways to alleviate the shortage. Outrage over the issue has quickly snowballed and handed Republicans a fresh talking point to use against President Biden ahead of November elections.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648164055231.png" alt="The shortage stems from a February recall by Abbott-FDA photo" />
 <figcaption>The shortage stems from a February recall by Abbott-FDA photo</figcaption>
 </figure>The shortage stems from a February recall by Abbott that exacerbated ongoing supply chain disruptions among formula makers, leaving fewer options on stores shelves across much of the country. The shortage has led retailers like CVS and Walgreens to limit how many containers customers can purchase per visit.Abbott’s voluntary recall was triggered by four illnesses reported in babies who had consumed powdered formula from its plant. All four infants were hospitalized with a rare type of bacterial infection and two died.After a six-week inspection, FDA investigators published a list of problems in March, including lax safety and sanitary standards and a history of bacterial contamination in several parts of the plant. Under Monday’s agreement, Abbott must regularly consult with an outside safety expert to restart and maintain production.Chicago-based Abbott has emphasized that its products have not been directly linked to the bacterial infections in children. Samples of the bacteria found at its plant did not match the strains collected from two babies by federal investigators.But FDA officials pushed back on that reasoning Monday on a call with reporters— their first time publicly addressing the company’s argument. FDA staffers noted they were unable to collect bacterial strains from two of the four patients, limiting their chances of finding a match“Right from the get-go we were limited in our ability to determine with a causal link whether the product was linked to these four cases because we only had sequences on two,” FDA’s food director Susan Mayne said.Fixing the violations uncovered at Abbott’s plant takes time, according to former FDA officials. Companies need to exhaustively clean the facility and equipment, retrain staff, repeatedly test and document there is no contamination.As part of the FDA’s new import policy, regulators said companies would need to provide documentation of their factory’s inspections.Pediatricians say baby formulas produced in Canada and Europe are roughly equivalent to those in the U.S. But traditionally, 98% of the infant formula supply in the U.S. is made domestically. Companies seeking to enter the U.S. face several major hurdles, including rigorous research and manufacturing standards imposed by the FDA.San Diego father Steven Hyde has faced heart-wrenching challenges finding formula for his medical fragile daughter, who was on an Abbott formula but has had to switch with the recall and subsequent shortages in other brands.Zoie Hyde was born 19 months ago with no kidneys, a rare life-threatening condition that requires dialysis and a feeding tube until she weighs enough for a kidney transplant.Hyde said he used an organic brand from overseas until costs and customs hurdles made that too difficult. Friends and strangers from out of state have sent him other brands, but each time she switches requires more blood tests and monitoring, Davis said.Despite her challenges, Zoie is walking, talking and “doing pretty good” on other developmental milestones, Davis said.“She’s a shining light in my life,” he said.

US allows more baby formula imports to fight shortage

By AARON SANDERFORD <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/05/16/slama-lawsuit-moves-forward-with-new-groping-details-herbster-denies/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

Editor’s note:&nbsp;This story contains a graphic description of an alleged sexual groping incident.&nbsp;

LINCOLN
 — State Sen. Julie Slama’s lawyers made clear in a new filing Monday 
that her counter-lawsuit alleging sexual battery by Charles Herbster 
will continue after Herbster’s loss last week in the GOP primary race 
for governor.

Slama’s
 lawyers asked that Herbster’s defamation lawsuit against her be thrown 
out as being “frivolous” and in “bad faith.” They <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Herb-vs-Slama.pdf">added details to Slama’s counter-suit</a>, including a new claim alleging that Herbster’s political defense cast Slama in a false light.

The
 new filing said: “Herbster and his counsel know, or should know, that 
Senator Slama’s statements in question are true or substantially true.”&nbsp;

Slama,
 the filing said, is still coping with the mental and emotional toll of 
being groped and with how Herbster responded to her allegation in April.
 The filing said she is dealing with anxiety, depression and feared loss
 of reputation.&nbsp;

Herbster
 on Monday repeated his denial of wrongdoing. He has alleged he is the 
victim of a political conspiracy involving his former opponent, GOP 
gubernatorial nominee Jim Pillen, and Gov. Pete Ricketts. Pillen and 
Ricketts have denied being part of any conspiracy.

Slama’s
 new filing provides the most detailed account yet of what she said 
Herbster did to her during the Elephant Remembers fundraising dinner in 
Omaha in 2019. It said Slama, then 22, was walking to her table at the 
dinner.&nbsp;

“Senator
 Slama felt a hand reach up her dress from behind and first touch and 
grope her genital area on the outside of her underwear,” the filing 
said. “She then felt the hand move up and grope and squeeze her right 
bare buttocks.&nbsp;

“As
 she turned, startled by the contact, she saw Charles Herbster as he was
 removing his hand from under her dress. Herbster did not make eye 
contact with Senator Slama but she observed a smirk on his face as he 
walked away.”

The
 document said Slama had never met Herbster until that night, though she
 knew who he was since he was a major Republican donor. The filing said 
she told at least two people immediately afterward what had happened.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The filing alleges that Slama and “several other” people saw Herbster grab another woman’s buttocks at the event. The <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/04/30/a-second-woman-steps-forward-by-name-to-allege-charles-herbster-groped-her/">Nebraska Examiner reported April 30</a>
 that Elizabeth Todsen came forward on the record to confirm what she 
had earlier told the Examiner anonymously — that Herbster had groped her
 at the Elephant Remembers dinner.

Slama’s
 filing mentions interviews that Herbster and his national campaign 
manager, Kellyanne Conway, gave about Slama’s allegations on Steve 
Bannon’s podcast. Conway and Bannon were both advisers to former 
President Donald Trump.

Herbster
 told Bannon that Slama’s allegations were made up and that Ricketts and
 Nebraska’s GOP establishment were after him. Conway told Bannon that 
she and Ricketts had talked about Slama months earlier and that Slama 
was politically obsessed with Herbster.&nbsp;

“Senator
 Slama was shocked, mortified, and traumatized by Herbster’s actions,” 
the filing said. “Senator Slama was also frightened of retribution.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1652797287111.png" alt="State Sen. Julie Slama of Sterling debates on the floor of the Nebraska Legislature. (Courtesy of Unicameral Information Office) " />
 <figcaption>State Sen. Julie Slama of Sterling debates on the floor of the Nebraska Legislature. (Courtesy of Unicameral Information Office) </figcaption>
 </figure>By AARON SANDERFORD <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/05/16/slama-lawsuit-moves-forward-with-new-groping-details-herbster-denies/">Nebraska Examiner</a>Editor’s note:&nbsp;This story contains a graphic description of an alleged sexual groping incident.&nbsp;LINCOLN
 — State Sen. Julie Slama’s lawyers made clear in a new filing Monday 
that her counter-lawsuit alleging sexual battery by Charles Herbster 
will continue after Herbster’s loss last week in the GOP primary race 
for governor.Slama’s
 lawyers asked that Herbster’s defamation lawsuit against her be thrown 
out as being “frivolous” and in “bad faith.” They <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Herb-vs-Slama.pdf">added details to Slama’s counter-suit</a>, including a new claim alleging that Herbster’s political defense cast Slama in a false light.The
 new filing said: “Herbster and his counsel know, or should know, that 
Senator Slama’s statements in question are true or substantially true.”&nbsp;Slama,
 the filing said, is still coping with the mental and emotional toll of 
being groped and with how Herbster responded to her allegation in April.
 The filing said she is dealing with anxiety, depression and feared loss
 of reputation.&nbsp;Herbster
 on Monday repeated his denial of wrongdoing. He has alleged he is the 
victim of a political conspiracy involving his former opponent, GOP 
gubernatorial nominee Jim Pillen, and Gov. Pete Ricketts. Pillen and 
Ricketts have denied being part of any conspiracy.Slama’s
 new filing provides the most detailed account yet of what she said 
Herbster did to her during the Elephant Remembers fundraising dinner in 
Omaha in 2019. It said Slama, then 22, was walking to her table at the 
dinner.&nbsp;“Senator
 Slama felt a hand reach up her dress from behind and first touch and 
grope her genital area on the outside of her underwear,” the filing 
said. “She then felt the hand move up and grope and squeeze her right 
bare buttocks.&nbsp;“As
 she turned, startled by the contact, she saw Charles Herbster as he was
 removing his hand from under her dress. Herbster did not make eye 
contact with Senator Slama but she observed a smirk on his face as he 
walked away.”The
 document said Slama had never met Herbster until that night, though she
 knew who he was since he was a major Republican donor. The filing said 
she told at least two people immediately afterward what had happened.&nbsp;&nbsp;The filing alleges that Slama and “several other” people saw Herbster grab another woman’s buttocks at the event. The <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/04/30/a-second-woman-steps-forward-by-name-to-allege-charles-herbster-groped-her/">Nebraska Examiner reported April 30</a>
 that Elizabeth Todsen came forward on the record to confirm what she 
had earlier told the Examiner anonymously — that Herbster had groped her
 at the Elephant Remembers dinner.Slama’s
 filing mentions interviews that Herbster and his national campaign 
manager, Kellyanne Conway, gave about Slama’s allegations on Steve 
Bannon’s podcast. Conway and Bannon were both advisers to former 
President Donald Trump.Herbster
 told Bannon that Slama’s allegations were made up and that Ricketts and
 Nebraska’s GOP establishment were after him. Conway told Bannon that 
she and Ricketts had talked about Slama months earlier and that Slama 
was politically obsessed with Herbster.&nbsp;“Senator
 Slama was shocked, mortified, and traumatized by Herbster’s actions,” 
the filing said. “Senator Slama was also frightened of retribution.”

Slama lawsuit moves forward with new groping details; Herbster denies

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden signed an order Monday to redeploy hundreds of U.S. troops to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/africa-elections-presidential-somalia-mohamed-abdullahi-15c69062ac1ba6dfa60c24e173cf72b1">Somalia</a>&nbsp;to counter the Islamic extremist rebel group&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/africa-somalia-mogadishu-al-shabab-1f68208d223285db793386bfcbb96263">al-Shabab</a>, an effort that American military leaders said had been hampered by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-counterterrorism-east-africa-africa-somalia-64eb33d761c52c3813e89f3368755834">President Donald Trump’s late-term decision</a>&nbsp;to withdraw forces from the country.

U.S. troops will be repositioned from elsewhere in Africa to train and provide other support to Somali forces in their fight against al-Shabab, which is considered the largest and wealthiest affiliate of the al-Qaida extremist organization.

It’s a reminder that the U.S. remains engaged in the long fight against Islamic extremists around the world, even if the effort has been eclipsed by the war in Ukraine and other matters.

The decision to station forces again in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/somalia">Somalia</a>, rather than rotate them in and out, is intended “to maximize the safety and effectiveness of our forces and enable them to provide more efficient support to our partners,” National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in announcing the redeployment.

U.S. forces in Somalia will total “under 500” and are not being sent to engage in direct combat, according to a senior Biden administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity to brief journalists on the rationale behind the decision.

Instead, the troops will work with Somali forces and provide security to personnel from the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development as they work with the government to emerge from years of turmoil, the official said.

Trump abruptly ordered the withdrawal of approximately 700 troops from Somalia at the end of his term in January 2021, an extension of a broader policy of seeking to pull the U.S. out of what he derisively referred to as “endless wars” around the world.

But military leaders said that came at a cost, wasting time, money and momentum as troops had to rotate in and out of the country.

Gen. Stephen Townsend, head of U.S. Africa Command, told Congress in March that the rotations, which he called “commuting to work,” were not efficient or effective and put American troops at greater risk.

“In my view, we are marching in place at best. We may be backsliding,” Townsend told the Senate Armed Forces Committee.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin requested the deployment “to reestablish a persistent U.S. military presence in Somalia to enable a more effective fight against al-Shabaab, which has increased in strength and poses a heightened threat,” said an administration official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the plan before the White House announcement.

Biden’s decision to sign the order was first reported by The New York Times, which also said the the president had a approved a Pentagon request for standing authority to target about a dozen suspected leaders of al-Shabab.

The group has killed more than a dozen Americans in East Africa, including three in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/somalia-us-news-ap-top-news-international-news-east-africa-65926ee82091f779d28d6a9644fb739f">January 2020 attack on a base used by U.S. counterterrorism forces&nbsp;</a>in Kenya. Later that year, the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/indictments-us-news-united-states-d53d808597763855815d47b3dc917617">charged a Kenyan&nbsp;</a>who had been taking flight lessons in the Philippines with planning a 9/11-style hijacking attack on behalf of al-Shabab.

The rebel group has made territorial gains against Somalia’s federal government in recent months, reversing the gains of African Union peacekeepers who once had pushed the militants into remote areas of the country.

Word of the deployment decision came after Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who served as Somalia’s president between 2012 and 2017, was announced on Sunday as the winner of a protracted election.

Somalia began to fall apart in 1991 when warlords ousted dictator&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/9fed60a380756a12bf4e227a5054e496">Siad Barre</a>&nbsp;and then turned on each other. Years of conflict and al-Shabab attacks, along with famine, have shattered the country which has a long, strategic coastline by the Indian Ocean.

American soldiers deployed there in 1992 to stave off a national famine on a peacekeeping mission that lasted until their 1994 withdrawal — about five months after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/205ae5064bb64ac6a3307916cf6a2c47">the humiliating “Black Hawk Down” debacle&nbsp;</a>in late 1993 when Somali militiamen shot down two U.S. helicopters; 18 servicemen were killed in the crash and subsequent rescue attempt.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden signed an order Monday to redeploy hundreds of U.S. troops to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/africa-elections-presidential-somalia-mohamed-abdullahi-15c69062ac1ba6dfa60c24e173cf72b1">Somalia</a>&nbsp;to counter the Islamic extremist rebel group&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/africa-somalia-mogadishu-al-shabab-1f68208d223285db793386bfcbb96263">al-Shabab</a>, an effort that American military leaders said had been hampered by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-counterterrorism-east-africa-africa-somalia-64eb33d761c52c3813e89f3368755834">President Donald Trump’s late-term decision</a>&nbsp;to withdraw forces from the country.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FDeptofDefense%2Fvideos%2F370163751742685%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=986" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>U.S. troops will be repositioned from elsewhere in Africa to train and provide other support to Somali forces in their fight against al-Shabab, which is considered the largest and wealthiest affiliate of the al-Qaida extremist organization.It’s a reminder that the U.S. remains engaged in the long fight against Islamic extremists around the world, even if the effort has been eclipsed by the war in Ukraine and other matters.The decision to station forces again in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/somalia">Somalia</a>, rather than rotate them in and out, is intended “to maximize the safety and effectiveness of our forces and enable them to provide more efficient support to our partners,” National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in announcing the redeployment.U.S. forces in Somalia will total “under 500” and are not being sent to engage in direct combat, according to a senior Biden administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity to brief journalists on the rationale behind the decision.Instead, the troops will work with Somali forces and provide security to personnel from the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development as they work with the government to emerge from years of turmoil, the official said.Trump abruptly ordered the withdrawal of approximately 700 troops from Somalia at the end of his term in January 2021, an extension of a broader policy of seeking to pull the U.S. out of what he derisively referred to as “endless wars” around the world.But military leaders said that came at a cost, wasting time, money and momentum as troops had to rotate in and out of the country.Gen. Stephen Townsend, head of U.S. Africa Command, told Congress in March that the rotations, which he called “commuting to work,” were not efficient or effective and put American troops at greater risk.“In my view, we are marching in place at best. We may be backsliding,” Townsend told the Senate Armed Forces Committee.Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin requested the deployment “to reestablish a persistent U.S. military presence in Somalia to enable a more effective fight against al-Shabaab, which has increased in strength and poses a heightened threat,” said an administration official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the plan before the White House announcement.Biden’s decision to sign the order was first reported by The New York Times, which also said the the president had a approved a Pentagon request for standing authority to target about a dozen suspected leaders of al-Shabab.The group has killed more than a dozen Americans in East Africa, including three in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/somalia-us-news-ap-top-news-international-news-east-africa-65926ee82091f779d28d6a9644fb739f">January 2020 attack on a base used by U.S. counterterrorism forces&nbsp;</a>in Kenya. Later that year, the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/indictments-us-news-united-states-d53d808597763855815d47b3dc917617">charged a Kenyan&nbsp;</a>who had been taking flight lessons in the Philippines with planning a 9/11-style hijacking attack on behalf of al-Shabab.The rebel group has made territorial gains against Somalia’s federal government in recent months, reversing the gains of African Union peacekeepers who once had pushed the militants into remote areas of the country.Word of the deployment decision came after Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who served as Somalia’s president between 2012 and 2017, was announced on Sunday as the winner of a protracted election.Somalia began to fall apart in 1991 when warlords ousted dictator&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/9fed60a380756a12bf4e227a5054e496">Siad Barre</a>&nbsp;and then turned on each other. Years of conflict and al-Shabab attacks, along with famine, have shattered the country which has a long, strategic coastline by the Indian Ocean.American soldiers deployed there in 1992 to stave off a national famine on a peacekeeping mission that lasted until their 1994 withdrawal — about five months after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/205ae5064bb64ac6a3307916cf6a2c47">the humiliating “Black Hawk Down” debacle&nbsp;</a>in late 1993 when Somali militiamen shot down two U.S. helicopters; 18 servicemen were killed in the crash and subsequent rescue attempt.

🎥Biden signs order to put US troops back in Somalia

WASHINGTON (AP) — Under fire from parents and politicians, President Joe Biden is offering formula manufacturers and retailers transportation and logistics support to ease the nationwide shortage of baby formula, as the administration works to bring the largest domestic plant back on line after it was shut down early this year due to safety issues.

The<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/05/12/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-additional-steps-to-address-infant-formula-shortage/"> White House said </a>it is working with all major formula producers to boost production, including reaching out to their suppliers to encourage them to prioritize production and delivery of formula ingredients. It comes as the Biden administration has come under intense pressure over the last week to do more to ease&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/baby-formula-shortage-what-to-know-735cef06e68ed9c5a46233bdfcf0573d">the shortage of formula</a>&nbsp;that has forced parents of infants to go to significant lengths to feed their children.

The shortage stems from a February recall by Abbott, the nation’s largest formula maker, that shuttered the company’s Michigan plant and exacerbated ongoing supply chain disruptions among formula makers, leaving fewer options on stores shelves across much of the country. The shortage has led retailers like CVS and Target to limit how many containers customers can purchase per visit and forced some parents to swap and sell formula online.

<a href="https://www.hhs.gov/formula/index.html">Click here to view </a>the government infant formula web site.

On Monday, FDA Commissioner Robert Califf told ABC News’ “Good Morning America” that the federal agency is “working really closely with Abbott” to reopen the closed Michigan factory and he expects that “in a very short period of time we’re going to have an announcement about the path forward.”

Califf said an announcement is forthcoming about importing baby formula from abroad, noting that the key is making sure the instructions for the formula are in languages that mothers and caregivers can understand.

The FDA warned families against making their own baby formula because it has 30 distinct constituents that have to be in the right amount, otherwise the formula can possibly be dangerous to consume.

Abbott’s voluntary recall was triggered by four illnesses reported in babies who had consumed powdered formula from the Michigan plant. All four infants were hospitalized with a rare type of bacterial infection and two died.

Abbott is one of just four companies that produce roughly 90% of U.S. formula, so its shutdown squeezed already tight supplies.

After a six-week inspection, FDA investigators published&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-business-health-michigan-a4205025fc781b1fb902cdd9e1264b41">a list of problems</a>&nbsp;in March, including lax safety and sanitary standards and a history of bacterial contamination in several parts of the plant.

But Chicago-based Abbott has emphasized that its products have not been directly linked to the bacterial infections in children. Samples of the bacteria found at its plant did not match the strains collected from the babies by federal investigators. The company has repeatedly stated it is ready to resume manufacturing, pending an FDA decision.

Former FDA officials say fixing the type of problems uncovered at Abbott’s plant takes time, and infant formula facilities receive more scrutiny than other food facilities. Companies need to exhaustively clean the facility and equipment, retrain staff, repeatedly test and document there is no contamination.

Even if the facility reopens soon, the FDA will still face scrutiny for its handling of the issues at the plant.

FDA inspectors visited the factory in September for a routine inspection, around the time that the first bacterial infection was reported in an infant. Although inspectors uncovered several violations— including standing water and unsanitary conditions— the FDA did not shut down the plant or issue any formal warning.

Only after several more illnesses were reported did the FDA return to the plant in January, this time finding a history of bacterial contamination in several parts of the plant. Abbott then shut down the facility and recalled several powdered formulas in mid-February.

Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro reported last month that a whistleblower had contacted the FDA in October about unsafe conditions and practices at the plant, including falsifying plant records and failing to properly test formula for contamination.

She and other lawmakers are set to question FDA Commissioner Califf about that issue and others at a hearing scheduled for Thursday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1652447550275.png" alt="On Thursday, President Biden spoke with retailers and manufacturers to discuss ways to do more to help families access infant formula." />
 <figcaption>On Thursday, President Biden spoke with retailers and manufacturers to discuss ways to do more to help families access infant formula.</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Under fire from parents and politicians, President Joe Biden is offering formula manufacturers and retailers transportation and logistics support to ease the nationwide shortage of baby formula, as the administration works to bring the largest domestic plant back on line after it was shut down early this year due to safety issues.The<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/05/12/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-additional-steps-to-address-infant-formula-shortage/"> White House said </a>it is working with all major formula producers to boost production, including reaching out to their suppliers to encourage them to prioritize production and delivery of formula ingredients. It comes as the Biden administration has come under intense pressure over the last week to do more to ease&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/baby-formula-shortage-what-to-know-735cef06e68ed9c5a46233bdfcf0573d">the shortage of formula</a>&nbsp;that has forced parents of infants to go to significant lengths to feed their children.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648164055231.png" alt="In February Abbott, one of the country’s largest infant formula makers announced a recall of Similac-FDA image" />
 <figcaption>In February Abbott, one of the country’s largest infant formula makers announced a recall of Similac-FDA image</figcaption>
 </figure>The shortage stems from a February recall by Abbott, the nation’s largest formula maker, that shuttered the company’s Michigan plant and exacerbated ongoing supply chain disruptions among formula makers, leaving fewer options on stores shelves across much of the country. The shortage has led retailers like CVS and Target to limit how many containers customers can purchase per visit and forced some parents to swap and sell formula online.<a href="https://www.hhs.gov/formula/index.html">Click here to view </a>the government infant formula web site.On Monday, FDA Commissioner Robert Califf told ABC News’ “Good Morning America” that the federal agency is “working really closely with Abbott” to reopen the closed Michigan factory and he expects that “in a very short period of time we’re going to have an announcement about the path forward.”Califf said an announcement is forthcoming about importing baby formula from abroad, noting that the key is making sure the instructions for the formula are in languages that mothers and caregivers can understand.The FDA warned families against making their own baby formula because it has 30 distinct constituents that have to be in the right amount, otherwise the formula can possibly be dangerous to consume.Abbott’s voluntary recall was triggered by four illnesses reported in babies who had consumed powdered formula from the Michigan plant. All four infants were hospitalized with a rare type of bacterial infection and two died.Abbott is one of just four companies that produce roughly 90% of U.S. formula, so its shutdown squeezed already tight supplies.After a six-week inspection, FDA investigators published&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-business-health-michigan-a4205025fc781b1fb902cdd9e1264b41">a list of problems</a>&nbsp;in March, including lax safety and sanitary standards and a history of bacterial contamination in several parts of the plant.But Chicago-based Abbott has emphasized that its products have not been directly linked to the bacterial infections in children. Samples of the bacteria found at its plant did not match the strains collected from the babies by federal investigators. The company has repeatedly stated it is ready to resume manufacturing, pending an FDA decision.Former FDA officials say fixing the type of problems uncovered at Abbott’s plant takes time, and infant formula facilities receive more scrutiny than other food facilities. Companies need to exhaustively clean the facility and equipment, retrain staff, repeatedly test and document there is no contamination.Even if the facility reopens soon, the FDA will still face scrutiny for its handling of the issues at the plant.FDA inspectors visited the factory in September for a routine inspection, around the time that the first bacterial infection was reported in an infant. Although inspectors uncovered several violations— including standing water and unsanitary conditions— the FDA did not shut down the plant or issue any formal warning.Only after several more illnesses were reported did the FDA return to the plant in January, this time finding a history of bacterial contamination in several parts of the plant. Abbott then shut down the facility and recalled several powdered formulas in mid-February.Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro reported last month that a whistleblower had contacted the FDA in October about unsafe conditions and practices at the plant, including falsifying plant records and failing to properly test formula for contamination.She and other lawmakers are set to question FDA Commissioner Califf about that issue and others at a hearing scheduled for Thursday.

Biden offers logistics support to ease baby formula shortage

By SCOTT CARLSON North Platte Post

GRAND ISLAND, Neb.-Police in Grand Island are investigating after a teen was injured in a shooting at a Walmart.

Police said at around 2:17 a.m. on Saturday, officers responded to the report of shots fired at Walmart, 3501 Locust St. South.

Officers found a male, 17, suffering from a gunshot wound.

The teen was transported to a Grand Island hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Police said the investigation is active and ongoing with no arrests or suspects being reported.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1652407869464.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By SCOTT CARLSON North Platte PostGRAND ISLAND, Neb.-Police in Grand Island are investigating after a teen was injured in a shooting at a Walmart.Police said at around 2:17 a.m. on Saturday, officers responded to the report of shots fired at Walmart, 3501 Locust St. South.Officers found a male, 17, suffering from a gunshot wound.The teen was transported to a Grand Island hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.Police said the investigation is active and ongoing with no arrests or suspects being reported.

Teen shot at Grand Island Walmart, police investigating

‘These people just need love,’ says founder of Operation Safe Harbor

By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/05/14/nebraskans-help-ukrainian-refugees-find-safety-comfort-in-warsaw-hotel/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

In the hallway of a Best Western hotel in Warsaw, a nurse from Nebraska reached out to a refugee fleeing the war in Ukraine.

“How
 can I help you?” asked Kathleen Nene Nolan, using her “best friend,” 
the Google Translate app on her cell phone, to transform her request 
into Russian.&nbsp;

The 32-year-old woman, a mother of two young children, had a “look of lost hope in her eyes,” according to Nolan.

“I
 have no money. I filed the documents, but have to wait. I cannot do 
anything because I have no money,” said the woman, Illina.

She began to cry silently, Nolan wrote on a Facebook post on Tuesday, “embarrassed that she was doing so with a stranger.”

Nolan,
 an infectious disease nurse from Omaha, is among more than 20 
volunteers who have dropped what they were doing in Nebraska to travel 
in the past few weeks to Warsaw, to give comfort and assistance to some 
of the estimated 500,000 Ukrainians who have fled to the Polish capital 
to escape the bloodshed in their homeland.

She’s
 there as part of an effort called “Operation Safe Harbor,” launched a 
month ago in Lincoln by Steve Glenn, the owner of a travel agency, 
Executive Travel.

Glenn said that after watching the war unfold on the television screen, he had to do something.

His
 answer was do what his company does for clients across the world: 
obtain hotel rooms at a discount. But this time, it was for families 
fleeing the bombs, the air raid sirens, the death and destruction in 
Ukraine.

“We’re
 kind of the housing of last resort. The whole idea is to give them a 
safe harbor, where they feel protected, and their children feel 
protected,” Glenn said.&nbsp;

Operation
 Safe Harbor has helped nearly 300 people, mostly women and children, 
find temporary shelter at the Best Western Felix Hotel in Warsaw. The 
idea is to provide comfort and safety for a month or more, before they 
can transition to more permanent homes.

This
 week, Glenn expanded the effort from 50 to 60 rooms at the hotel, which
 is about two hours from the Ukraine border. Operation Safe Harbor has 
raised more than $250,000 to pay for the rooms, and Glenn’s company has 
given $50,000 toward air fare for volunteers to travel to Poland.

Nolan
 is part of a new aspect of the effort, enlisting nurses to provide 
health care for the children and others who find their way across the 
border to the Warsaw hotel.

In Facebook posts and in an interview, she detailed her work, which often extends into the middle of the night:

“Illina
 said, ‘I can’t take this money. This is embarrassing,’” Nolan said. “I 
tell them, ‘This is not from me. This is from God. There are people back
 in Nebraska who love you.”

Nolan
 arrived May 7, paired with another nurse volunteer, a Omaha Holy Name 
grade-school friend, Margie (Mundy) Hageman, who now lives in 
Minneapolis. A retired Lincoln IT consultant, Ed Bruening, is also part 
of the current Operation Safe Harbor team in Warsaw.

This
 weekend, a group from Union Bank in Lincoln will arrive to help occupy 
the displaced children, shuttle newly arrived families from the border, 
distribute clothing and food, and provide aid and comfort.

Glenn
 said Operation Safe Harbor is focused on giving families something 
other shelters cannot — a separate room, with showers and some privacy, 
as well as medical help.

Nolan
 said she can see the worry in the eyes of the mothers when they arrive.
 Most have a only of bags of belongings, they have no money, and their 
kids are often sick after traveling in crowded buses or trains, or 
walking miles through rain or snow.

“These
 women are fearful. They’ve been uprooted,” she said. “They’ve left 
their homes, and they’ve left their husbands behind. They talk to them 
on their cell phones every night, and they know they’re in danger.”

“I feel like a witness at the Holocaust,” Nolan said

One
 recent arrival had just lost her husband in the fighting. Another 
showed a TikTok video of her bedroom, before and after it was gutted by a
 Russian attack. When a siren went off in Warsaw, one child asked her 
mothers if the bombs were coming.

&nbsp;Nolan said that she believes her role in Ukraine is not only to provide help, but to become a “messenger” for the heart-wrenching stories of the refugees.

“Instead
 of sitting and watching this war like it’s a sport, we have to do 
something,” she said. “These are real people. They need help.”

Barbara
 Bartle of Lincoln, one of the earlier volunteers who went to Warsaw as 
part of Operation Safe Harbor, got in touch with an English-speaking 
Rotary Club in Warsaw that provided evening meals for the refugees at 
the hotel.

Bartle,
 who will be a district president of Rotary International in the U.S. 
next year, also enlisted help from other Rotary Clubs in America to 
provide disaster aid and medical supplies. And Glenn struck up a 
partnership with a Baptist Church in Warsaw, which helps steer displaced
 families to the refugee shelter in a hotel.

Bartle
 and Glenn said it’s amazing to see what Poland has done to help the 
refugees, converting office space into housing, providing free or 
reduced health care to refugees and providing aid to residents who take 
in those fleeing the violence — people who may be complete strangers.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Many
 of the mothers who have fled have never been in the workforce, Bartle 
said, so they’ll need training for jobs to provide for their children. 
Operation Safe Harbor is now providing Polish language classes, to help 
the Russian-speaking refugees navigate their new world.

“The
 world cannot expect Poland to take this on alone,” Bartle said. “We’re 
going to have to help with the resettlement of these refugees.”

Glenn,
 a former Nebraska football player who’s well known in the Lincoln 
business community, said Operation Safe Harbor has been embraced by 
Nebraskans seeking to help.&nbsp;

He
 said he has received several offers to provide goods to send to Poland,
 but when it can cost $50-$100 to transport a set of luggage, it makes 
more sense to donate money.

That can be done via the website <a target="_blank" href="https://operationsafeharborukraine.com/">operationsafeharbor.com&nbsp;&nbsp;</a>

Glenn said he’s hoping to recruit more nurses to go to Poland and is still looking for volunteers to go in June.&nbsp;

“These
 people just need love,” he said. “We’re there for them. We’re there to 
help them in any way we can. And now they’re safe.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1652714017771.png" alt="As part of a Nebraska-led effort to help Ukrainian refugees in Poland, Vasyl Pokotylo — wearing a Nebraska cap — gets help with his wheelchair from his wife, Tatyana, during a medical examination. (Courtesy of Kathleen Nene Nolan)" />
 <figcaption>As part of a Nebraska-led effort to help Ukrainian refugees in Poland, Vasyl Pokotylo — wearing a Nebraska cap — gets help with his wheelchair from his wife, Tatyana, during a medical examination. (Courtesy of Kathleen Nene Nolan)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>‘These people just need love,’ says founder of Operation Safe Harbor</h2>By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/05/14/nebraskans-help-ukrainian-refugees-find-safety-comfort-in-warsaw-hotel/">Nebraska Examiner</a>In the hallway of a Best Western hotel in Warsaw, a nurse from Nebraska reached out to a refugee fleeing the war in Ukraine.“How
 can I help you?” asked Kathleen Nene Nolan, using her “best friend,” 
the Google Translate app on her cell phone, to transform her request 
into Russian.&nbsp;The 32-year-old woman, a mother of two young children, had a “look of lost hope in her eyes,” according to Nolan.“I
 have no money. I filed the documents, but have to wait. I cannot do 
anything because I have no money,” said the woman, Illina.She began to cry silently, Nolan wrote on a Facebook post on Tuesday, “embarrassed that she was doing so with a stranger.”<h2>500,000 refugees in Warsaw</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1652714089259.jpeg" alt="Arts and crafts are one way Ukrainian children are being occupied while staying at a Warsaw hotel through Operation Safe Harbor. (Courtesy of Kathleen Nene Nolan)" />
 <figcaption>Arts and crafts are one way Ukrainian children are being occupied while staying at a Warsaw hotel through Operation Safe Harbor. (Courtesy of Kathleen Nene Nolan)</figcaption>
 </figure>Nolan,
 an infectious disease nurse from Omaha, is among more than 20 
volunteers who have dropped what they were doing in Nebraska to travel 
in the past few weeks to Warsaw, to give comfort and assistance to some 
of the estimated 500,000 Ukrainians who have fled to the Polish capital 
to escape the bloodshed in their homeland.She’s
 there as part of an effort called “Operation Safe Harbor,” launched a 
month ago in Lincoln by Steve Glenn, the owner of a travel agency, 
Executive Travel.Glenn said that after watching the war unfold on the television screen, he had to do something.His
 answer was do what his company does for clients across the world: 
obtain hotel rooms at a discount. But this time, it was for families 
fleeing the bombs, the air raid sirens, the death and destruction in 
Ukraine.“We’re
 kind of the housing of last resort. The whole idea is to give them a 
safe harbor, where they feel protected, and their children feel 
protected,” Glenn said.&nbsp;Operation
 Safe Harbor has helped nearly 300 people, mostly women and children, 
find temporary shelter at the Best Western Felix Hotel in Warsaw. The 
idea is to provide comfort and safety for a month or more, before they 
can transition to more permanent homes.<h2>Raised more than $250,000</h2>This
 week, Glenn expanded the effort from 50 to 60 rooms at the hotel, which
 is about two hours from the Ukraine border. Operation Safe Harbor has 
raised more than $250,000 to pay for the rooms, and Glenn’s company has 
given $50,000 toward air fare for volunteers to travel to Poland.Nolan
 is part of a new aspect of the effort, enlisting nurses to provide 
health care for the children and others who find their way across the 
border to the Warsaw hotel.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1652714130128.jpeg" alt="Kathleen Nene Nolan, a nurse from Omaha, comforts a Ukrainian refugee named Tatiana Mikhailovna during her volunteer work at a Warsaw hotel. (Courtesy of Kathleen Nene Nolan)" />
 <figcaption>Kathleen Nene Nolan, a nurse from Omaha, comforts a Ukrainian refugee named Tatiana Mikhailovna during her volunteer work at a Warsaw hotel. (Courtesy of Kathleen Nene Nolan)</figcaption>
 </figure>In Facebook posts and in an interview, she detailed her work, which often extends into the middle of the night:<ul>
 <li>Helping a 
3-year-old named Stasik, a “very shy, blond-headed little guy,” recover 
from pneumonia by storing his medicine and making sure he takes it every
 12 hours.</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Assisting a 
72-year-old named Tatiana Mikhailovna, who has a history of osteoporosis
 and back fractures, manage the pain that worsened in the long bus ride 
out of Ukraine. Tatiana got the last seat on the bus, Nolan wrote, 
adding that she had never heard of Lidocaine patches, which luckily 
Nolan had brought from the U.S.&nbsp;</li><li>Ministering to a 
“serious” 10-year-old boy named Orson who fled the fighting in the 
Donbas region of eastern Ukraine with his mother, Natalia. Orson’s 
coughing and sore throat were improving, Nolan wrote, after he was given
 some cough medicine. He had tested negative for COVID-19 using a home 
test she brought from Omaha.</li><li>Helping an elderly woman navigate the Polish medical system to obtain heart medication.</li><li>Giving Ilina some 
money that had been provided by Nolan’s friends, unsolicited, during a 
women’s guild meeting at Omaha’s St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church 
before she left.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><h2>‘I can’t take this money’</h2>“Illina
 said, ‘I can’t take this money. This is embarrassing,’” Nolan said. “I 
tell them, ‘This is not from me. This is from God. There are people back
 in Nebraska who love you.”Nolan
 arrived May 7, paired with another nurse volunteer, a Omaha Holy Name 
grade-school friend, Margie (Mundy) Hageman, who now lives in 
Minneapolis. A retired Lincoln IT consultant, Ed Bruening, is also part 
of the current Operation Safe Harbor team in Warsaw.This
 weekend, a group from Union Bank in Lincoln will arrive to help occupy 
the displaced children, shuttle newly arrived families from the border, 
distribute clothing and food, and provide aid and comfort.Glenn
 said Operation Safe Harbor is focused on giving families something 
other shelters cannot — a separate room, with showers and some privacy, 
as well as medical help.<h2>Few belongings</h2>Nolan
 said she can see the worry in the eyes of the mothers when they arrive.
 Most have a only of bags of belongings, they have no money, and their 
kids are often sick after traveling in crowded buses or trains, or 
walking miles through rain or snow.“These
 women are fearful. They’ve been uprooted,” she said. “They’ve left 
their homes, and they’ve left their husbands behind. They talk to them 
on their cell phones every night, and they know they’re in danger.”“I feel like a witness at the Holocaust,” Nolan saidOne
 recent arrival had just lost her husband in the fighting. Another 
showed a TikTok video of her bedroom, before and after it was gutted by a
 Russian attack. When a siren went off in Warsaw, one child asked her 
mothers if the bombs were coming.&nbsp;Nolan said that she believes her role in Ukraine is not only to provide help, but to become a “messenger” for the heart-wrenching stories of the refugees.“Instead
 of sitting and watching this war like it’s a sport, we have to do 
something,” she said. “These are real people. They need help.”<h2>Rotary Clubs have helped</h2>Barbara
 Bartle of Lincoln, one of the earlier volunteers who went to Warsaw as 
part of Operation Safe Harbor, got in touch with an English-speaking 
Rotary Club in Warsaw that provided evening meals for the refugees at 
the hotel.Bartle,
 who will be a district president of Rotary International in the U.S. 
next year, also enlisted help from other Rotary Clubs in America to 
provide disaster aid and medical supplies. And Glenn struck up a 
partnership with a Baptist Church in Warsaw, which helps steer displaced
 families to the refugee shelter in a hotel.Bartle
 and Glenn said it’s amazing to see what Poland has done to help the 
refugees, converting office space into housing, providing free or 
reduced health care to refugees and providing aid to residents who take 
in those fleeing the violence — people who may be complete strangers.&nbsp;&nbsp;Many
 of the mothers who have fled have never been in the workforce, Bartle 
said, so they’ll need training for jobs to provide for their children. 
Operation Safe Harbor is now providing Polish language classes, to help 
the Russian-speaking refugees navigate their new world.“The
 world cannot expect Poland to take this on alone,” Bartle said. “We’re 
going to have to help with the resettlement of these refugees.”<h2>Seeking more volunteers</h2>Glenn,
 a former Nebraska football player who’s well known in the Lincoln 
business community, said Operation Safe Harbor has been embraced by 
Nebraskans seeking to help.&nbsp;He
 said he has received several offers to provide goods to send to Poland,
 but when it can cost $50-$100 to transport a set of luggage, it makes 
more sense to donate money.That can be done via the website <a target="_blank" href="https://operationsafeharborukraine.com/">operationsafeharbor.com&nbsp;&nbsp;</a>Glenn said he’s hoping to recruit more nurses to go to Poland and is still looking for volunteers to go in June.&nbsp;“These
 people just need love,” he said. “We’re there for them. We’re there to 
help them in any way we can. And now they’re safe.”

Nebraskans help Ukrainian refugees find safety, comfort in Warsaw hotel

By CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/05/14/mutual-of-omahas-downtown-move-expected-to-spur-1-billion-in-investment-at-new-and-old-campuses/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

OMAHA
 — Mutual of Omaha’s move from midtown to downtown is now projected to 
spur roughly $1 billion in redevelopment — an escalated $600 million for
 the insurer’s new headquarters and a $400 million makeover at its old 
campus.

That’s the update according to the Fortune 500 company and its real estate developer, Lanoha Real Estate Co.

Jason
 Lanoha told the City Council earlier this week that the cost of the 
future skyline-changing tower has risen from $443 million to an 
estimated $600 million. It is to contain 800,000 square feet of office 
space and 1 million square feet of parking garage.

The additional cost is to be borne by Mutual and not the city, said both Lanoha and Mutual spokesman Jim Nolan.&nbsp;

Driving
 the increase, Lanoha said, are factors including the “current economic 
climate,” exacerbated by inflation and supply chain kinks.

The Omaha City Council is slated to vote next Tuesday, May 17, on the nearly <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/05/02/mutual-of-omaha-envisions-a-potential-second-office-tower-on-city-block-east-of-the-library/">140-page agreement</a> that lays out financial and <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/04/29/mutual-of-omaha-is-to-spread-its-downtown-footprint-beyond-library-site-sell-midtown-parking-garages-to-city/">other obligations</a> of Mutual and the city, including a $68 million tax-increment financing subsidy.

Lanoha told city officials the Mutual project “does not occur” without the planned <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/01/26/omaha-aims-for-revamped-urban-core-with-streetcar-new-downtown-mutual-hq/">modern streetcar</a>
 whose route is to connect Mutual’s new headquarters near 15th and 
Farnam Streets and the 33rd and Farnam Streets campus it is to exit by 
2026.

Few
 details have been shared publicly about what is in store for Mutual’s 
midtown grounds once it is vacated. But Mutual CEO James Blackledge told
 the Nebraska Examiner that Lanoha’s company has the first option to 
redevelop the property currently occupied or owned by Mutual.&nbsp;

That
 includes corporate offices, which Blackledge said were declining to the
 point that Mutual chose to move rather than renovate.

Mutual’s
 holdings also include a swath of land cleared over recent years between
 Mutual’s Midtown Crossing residential and retail campus east to 
Interstate 480. Mutual had been assembling and razing that property to 
make it more attractive for development.

Lanoha
 has been silent on any specific plan for the midtown campus, except for
 telling the City Council this week that he expects roughly $400 million
 to be invested in its renovation and redevelopment.

Blackledge
 said Mutual’s experience with its Midtown Crossing project reinforces 
why the insurance giant will step away from transforming that property 
once the company relocates.

While
 the $365 million Midtown Crossing constructed between 2006 and 2010 
undoubtedly helped re-energize surrounding neighborhoods, Blackledge 
said, the return on investment has not been as robust as hoped.

“We’re
 really not in the development business,” he said. “I think we learned 
that, and we’re better off to find the experts to tell us what makes 
sense.”

Blackledge
 said Mutual currently is down to selling the last of the Midtown 
Crossing condominiums — a process, he said, that originally was expected
 to wrap up a decade or so ago.

“We’ve
 been a magnet for a lot of great improvements here, so we’re not 
dissatisfied with what we’ve done with respect to the community and the 
area,” Blackledge said.

But, he added: “Financially, has it been a good investment? I’d say no.”

Mutual already has sold off various pieces of Midtown Crossing, including the hotel and apartment buildings.

Under
 the redevelopment agreement, the city would buy three parking garages 
on Mutual’s existing campus at a cost of about $53 million. It also 
would begin maintenance of Turner Park, which is surrounded by Midtown 
Crossing condos and stores.

Mutual
 is expected to complete its downtown office tower for its 4,000 local 
employees on the existing W. Dale Clark library block by 2026. The 
library structure is to be demolished and services moved elsewhere.

The
 library teardown remained a sore spot for several who testified during 
this week’s City Council public hearing on the redevelopment plan 
between Mutual and the city.

Opponents
 reiterated frustration about how the process regarding the library 
block where Mutual plans to build proceeded without enough public 
transparency.

Kimara
 Snipes, an east Omaha community organizer and former Omaha Public 
Schools board member, said anger rose in the absence of “real, proper, 
intentional and empathetic” communication.

She described a “culture of fear in this city for simply just speaking your mind” and urged council members to listen.&nbsp;

“The
 city has let it be known they’re going to do what they want and how 
they want,” Snipes said. “Today it’s the library, tomorrow it’s going to
 be something else.”

Alex
 O’Hanlon said she has heard a lot about the impact Mutual’s new 
headquarters and related redevelopment will have on recruiting young 
talent and combating brain drain.

She
 asked city leaders to include local musicians, urban farmers and other 
Omahans early on in the planning process to create a welcoming culture 
for all.

“There’s a lot of brains in this room that are feeling pretty drained right now,” she said.

City
 Councilwoman Juanita Johnson told those who stood up in opposition that
 she appreciated their input and said their concern matters. She said 
she understands Omahans’ discomfort about how the “transaction 
originally started off,” but she noted that the vote regarding the 
library has passed.

She
 said the flow of communication from city administrators to council 
members, while not where she’d like it to be, has improved.

Councilman
 Brinker Harding, noting complications involved in such monumental 
projects, sought clarification of various points in the Mutual 
agreement. He reminded opponents that library services are not going 
away.

He said he looks forward to Mutual’s downtown project and how it will unlock redevelopment in midtown.

“I’m
 excited for the prospects this will present not only for Omaha,” 
Harding said, “but really for the whole metropolitan Omaha.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1652713864734.png" alt="Looking west near 31st and Farnam Streets along spine of Midtown Crossing retail and residential area (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Looking west near 31st and Farnam Streets along spine of Midtown Crossing retail and residential area (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>By CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/05/14/mutual-of-omahas-downtown-move-expected-to-spur-1-billion-in-investment-at-new-and-old-campuses/">Nebraska Examiner</a>OMAHA
 — Mutual of Omaha’s move from midtown to downtown is now projected to 
spur roughly $1 billion in redevelopment — an escalated $600 million for
 the insurer’s new headquarters and a $400 million makeover at its old 
campus.That’s the update according to the Fortune 500 company and its real estate developer, Lanoha Real Estate Co.Jason
 Lanoha told the City Council earlier this week that the cost of the 
future skyline-changing tower has risen from $443 million to an 
estimated $600 million. It is to contain 800,000 square feet of office 
space and 1 million square feet of parking garage.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1652713916009.jpeg" alt="Proposed Mutual of Omaha tower is on the left. (Courtesy of Lanoha Real Estate Co.)" />
 <figcaption>Proposed Mutual of Omaha tower is on the left. (Courtesy of Lanoha Real Estate Co.)</figcaption>
 </figure>The additional cost is to be borne by Mutual and not the city, said both Lanoha and Mutual spokesman Jim Nolan.&nbsp;<h2>No streetcar, no project</h2>Driving
 the increase, Lanoha said, are factors including the “current economic 
climate,” exacerbated by inflation and supply chain kinks.The Omaha City Council is slated to vote next Tuesday, May 17, on the nearly <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/05/02/mutual-of-omaha-envisions-a-potential-second-office-tower-on-city-block-east-of-the-library/">140-page agreement</a> that lays out financial and <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/04/29/mutual-of-omaha-is-to-spread-its-downtown-footprint-beyond-library-site-sell-midtown-parking-garages-to-city/">other obligations</a> of Mutual and the city, including a $68 million tax-increment financing subsidy.Lanoha told city officials the Mutual project “does not occur” without the planned <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/01/26/omaha-aims-for-revamped-urban-core-with-streetcar-new-downtown-mutual-hq/">modern streetcar</a>
 whose route is to connect Mutual’s new headquarters near 15th and 
Farnam Streets and the 33rd and Farnam Streets campus it is to exit by 
2026.Few
 details have been shared publicly about what is in store for Mutual’s 
midtown grounds once it is vacated. But Mutual CEO James Blackledge told
 the Nebraska Examiner that Lanoha’s company has the first option to 
redevelop the property currently occupied or owned by Mutual.&nbsp;That
 includes corporate offices, which Blackledge said were declining to the
 point that Mutual chose to move rather than renovate.<h2>Midtown Crossing ups and downs</h2>Mutual’s
 holdings also include a swath of land cleared over recent years between
 Mutual’s Midtown Crossing residential and retail campus east to 
Interstate 480. Mutual had been assembling and razing that property to 
make it more attractive for development.Lanoha
 has been silent on any specific plan for the midtown campus, except for
 telling the City Council this week that he expects roughly $400 million
 to be invested in its renovation and redevelopment.Blackledge
 said Mutual’s experience with its Midtown Crossing project reinforces 
why the insurance giant will step away from transforming that property 
once the company relocates.While
 the $365 million Midtown Crossing constructed between 2006 and 2010 
undoubtedly helped re-energize surrounding neighborhoods, Blackledge 
said, the return on investment has not been as robust as hoped.“We’re
 really not in the development business,” he said. “I think we learned 
that, and we’re better off to find the experts to tell us what makes 
sense.”Blackledge
 said Mutual currently is down to selling the last of the Midtown 
Crossing condominiums — a process, he said, that originally was expected
 to wrap up a decade or so ago.<h2>‘Magnet’ for improvements</h2>“We’ve
 been a magnet for a lot of great improvements here, so we’re not 
dissatisfied with what we’ve done with respect to the community and the 
area,” Blackledge said.But, he added: “Financially, has it been a good investment? I’d say no.”Mutual already has sold off various pieces of Midtown Crossing, including the hotel and apartment buildings.Under
 the redevelopment agreement, the city would buy three parking garages 
on Mutual’s existing campus at a cost of about $53 million. It also 
would begin maintenance of Turner Park, which is surrounded by Midtown 
Crossing condos and stores.Mutual
 is expected to complete its downtown office tower for its 4,000 local 
employees on the existing W. Dale Clark library block by 2026. The 
library structure is to be demolished and services moved elsewhere.The
 library teardown remained a sore spot for several who testified during 
this week’s City Council public hearing on the redevelopment plan 
between Mutual and the city.<h2>Transparency</h2>Opponents
 reiterated frustration about how the process regarding the library 
block where Mutual plans to build proceeded without enough public 
transparency.Kimara
 Snipes, an east Omaha community organizer and former Omaha Public 
Schools board member, said anger rose in the absence of “real, proper, 
intentional and empathetic” communication.She described a “culture of fear in this city for simply just speaking your mind” and urged council members to listen.&nbsp;“The
 city has let it be known they’re going to do what they want and how 
they want,” Snipes said. “Today it’s the library, tomorrow it’s going to
 be something else.”Alex
 O’Hanlon said she has heard a lot about the impact Mutual’s new 
headquarters and related redevelopment will have on recruiting young 
talent and combating brain drain.She
 asked city leaders to include local musicians, urban farmers and other 
Omahans early on in the planning process to create a welcoming culture 
for all.<h2>‘Feeling pretty drained’</h2>“There’s a lot of brains in this room that are feeling pretty drained right now,” she said.City
 Councilwoman Juanita Johnson told those who stood up in opposition that
 she appreciated their input and said their concern matters. She said 
she understands Omahans’ discomfort about how the “transaction 
originally started off,” but she noted that the vote regarding the 
library has passed.She
 said the flow of communication from city administrators to council 
members, while not where she’d like it to be, has improved.Councilman
 Brinker Harding, noting complications involved in such monumental 
projects, sought clarification of various points in the Mutual 
agreement. He reminded opponents that library services are not going 
away.He said he looks forward to Mutual’s downtown project and how it will unlock redevelopment in midtown.“I’m
 excited for the prospects this will present not only for Omaha,” 
Harding said, “but really for the whole metropolitan Omaha.”

Mutual of Omaha move expected to spur $1B in investment

The U.S. death toll from COVID-19 hit 1 million on Monday, a once-unimaginable figure that only hints at the multitudes of loved ones and friends staggered by grief and frustration.

The confirmed number of dead is equivalent to a 9/11 attack every day for 336 days. It is roughly equal to how many Americans died in the Civil War and World War II combined. It’s as if Boston and Pittsburgh were wiped out.

“It is hard to imagine a million people plucked from this earth,” said Jennifer Nuzzo, who leads a new pandemic center at the Brown University School of Public Health in Providence, Rhode Island. “It’s still happening and we are letting it happen.”

Some of those left behind say they cannot return to normal. They replay their loved ones’ voicemail messages. Or watch old videos to see them dance. When other people say they are done with the virus, they bristle with anger or ache in silence.

“‘Normal.’ I hate that word,” said Julie Wallace, 55, of Elyria, Ohio, who lost her husband to COVID-19 in 2020. “All of us never get to go back to normal.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-science-health-native-americans-hispanics-d2234e9d7df7ca8026faf9f88c7baeac">Three out of every four deaths</a>&nbsp;were people 65 and older. More men died than women. White people made up most of the deaths overall. But Black, Hispanic and Native American people have been roughly twice as likely to die from COVID-19 as their white counterparts.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1652709604973.png" alt="COVID deaths by county. Not all states report the same information on COVID -Map courtesy John Hopkins Covid Research Center&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>COVID deaths by county. Not all states report the same information on COVID -Map courtesy John Hopkins Covid Research Center&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>By CARLA K. JOHNSON, Associated PressThe U.S. death toll from COVID-19 hit 1 million on Monday, a once-unimaginable figure that only hints at the multitudes of loved ones and friends staggered by grief and frustration.The confirmed number of dead is equivalent to a 9/11 attack every day for 336 days. It is roughly equal to how many Americans died in the Civil War and World War II combined. It’s as if Boston and Pittsburgh were wiped out.“It is hard to imagine a million people plucked from this earth,” said Jennifer Nuzzo, who leads a new pandemic center at the Brown University School of Public Health in Providence, Rhode Island. “It’s still happening and we are letting it happen.”Some of those left behind say they cannot return to normal. They replay their loved ones’ voicemail messages. Or watch old videos to see them dance. When other people say they are done with the virus, they bristle with anger or ache in silence.“‘Normal.’ I hate that word,” said Julie Wallace, 55, of Elyria, Ohio, who lost her husband to COVID-19 in 2020. “All of us never get to go back to normal.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1652709580859.png" alt="Map courtesy John Hopkins " />
 <figcaption>Map courtesy John Hopkins </figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-science-health-native-americans-hispanics-d2234e9d7df7ca8026faf9f88c7baeac">Three out of every four deaths</a>&nbsp;were people 65 and older. More men died than women. White people made up most of the deaths overall. But Black, Hispanic and Native American people have been roughly twice as likely to die from COVID-19 as their white counterparts.Most deaths happened in urban areas, but rural places — where opposition to masks and vaccinations tends to run high — paid a heavy price at times.The death toll less than 2 1/2 years into the outbreak is based on death certificate data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics. But the real number of lives lost to COVID-19, either directly or indirectly, as a result the disruption of the health care system in the world’s richest country, is believed to be far higher.The milestone comes more than three months after the U.S. reached 900,000 dead. The pace has slowed since a harrowing winter surge fueled by the omicron variant. The U.S. is averaging about 300 COVID-19 deaths per day, compared with a peak of about 3,400 a day in January 2021.The largest bell at Washington National Cathedral in the nation’s capital tolled 1,000 times a week ago, once for every 1,000 deaths. President Joe Biden on Thursday ordered flags lowered to half-staff and called each life “an irreplaceable loss.”“As a nation, we must not grow numb to such sorrow,” he said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/05/12/statement-from-president-joe-biden-marking-one-million-american-lives-lost-to-covid-19/" target="_blank">statement</a>. “To heal, we must remember.”More than half the deaths occurred since vaccines became available in December of 2020. Two-thirds of Americans are fully vaccinated, and nearly half of them have had at least one booster dose. But demand for the vaccine has plummeted, and the campaign to put shots in arms has been plagued by misinformation, distrust and political polarization.Unvaccinated people have a 10 times greater risk of dying of COVID-19 than the fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.“To me, that is what is just so particularly heartbreaking,” Nuzzo said. Vaccines are safe and greatly reduce the likelihood of severe illness, she said. They “largely take the possibility of death off the table.”Angelina Proia, 36, of New York, lost her father to COVID-19 in April 2020. She runs a support group for grieving families on Facebook and has seen it divided over vaccinations. She has booted people from the group for spreading misinformation.“I don’t want to hear conspiracy theories. I don’t want to hear anti-science,” said Proia, who wishes her father could have been vaccinated.Sara Atkins, 42, of Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, channels her grief into fighting for global vaccination and better access to health care to honor her father, Andy Rotman-Zaid, who died of COVID-19 in December 2020.“My father gave me marching orders to end it and make sure it doesn’t happen again,” Atkins said of the pandemic. “He told me, ‘Politicize the hell out of my death if I die of this.’”Julie Wallace and her husband, Lewis Dunlap, had cellphone numbers one digit apart. She continues paying to keep his number. She calls it just to hear his voice.“It’s just so important to hear that sometimes,” she said. “It gives you a little bit of reassurance while also tearing your heart out.”Some have offered solace in poetry. In Philadelphia, poet and social worker Trapeta Mayson, created a&nbsp;<a href="https://philadelphiacontemporary.org/projects/healing-verse-poetry-line" target="_blank">24-hour poetry hotline called Healing Verse</a>. Traffic to the Academy of American Poets’&nbsp;<a href="https://poets.org/" target="_blank">poets.org website</a>&nbsp;rose during the pandemic.Brian Sonia-Wallace, poet laureate of West Hollywood, California, has traveled the country&nbsp;<a href="https://rentpoet.com/" target="_blank">writing poems for hire</a>. He imagines a memorial of a million poems, written by people who don’t normally write poetry. They would talk to those who are grieving and listen for points of connection.“What we need as a nation is empathy,” said Tanya Alves, 35, of Weston, Florida, who lost her 24-year-old sister to COVID-19 in October. “Over two years into the pandemic, with all the cases and lives lost, we should be more compassionate and respectful when talking about COVID. Thousands of families changed forever. This virus is not just a cold.”___