BY AARON SANDERFORD <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/02/03/nebraska-governor-candidates-talk-taxes-attracting-talent-and-helping-entrepreneurs/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN
 — Nebraska’s top candidates for governor tussled Thursday over taxes, 
attracting talent to the state and helping local entrepreneurs 
innovate.&nbsp;

The
 most interesting exchanges at a forum hosted by the Nebraska Chamber of
 Commerce and Industry addressed how the candidates would persuade more 
young people to live in the state.&nbsp;

Republican
 Charles Herbster, the race’s biggest spender and the owner of Conklin 
Inc., a manufacturing and distribution company, said the state needs to 
do a better job of marketing itself.&nbsp;

He stressed the importance of emphasizing technology and trades and said young people need more “mentorship and apprenticeship.”

“Nebraska has so much to offer,” he said. “I’ve said on the campaign trail:&nbsp; We have to market what we are.”

Republican
 Jim Pillen, the race’s biggest fundraiser and owner of a Columbus-area 
hog operation, said he is working with people in the private sector on 
creating a privately funded scholarship program for every Nebraskan, 
including for trade and technical schools.

Pillen,
 a University of Nebraska regent, said Nebraska needs to get its 
regulations out of the way of the next generation of entrepreneurs. “The
 biggest issue is getting people to understand the government is not 
going to solve this,” he said.&nbsp;

He said abortion has cost Nebraska too many young lives and that ending it would help the state.

Republican
 Brett Lindstrom, a state senator and a financial adviser, said he wants
 more public-private partnerships focused on child care, like one 
operating in Red Cloud. He also said he would work to encourage 
developers to build more affordable housing.

Nebraska
 needs to stop embracing divisive political fights that alienate young 
people, Lindstrom said. It makes them want to move away or stay away 
from the state, he said.&nbsp;

“We need people in this state, and not just people who think and believe like I do,” he said after the forum.&nbsp;

Republican
 Theresa Thibodeau, a former state senator and former owner of a day 
care and preschool, said she would work with the state’s high schools 
and community colleges to make sure kids are prepared for the jobs of 
the future.

She
 would like to help more smaller Nebraska cities emulate Norfolk, which 
engaged its private and public sectors in offering more entertainment 
and amenities.

“We need to look at what our children are looking for in our state,” she said.&nbsp;

Democrat
 Carol Blood, a state senator and former Bellevue City Council member, 
said Nebraska’s governor needs to encourage more people sitting out of 
the workforce to renew their job hunt. She also wants to end 
restrictions that prevent nonviolent felons from obtaining professional 
licenses for certain careers.

She
 said she agreed with Lindstrom that Nebraska should make sure young 
people know that the state welcomes them. That includes listening to 
what they want and need.&nbsp;

“Until
 we hear their voices, until we address those issues and they feel 
welcome, we will continue to have that brain drain,” she said.&nbsp;

The
 four top Republicans agreed in broad strokes about the need for tax 
reform. Most of their policy differences hinged on how they would fund 
schools, roads and other priorities that are currently paid for with 
property taxes.&nbsp;

Blood also said property taxes are too high.

Herbster
 said the state should cut income taxes for middle-income earners such 
as teachers and nurses, rather than cutting taxes for high earners like 
him or Gov. Pete Ricketts. Herbster spoke about the need to consider all
 options to offset property taxes. He repeated his idea for a potential 
consumption tax and said he wants to evaluate tax exemptions.

“You’ve
 got to have a revenue-neutral tax base, and you absolutely have to 
address real, long-term property tax relief,” he said after the forum.

Pillen
 said a consumption tax was the wrong approach, arguing that it would 
drive consumer dollars to other states. He said he wants to cut spending
 before cutting taxes. He said he would incentivize state agencies and 
political subdivisions that didn’t spend all the dollars allocated to 
them.

“Our
 property tax problem has impeded growth in this state,” he said. “It’s 
so out of whack, it’s so far over that we can’t sit on the three-legged 
stool.”

Lindstrom
 talked about his legislative work, including Legislative Bill 432, 
which would cut the state’s top income tax rate. He said small 
businesses file as individuals and need the tax relief. He also wants 
more school districts to receive state education aid.

“We
 will roll into session in 2023, putting together a plan to tackle all 
these things that have been talked about for years” if elected, he said.

Thibodeau
 said she would focus first on cutting wasteful spending by state 
agencies and make sure a baseline of state aid to education follows each
 student. She, like Herbster, said she would seek input from rural and 
urban Nebraskans on a tax reform plan.

“We need tax reform now,” she said.&nbsp;

Blood
 said the only meaningful way to offer property tax relief is to address
 the number of unfunded state mandates on cities, counties and other 
political subdivisions that tax people’s property.&nbsp;

The state, she said, should restore aid to cities and counties.

“Until you change that one thing, you will never have true relief,” she said.&nbsp;

Republican Breeland Ridenour, the&nbsp; other candidate who attended the forum at the Marriott Cornhusker Hotel, has not raised or spent the $5,000 minimum triggering the need to file campaign finance reports with the state.&nbsp;

Nebraska’s gubernatorial primary is May 10. Early voting starts in April.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1643988331574.png" alt="Six Nebraska’s candidates for governor participated in a forum in Lincoln hosted by the Nebraska Chambers Association. From left: State Sen. Carol Blood, Charles Herbster, State Sen. Brett Lindstrom, NU Regent Jim Pillen, Breeland Ridenour and former State Sen. Theresa Thibodeau. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Six Nebraska’s candidates for governor participated in a forum in Lincoln hosted by the Nebraska Chambers Association. From left: State Sen. Carol Blood, Charles Herbster, State Sen. Brett Lindstrom, NU Regent Jim Pillen, Breeland Ridenour and former State Sen. Theresa Thibodeau. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY AARON SANDERFORD <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/02/03/nebraska-governor-candidates-talk-taxes-attracting-talent-and-helping-entrepreneurs/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN
 — Nebraska’s top candidates for governor tussled Thursday over taxes, 
attracting talent to the state and helping local entrepreneurs 
innovate.&nbsp;The
 most interesting exchanges at a forum hosted by the Nebraska Chamber of
 Commerce and Industry addressed how the candidates would persuade more 
young people to live in the state.&nbsp;Republican
 Charles Herbster, the race’s biggest spender and the owner of Conklin 
Inc., a manufacturing and distribution company, said the state needs to 
do a better job of marketing itself.&nbsp;He stressed the importance of emphasizing technology and trades and said young people need more “mentorship and apprenticeship.”“Nebraska has so much to offer,” he said. “I’ve said on the campaign trail:&nbsp; We have to market what we are.”Republican
 Jim Pillen, the race’s biggest fundraiser and owner of a Columbus-area 
hog operation, said he is working with people in the private sector on 
creating a privately funded scholarship program for every Nebraskan, 
including for trade and technical schools.Pillen,
 a University of Nebraska regent, said Nebraska needs to get its 
regulations out of the way of the next generation of entrepreneurs. “The
 biggest issue is getting people to understand the government is not 
going to solve this,” he said.&nbsp;He said abortion has cost Nebraska too many young lives and that ending it would help the state.Republican
 Brett Lindstrom, a state senator and a financial adviser, said he wants
 more public-private partnerships focused on child care, like one 
operating in Red Cloud. He also said he would work to encourage 
developers to build more affordable housing.Nebraska
 needs to stop embracing divisive political fights that alienate young 
people, Lindstrom said. It makes them want to move away or stay away 
from the state, he said.&nbsp;“We need people in this state, and not just people who think and believe like I do,” he said after the forum.&nbsp;Republican
 Theresa Thibodeau, a former state senator and former owner of a day 
care and preschool, said she would work with the state’s high schools 
and community colleges to make sure kids are prepared for the jobs of 
the future.She
 would like to help more smaller Nebraska cities emulate Norfolk, which 
engaged its private and public sectors in offering more entertainment 
and amenities.“We need to look at what our children are looking for in our state,” she said.&nbsp;Democrat
 Carol Blood, a state senator and former Bellevue City Council member, 
said Nebraska’s governor needs to encourage more people sitting out of 
the workforce to renew their job hunt. She also wants to end 
restrictions that prevent nonviolent felons from obtaining professional 
licenses for certain careers.She
 said she agreed with Lindstrom that Nebraska should make sure young 
people know that the state welcomes them. That includes listening to 
what they want and need.&nbsp;“Until
 we hear their voices, until we address those issues and they feel 
welcome, we will continue to have that brain drain,” she said.&nbsp;The
 four top Republicans agreed in broad strokes about the need for tax 
reform. Most of their policy differences hinged on how they would fund 
schools, roads and other priorities that are currently paid for with 
property taxes.&nbsp;Blood also said property taxes are too high.Herbster
 said the state should cut income taxes for middle-income earners such 
as teachers and nurses, rather than cutting taxes for high earners like 
him or Gov. Pete Ricketts. Herbster spoke about the need to consider all
 options to offset property taxes. He repeated his idea for a potential 
consumption tax and said he wants to evaluate tax exemptions.“You’ve
 got to have a revenue-neutral tax base, and you absolutely have to 
address real, long-term property tax relief,” he said after the forum.Pillen
 said a consumption tax was the wrong approach, arguing that it would 
drive consumer dollars to other states. He said he wants to cut spending
 before cutting taxes. He said he would incentivize state agencies and 
political subdivisions that didn’t spend all the dollars allocated to 
them.“Our
 property tax problem has impeded growth in this state,” he said. “It’s 
so out of whack, it’s so far over that we can’t sit on the three-legged 
stool.”Lindstrom
 talked about his legislative work, including Legislative Bill 432, 
which would cut the state’s top income tax rate. He said small 
businesses file as individuals and need the tax relief. He also wants 
more school districts to receive state education aid.“We
 will roll into session in 2023, putting together a plan to tackle all 
these things that have been talked about for years” if elected, he said.Thibodeau
 said she would focus first on cutting wasteful spending by state 
agencies and make sure a baseline of state aid to education follows each
 student. She, like Herbster, said she would seek input from rural and 
urban Nebraskans on a tax reform plan.“We need tax reform now,” she said.&nbsp;Blood
 said the only meaningful way to offer property tax relief is to address
 the number of unfunded state mandates on cities, counties and other 
political subdivisions that tax people’s property.&nbsp;The state, she said, should restore aid to cities and counties.“Until you change that one thing, you will never have true relief,” she said.&nbsp;Republican Breeland Ridenour, the&nbsp; other candidate who attended the forum at the Marriott Cornhusker Hotel, has not raised or spent the $5,000 minimum triggering the need to file campaign finance reports with the state.&nbsp;Nebraska’s gubernatorial primary is May 10. Early voting starts in April.

Neb. governor candidates talk taxes, attracting talent, helping entrepreneurs

BENNINGTON, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say one person and nine horses died in a fire at a horse barn near Bennington. 

The fire was reported early Thursday at Heartland Farms. 

Waterloo Fire Chief Travis Harlow said one firefighter suffered serious injuries while battling the blaze and was taken to Creighton University Medical Center-Bergan Mercy in Omaha. 

Harlow said several other horses were injured in the fire. 

The cause of the fire is under investigation. 

The name of the person who died has not been released.

BENNINGTON, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say one person and nine horses died in a fire at a horse barn near Bennington. The fire was reported early Thursday at Heartland Farms. Waterloo Fire Chief Travis Harlow said one firefighter suffered serious injuries while battling the blaze and was taken to Creighton University Medical Center-Bergan Mercy in Omaha. Harlow said several other horses were injured in the fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation. The name of the person who died has not been released.

1 person, 9 horses die in barn fire near Bennington

NEW YORK (AP) — Running through a grim tally of recent gun deaths, President Joe Biden pledged to New Yorkers and the nation on Thursday that the federal government would step up its fight against gun violence by working more closely with police and communities to stop the surging bloodshed.

“It’s enough. Enough is enough,” Biden told police, law enforcement officials and lawmakers gathered at the city’s police headquarters. “We can do something about this.”

But Biden’s crimefighting strategy relies heavily on buy-in from state and local officials as he suggests ways to spend federal dollars and expands on initiatives already under way. The modest initiatives demonstrate the limits to what he can do when there is no appetite in Congress to pass gun legislation.

Biden came to New York a day after the funeral for the second of two New York City cops shot and killed during a domestic violence call on Jan. 21. Officials wrapped up the event to get to the hospital, where another officer was being released after an injury in yet another shooting.

The visit gave the president a chance to push back against Republicans who claim he’s soft on crime, and to distance himself from those in the left flank of his Democratic Party who want to shift funding away from police departments to social spending programs.

“The answer is not to defund the police,” Biden said. “It is to give you the tools, the training, the funding to be partners, to be protectors and know the community.”

Biden ticked through how 316 people are shot every day and 106 killed, including 26 children who died in gun violence so far this year.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kathy-hochul-new-york-violence-police-new-york-city-a15d5986b309ef0721deed74fabd08eb">In New York last month</a>, an 11-month-old girl was wounded by a stray bullet and a teenage fast-food cashier was shot to death. Thirty-two officers have been shot in the line of duty so far this year nationwide, seven of them killed.

Biden is navigating complex politics: He’s working to find ways to combat crime while also pushing for greater accountability after high-profile killings of Black people by police.

“The answer is not to abandon our streets,” Biden said. “The answer is to come together, policing communities, building trust and making us all safer.”

Most of the talk Thursday was centered on better policing. Efforts to take stronger legislative action in recent years have failed, even after 20 children and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/sandy-hook-elementary-school-shooting">six adults were killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut.</a>

Like Democratic presidents before him, Biden called on Congress to pass a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. But he also spoke of the powerful gun lobby that has been effective at curbing any effort to rein in guns and that points to the Second Amendment right to bear arms.

“There’s no amendment that’s absolute,” Biden insisted. “When the amendment was passed, it didn’t say anybody can own a gun — any kind of gun — and any kind of weapon.”

The president was joined by New York lawmakers, Attorney General Merrick Garland, Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams, a former police captain. Once an outspoken critic of his own department and someone who was beaten by police as a teenager, Adams portrayed himself during his campaign as someone who could bridge the divide between the New York Police Department and activists pushing for major change.

“We understand how serious this moment is,” Adams said, telling Biden, “Mayor Adams, reporting for duty, ready to serve.”

Biden listened in on a gun violence strategic partnership meeting, a daily get-together for local, state and federal leaders who share intelligence and information on specific cases. He then headed to a school in Queens to hear firsthand from a frontline violence intervention community group about efforts to prevent violence.

Guns are at the center of the debate as the nation grapples with homicides that spiked nationally in 2020, the final year of the Trump administration. Even before the spike, 75% of all homicides in the U.S. were due to firearm injuries and guns were responsible for 91% of youth homicides, according to a January report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control on gun violence and suicides over 2018-19.

This comes as Americans purchased a record number of firearms in 2020. Law enforcement officers recovered historically high numbers of firearms last year and are coming across more firearms stripped of serial numbers, making them impossible to trace. And early data suggests that the period between when a gun was purchased and used in a crime and recovered by police has shortened, compared with earlier years.

To combat this, the Biden administration is clamping down more on traders of “ghost guns,” homemade firearms that lack serial numbers used to trace them and that are often purchased without a background check.

The Justice Department is working to stop the movement of guns north along the “iron pipeline” on the Interstate 95 corridor from Southern states with lax gun laws. Federal prosecutors will prioritize cases of those who sell or transfer guns used in violent crime and, if Biden’s budget is enacted, get specific agents dedicated to the effort.

Federal strike forces are deployed to New York and other cities, aimed at cracking down on gun trafficking. Federal agents are embedded in homicide units in police departments around the country, and the U.S. Marshals Service regularly conducts fugitive sweeps to arrest people with outstanding state or federal warrants.

In May, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives will host police executives from across the country to collaborate on solutions to gun violence. But the agency has been without a permanent leader since 2013. Biden’s first nominee, a former ATF agent who had advocated for stricter gun control, was withdrawn in September amid opposition from Republicans and some moderate Democrats. There’s no sign of a new nominee.

Biden has also proposed a large increase in dollars for local community policing programs, and if his social spending agenda were to pass, even more funds would be made available — but that effort is stalled in Congress, too.

And he encouraged cities to invest some of their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-vote-coronavirus-relief-package-33f4902ca9a2aed4e76274af6bb2ea5c">COVID-19 relief money</a>&nbsp;into policing and pushed alternative crime reduction steps such as increased community support and summer jobs for teenagers, and better resources for those coming out of prison.

“When someone finishes their time in prison ... you can’t give them $25 bucks and a bus ticket,” he said. “They need to be able to train for and get a job, find stable housing, reenter society and have a second chance at life.”

NEW YORK (AP) — Running through a grim tally of recent gun deaths, President Joe Biden pledged to New Yorkers and the nation on Thursday that the federal government would step up its fight against gun violence by working more closely with police and communities to stop the surging bloodshed.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F310719364350322%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=37" 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>“It’s enough. Enough is enough,” Biden told police, law enforcement officials and lawmakers gathered at the city’s police headquarters. “We can do something about this.”But Biden’s crimefighting strategy relies heavily on buy-in from state and local officials as he suggests ways to spend federal dollars and expands on initiatives already under way. The modest initiatives demonstrate the limits to what he can do when there is no appetite in Congress to pass gun legislation.Biden came to New York a day after the funeral for the second of two New York City cops shot and killed during a domestic violence call on Jan. 21. Officials wrapped up the event to get to the hospital, where another officer was being released after an injury in yet another shooting.The visit gave the president a chance to push back against Republicans who claim he’s soft on crime, and to distance himself from those in the left flank of his Democratic Party who want to shift funding away from police departments to social spending programs.“The answer is not to defund the police,” Biden said. “It is to give you the tools, the training, the funding to be partners, to be protectors and know the community.”Biden ticked through how 316 people are shot every day and 106 killed, including 26 children who died in gun violence so far this year.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kathy-hochul-new-york-violence-police-new-york-city-a15d5986b309ef0721deed74fabd08eb">In New York last month</a>, an 11-month-old girl was wounded by a stray bullet and a teenage fast-food cashier was shot to death. Thirty-two officers have been shot in the line of duty so far this year nationwide, seven of them killed.Biden is navigating complex politics: He’s working to find ways to combat crime while also pushing for greater accountability after high-profile killings of Black people by police.“The answer is not to abandon our streets,” Biden said. “The answer is to come together, policing communities, building trust and making us all safer.”Most of the talk Thursday was centered on better policing. Efforts to take stronger legislative action in recent years have failed, even after 20 children and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/sandy-hook-elementary-school-shooting">six adults were killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut.</a>Like Democratic presidents before him, Biden called on Congress to pass a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. But he also spoke of the powerful gun lobby that has been effective at curbing any effort to rein in guns and that points to the Second Amendment right to bear arms.“There’s no amendment that’s absolute,” Biden insisted. “When the amendment was passed, it didn’t say anybody can own a gun — any kind of gun — and any kind of weapon.”The president was joined by New York lawmakers, Attorney General Merrick Garland, Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams, a former police captain. Once an outspoken critic of his own department and someone who was beaten by police as a teenager, Adams portrayed himself during his campaign as someone who could bridge the divide between the New York Police Department and activists pushing for major change.“We understand how serious this moment is,” Adams said, telling Biden, “Mayor Adams, reporting for duty, ready to serve.”Biden listened in on a gun violence strategic partnership meeting, a daily get-together for local, state and federal leaders who share intelligence and information on specific cases. He then headed to a school in Queens to hear firsthand from a frontline violence intervention community group about efforts to prevent violence.Guns are at the center of the debate as the nation grapples with homicides that spiked nationally in 2020, the final year of the Trump administration. Even before the spike, 75% of all homicides in the U.S. were due to firearm injuries and guns were responsible for 91% of youth homicides, according to a January report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control on gun violence and suicides over 2018-19.This comes as Americans purchased a record number of firearms in 2020. Law enforcement officers recovered historically high numbers of firearms last year and are coming across more firearms stripped of serial numbers, making them impossible to trace. And early data suggests that the period between when a gun was purchased and used in a crime and recovered by police has shortened, compared with earlier years.To combat this, the Biden administration is clamping down more on traders of “ghost guns,” homemade firearms that lack serial numbers used to trace them and that are often purchased without a background check.The Justice Department is working to stop the movement of guns north along the “iron pipeline” on the Interstate 95 corridor from Southern states with lax gun laws. Federal prosecutors will prioritize cases of those who sell or transfer guns used in violent crime and, if Biden’s budget is enacted, get specific agents dedicated to the effort.Federal strike forces are deployed to New York and other cities, aimed at cracking down on gun trafficking. Federal agents are embedded in homicide units in police departments around the country, and the U.S. Marshals Service regularly conducts fugitive sweeps to arrest people with outstanding state or federal warrants.In May, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives will host police executives from across the country to collaborate on solutions to gun violence. But the agency has been without a permanent leader since 2013. Biden’s first nominee, a former ATF agent who had advocated for stricter gun control, was withdrawn in September amid opposition from Republicans and some moderate Democrats. There’s no sign of a new nominee.Biden has also proposed a large increase in dollars for local community policing programs, and if his social spending agenda were to pass, even more funds would be made available — but that effort is stalled in Congress, too.And he encouraged cities to invest some of their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-vote-coronavirus-relief-package-33f4902ca9a2aed4e76274af6bb2ea5c">COVID-19 relief money</a>&nbsp;into policing and pushed alternative crime reduction steps such as increased community support and summer jobs for teenagers, and better resources for those coming out of prison.“When someone finishes their time in prison ... you can’t give them $25 bucks and a bus ticket,” he said. “They need to be able to train for and get a job, find stable housing, reenter society and have a second chance at life.”__

🎥 Biden: Nation must come together to end gun violence

HASKELL COUNTY—Two Kansas men were injured in an accident just after 10:30a.m. Thursday in Haskell County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2017 Polaris ATV driven by&nbsp; Claudy R.&nbsp;Reynolds, 88, Sublette, was eastbound in the 900 Block Edelle Avenue in Sublette.

 The ATV became unstable, crossed the center line, entered the north ditch and overturned.

EMS transported&nbsp;Reynolds and a passenger James H Barton, 69, Sublette, to Satanta District Hospital. Reynolds was later flown to a hospital in Wichita.

HASKELL COUNTY—Two Kansas men were injured in an accident just after 10:30a.m. Thursday in Haskell County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2017 Polaris ATV driven by&nbsp; Claudy R.&nbsp;Reynolds, 88, Sublette, was eastbound in the 900 Block Edelle Avenue in Sublette. The ATV became unstable, crossed the center line, entered the north ditch and overturned.EMS transported&nbsp;Reynolds and a passenger James H Barton, 69, Sublette, to Satanta District Hospital. Reynolds was later flown to a hospital in Wichita.

88-year-old Kan. man airlifted to hospital after ATV accident

WASHINGTON – As part of a larger effort to help people during this 
year's filing season, the Internal Revenue Service today announced 
special Saturday hours at many Taxpayer Assistance Centers (TACs) across
 the country.

TACs provide taxpayers with in-person help. Select TACs are open from
 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., February 12, March 12, April 9 and May 14. Normally, 
these centers are not open on Saturdays. No appointments are required.

"The IRS continues to do everything we can to help people during this
 unprecedented period," said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. "Opening 
these assistance centers for special Saturday hours is designed to 
provide yet another way for people to get the help they need. We 
encourage people to review the details on these special Saturday hours 
so we can help serve them. I'm also extremely grateful to our employees 
who have stepped up to provide this special assistance."

People can receive walk-in help on all services, however, the TACs 
will not accept cash payments on these Saturdays. During the extra 
operating hours, people can also ask about reconciling <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021">advance Child Tax Credit</a> payments and receive other help.

To see which TACs will be open, visit <a href="https://www.irs.gov/help/irs-face-to-face-saturday-help">IRS.gov/saturdayhours</a>.

To arrive prepared, individuals should bring the following information:

During the visit, IRS staff may also request the following information:

"We encourage people to receive payments and their tax refunds 
via direct deposit, which is faster and more secure than other payment 
methods," said IRS Wage &amp; Investment Commissioner and Taxpayer 
Experience Officer Ken Corbin. "People who don't have a bank account 
should visit the <a href="https://www.fdic.gov/about/initiatives/getbanked/index.html">Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation</a> website for details on opening an account online. They can also use the FDIC's <a href="https://banks.data.fdic.gov/bankfind-suite/bankfind">BankFind</a> tool to find an FDIC-insured bank."

<a href="https://covidbanking.joinbankon.org/">BankOn</a>, <a href="https://www.aba.com/advocacy/community-programs/consumer-resources/manage-your-money/choosing-safe-affordable-account">American Bankers Association</a>, <a href="https://www.icba.org/about/find-a-community-bank/open-a-bank-account-remotely">Independent Community Bankers of America</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mycreditunion.gov/about-credit-unions/credit-union-locator">National Credit Union Administration</a> have lists of banks and credit unions that allow opening an account online. Veterans can use the <a href="https://www.benefits.va.gov/benefits/banking.asp">Veterans Benefits Banking Program</a> to learn about financial services at participating banks.

The IRS's <a href="https://www.irs.gov/help/contact-your-local-irs-office">Contact Your Local Office</a> site lists all services provided at specific TACs.

If someone has a question(s) about a tax bill or an IRS audit, or 
needs help resolving a tax problem, they will receive assistance from 
IRS employees specializing in these services. If these employees are not
 available, the individual will receive a referral for these services. 
Taxpayer Advocate Service employees may also be available to assist with
 issues that meet certain criteria.

IRS staff will schedule appointments for a later date for Deaf or 
Hard of Hearing individuals who need sign language interpreter services.
 Foreign language interpreters will also be available.

The IRS follows <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html">Centers for Disease Control social distancing guidelines</a>
 for COVID-19, and availability may change without notice. People are 
required to wear face masks and social distance at these events.

People who need assistance preparing tax returns can visit a <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/free-tax-return-preparation-for-qualifying-taxpayers">Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Center (VITA) or Tax Counseling for the Elderly location</a>. VITA sites offer free tax help to qualified individuals who need assistance in preparing their own tax returns, including:

People who need to pay their federal taxes with cash can visit <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments">IRS.gov/payments</a> to get information on several payment options.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON – As part of a larger effort to help people during this 
year's filing season, the Internal Revenue Service today announced 
special Saturday hours at many Taxpayer Assistance Centers (TACs) across
 the country.TACs provide taxpayers with in-person help. Select TACs are open from
 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., February 12, March 12, April 9 and May 14. Normally, 
these centers are not open on Saturdays. No appointments are required."The IRS continues to do everything we can to help people during this
 unprecedented period," said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. "Opening 
these assistance centers for special Saturday hours is designed to 
provide yet another way for people to get the help they need. We 
encourage people to review the details on these special Saturday hours 
so we can help serve them. I'm also extremely grateful to our employees 
who have stepped up to provide this special assistance."People can receive walk-in help on all services, however, the TACs 
will not accept cash payments on these Saturdays. During the extra 
operating hours, people can also ask about reconciling <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021">advance Child Tax Credit</a> payments and receive other help.To see which TACs will be open, visit <a href="https://www.irs.gov/help/irs-face-to-face-saturday-help">IRS.gov/saturdayhours</a>.<h2>Come prepared</h2>To arrive prepared, individuals should bring the following information:<ul>
 <li>Current government-issued photo identification,</li><li>Social Security cards for members of their household, including spouse and dependents (if applicable) and</li><li>Any IRS letters or notices received and related documents.</li>
 </ul>During the visit, IRS staff may also request the following information:<ul>
 <li>A current mailing address,</li><li>An email address and</li><li>Bank account information, to receive payments or refunds by direct deposit.</li>
 </ul>"We encourage people to receive payments and their tax refunds 
via direct deposit, which is faster and more secure than other payment 
methods," said IRS Wage &amp; Investment Commissioner and Taxpayer 
Experience Officer Ken Corbin. "People who don't have a bank account 
should visit the <a href="https://www.fdic.gov/about/initiatives/getbanked/index.html">Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation</a> website for details on opening an account online. They can also use the FDIC's <a href="https://banks.data.fdic.gov/bankfind-suite/bankfind">BankFind</a> tool to find an FDIC-insured bank."<a href="https://covidbanking.joinbankon.org/">BankOn</a>, <a href="https://www.aba.com/advocacy/community-programs/consumer-resources/manage-your-money/choosing-safe-affordable-account">American Bankers Association</a>, <a href="https://www.icba.org/about/find-a-community-bank/open-a-bank-account-remotely">Independent Community Bankers of America</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mycreditunion.gov/about-credit-unions/credit-union-locator">National Credit Union Administration</a> have lists of banks and credit unions that allow opening an account online. Veterans can use the <a href="https://www.benefits.va.gov/benefits/banking.asp">Veterans Benefits Banking Program</a> to learn about financial services at participating banks.<h2>Services provided</h2>The IRS's <a href="https://www.irs.gov/help/contact-your-local-irs-office">Contact Your Local Office</a> site lists all services provided at specific TACs.If someone has a question(s) about a tax bill or an IRS audit, or 
needs help resolving a tax problem, they will receive assistance from 
IRS employees specializing in these services. If these employees are not
 available, the individual will receive a referral for these services. 
Taxpayer Advocate Service employees may also be available to assist with
 issues that meet certain criteria.IRS staff will schedule appointments for a later date for Deaf or 
Hard of Hearing individuals who need sign language interpreter services.
 Foreign language interpreters will also be available.The IRS follows <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html">Centers for Disease Control social distancing guidelines</a>
 for COVID-19, and availability may change without notice. People are 
required to wear face masks and social distance at these events.People who need assistance preparing tax returns can visit a <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/free-tax-return-preparation-for-qualifying-taxpayers">Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Center (VITA) or Tax Counseling for the Elderly location</a>. VITA sites offer free tax help to qualified individuals who need assistance in preparing their own tax returns, including:<ul>
 <li>People who earn $58,000 or less,</li><li>Persons with disabilities and</li><li>Limited English-speaking taxpayers.</li>
 </ul>People who need to pay their federal taxes with cash can visit <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments">IRS.gov/payments</a> to get information on several payment options.<h2>More information:</h2><ul>
 <li><a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/secure-access-how-to-register-for-certain-online-self-help-tools">How to Register for Certain Online Self-Help Tools</a></li><li><a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/2021-child-tax-credit-and-advance-child-tax-credit-payments-topic-h-reconciling-your-advance-child-tax-credit-payments-on-your-2021-tax-return">Reconciling Your Advance Child Tax Credit Payments on Your 2021 Tax Return</a></li><li><a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/recovery-rebate-credit">IRS.gov/rrc</a> to learn about filing requirements for the Recovery Rebate Credit</li>
 </ul>

Some IRS centers open on special Saturdays for face-to-face help

Lawmakers wondered aloud Thursday how a showdown between two federal agencies over the rollout of new high-speed wireless service reached crisis proportions last month, but they were short on answers to a dispute that raised concerns about interference with key equipment on some planes.

Some flights have been canceled since Verizon and AT&amp;T turned on their new networks last month, but predictions of widespread cancellations turned out to be wrong. The Federal Aviation Administration has cleared 90% of the nation’s airline fleet to land during poor visibility at airports near 5G cell towers.

Those approvals are being made each month, plane by plane, based on the model of radio altimeter that they use to measure their height above the ground. Some “lower-performing” planes are still restricted, and a permanent fix for the entire fleet is likely at least a year away, FAA Administrator Stephen Dickson said during a hearing of the House aviation subcommittee.

The CEOs of American Airlines and United Airlines have said they don’t expect any more disruptions. However, more than half of the planes operated by regional airlines remain restricted during bad weather, said Faye Malarkey Black, president of a trade group for the smaller carriers, some of which operate flights for American Eagle, United Express and Delta Connection.

Black said cancellations are still occurring, and more than one-fourth of flights at the three major airports in the New York City areas are operated by smaller planes that can’t land there during bad weather because of restrictions related to 5G.

Verizon and AT&amp;T agreed to two delays before launching most of their planned new 5G service on Jan. 19 except near airports, where they agreed not to turn on new cell towers for the time being.

Dozens of flights were canceled because of 5G concerns after the services went live, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-travel-lifestyle-business-air-travel-2e94c5d153ad6dd756196e9b1577dcd3">widespread cancellations were avoided</a>.

The current, temporary fix came&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-health-business-federal-aviation-administration-658c00d4d281bf11772b7ce457c3e244">after the White House stepped&nbsp;</a>in to settle a lack of cooperation between the FAA and the Federal Communications Commission that threatened to create massive disruptions for airlines and passengers.

Rep. John Katko, R-N.Y., told Dickson that FAA’s last-minute directives about operating around 5G indicates “that you really didn’t have a plan and didn’t understand the gravity of the situation ahead of time.”

Dickson said FAA couldn’t authorize low-visibility flights near the new signals until it got information from the telecom companies about the location, height and power of their 5G towers.

The FAA chief said regulators and experts from both industries are now working together. Last week, the FAA said that new data from the companies cleared the way for activating more towers close to airports.

House Transportation Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., blamed the clash on the FCC, which approved plans by Verizon and AT&amp;T to launch faster and more reliable 5G service using the C-Band part of the radio spectrum that is close to the range used by airplane altimeters, which are critical for landing in poor visibility.

DeFazio said he and aviation interests raised concerns about possible interference for several years, but the FCC ignored them and auctioned off 5G spectrum without ensuring there would be no interference with aviation.

“Having a dropped call is way less serious than having a dropped airplane,” he said.

The FCC has said it provided enough buffer between C-Band and radio altimeters to prevent interference.

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel was invited to testify but had a conflict, according to an agency spokesman, who declined to describe the conflict. He said that Rosenworcel spoke separately on Wednesday with DeFazio and the chairman of the aviation subcommittee, Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash.

The FCC and the telecom companies say that 40 other countries have rolled out C-Band 5G service without any reports of radio interference with planes. Aviation groups say those countries have lower-power 5G signals or impose other restrictions on the service to prevent interference, a claim that is disputed by the telecom industry.

Meredith Baker, president of the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association, said that an aviation group’s 2020 study that raised serious concern about interference was flawed and distorted by presenting worst-case scenarios.

DeFazio and Larsen countered that aviation safety requires considering even implausible events.

“That’s what we plan for — the worst case,” DeFazio said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1643918987411.png" alt="Missouri 6th District Rep. Sam Graves, the Ranking Member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure in the U.S. House of Representatives, during his opening statement Thursday-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Missouri 6th District Rep. Sam Graves, the Ranking Member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure in the U.S. House of Representatives, during his opening statement Thursday-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAVID KOENIG, AP Airlines WriterLawmakers wondered aloud Thursday how a showdown between two federal agencies over the rollout of new high-speed wireless service reached crisis proportions last month, but they were short on answers to a dispute that raised concerns about interference with key equipment on some planes.Some flights have been canceled since Verizon and AT&amp;T turned on their new networks last month, but predictions of widespread cancellations turned out to be wrong. The Federal Aviation Administration has cleared 90% of the nation’s airline fleet to land during poor visibility at airports near 5G cell towers.Those approvals are being made each month, plane by plane, based on the model of radio altimeter that they use to measure their height above the ground. Some “lower-performing” planes are still restricted, and a permanent fix for the entire fleet is likely at least a year away, FAA Administrator Stephen Dickson said during a hearing of the House aviation subcommittee.The CEOs of American Airlines and United Airlines have said they don’t expect any more disruptions. However, more than half of the planes operated by regional airlines remain restricted during bad weather, said Faye Malarkey Black, president of a trade group for the smaller carriers, some of which operate flights for American Eagle, United Express and Delta Connection.Black said cancellations are still occurring, and more than one-fourth of flights at the three major airports in the New York City areas are operated by smaller planes that can’t land there during bad weather because of restrictions related to 5G.Verizon and AT&amp;T agreed to two delays before launching most of their planned new 5G service on Jan. 19 except near airports, where they agreed not to turn on new cell towers for the time being.Dozens of flights were canceled because of 5G concerns after the services went live, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-travel-lifestyle-business-air-travel-2e94c5d153ad6dd756196e9b1577dcd3">widespread cancellations were avoided</a>.The current, temporary fix came&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-health-business-federal-aviation-administration-658c00d4d281bf11772b7ce457c3e244">after the White House stepped&nbsp;</a>in to settle a lack of cooperation between the FAA and the Federal Communications Commission that threatened to create massive disruptions for airlines and passengers.Rep. John Katko, R-N.Y., told Dickson that FAA’s last-minute directives about operating around 5G indicates “that you really didn’t have a plan and didn’t understand the gravity of the situation ahead of time.”Dickson said FAA couldn’t authorize low-visibility flights near the new signals until it got information from the telecom companies about the location, height and power of their 5G towers.The FAA chief said regulators and experts from both industries are now working together. Last week, the FAA said that new data from the companies cleared the way for activating more towers close to airports.House Transportation Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., blamed the clash on the FCC, which approved plans by Verizon and AT&amp;T to launch faster and more reliable 5G service using the C-Band part of the radio spectrum that is close to the range used by airplane altimeters, which are critical for landing in poor visibility.DeFazio said he and aviation interests raised concerns about possible interference for several years, but the FCC ignored them and auctioned off 5G spectrum without ensuring there would be no interference with aviation.“Having a dropped call is way less serious than having a dropped airplane,” he said.The FCC has said it provided enough buffer between C-Band and radio altimeters to prevent interference.FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel was invited to testify but had a conflict, according to an agency spokesman, who declined to describe the conflict. He said that Rosenworcel spoke separately on Wednesday with DeFazio and the chairman of the aviation subcommittee, Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash.The FCC and the telecom companies say that 40 other countries have rolled out C-Band 5G service without any reports of radio interference with planes. Aviation groups say those countries have lower-power 5G signals or impose other restrictions on the service to prevent interference, a claim that is disputed by the telecom industry.Meredith Baker, president of the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association, said that an aviation group’s 2020 study that raised serious concern about interference was flawed and distorted by presenting worst-case scenarios.DeFazio and Larsen countered that aviation safety requires considering even implausible events.“That’s what we plan for — the worst case,” DeFazio said.___

Congress takes up controversy over 5G service near airports

NEW YORK (AP) — Meta is putting a lot of virtual eggs — and billions of dollars — into the metaverse basket, and Wall Street is pretty anxious about it.

Shares of the company formerly known as Facebook saw a historic plunge Thursday after the social media giant reported a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/facebook-meta-shares-plunge-mark-zuckerberg-d01a0a4c12dc24fa2150a1a3ea2ac836">rare profit decline</a>&nbsp;due to a sharp rise in expenses, shaky ad revenue growth, competition from TikTok and fewer daily U.S. users on its flagship platform.

At the same time, it invested more than $10 billion in CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s ambitious plan to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/facebook-meta-mark-zuckerberg-technology-business-5ad543ab7780caae435935f0aca9fac6">transform Meta Platforms Inc.</a>&nbsp;into a virtual reality — actually, make that “metaverse-based” — company.

Meta’s shares fell more than 23% to $246.76 in afternoon trading Thursday, lopping more than $215 billion off the company’s overall value, known as its market capitalization. A drop that big would be the largest ever for a single company on a single day.

“Meta is sacrificing its core business model for its fascination with the metaverse,” said Rachel Jones, an analyst with the research firm GlobalData. “Betting big on the metaverse isn’t a bad thing — the technology is set to be huge and provide a multitude of opportunities — but it will take at least another decade to really get going.”

While tech companies are accustomed to making big bets on futuristic-sounding ideas that sometimes become reality — and come with a huge payoff — Wall Street doesn’t like uncertainty. There’s also the inconvenient fact of Facebook’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/the-facebook-papers-covid-vaccine-misinformation-c8bbc569be7cc2ca583dadb4236a0613">continued difficulty</a>&nbsp;in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/facebook-haugen-congress-testimony-1daac7a76ca7bf0b0802cc46e732b51b">dealing with toxic real-world effects</a>&nbsp;on its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/the-facebook-papers-whistleblower-misinfo-trafficking-64f11ccae637cdfb7a89e049c5095dca">existing platform</a>.

There’s “continued concern that Facebook’s past challenges will follow Meta into the metaverse,” said Mike Proulx, research director at Forrester Research. “The company has work to do to convince consumers that Meta’s expression of the metaverse is a good thing,”

Since Meta took on its new name last fall, the company has been shifting resources and hiring engineers — including from competitors like Apple and Google — who can help Zuckerberg realize his vision.

Think of the metaverse as the internet brought to life, or at least rendered in 3D. Zuckerberg has described it as a “virtual environment” in which you can immerse yourself instead of just staring at a screen. Theoretically, the metaverse would be a place where people can meet, work and play using virtual reality headsets, augmented reality glasses, smartphone apps or other devices.

It might sound like science fiction, but then again, not long ago so were computers that fit in your pocket, driverless cars and microwaves that talk to you. Technology barrels ahead whether we like it or not and, to quote a vintage Facebook motivational poster in the company’s headquarters, “fortune favors the bold.” Despite an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/the-facebook-papers">enormous backlash&nbsp;</a>to Facebook’s problems ranging from misinformation and privacy mishaps to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-knows-instagram-is-toxic-for-teen-girls-company-documents-show-11631620739?mod=article_inline" target="_blank">teen mental health</a>&nbsp;and hate speech, Zuckerberg continues to believe that bold bets to steer the company in new directions have generally paid off.

In a Wednesday conference call, Zuckerberg said the company’s investments this year will focus on Reels — a TikTok-esque short form video service on Instagram — as well as messaging, ads, commerce, privacy, artificial intelligence “and, of course, the metaverse.”

“Making meaningful progress across all seven of these areas is going to improve the services we offer today and will help power a social, intuitive, and entertaining metaverse,” he said. But he acknowledged that “this fully realized vision is still a ways off, and although the direction is clear, our path ahead is not perfectly defined.”

But while Wall Street’s metaverse optimism appears to fall well short off Zuckerberg’s, Meta’s rivals are ramping up their own metaverse projects. This includes Apple, Google and Microsoft, which recently&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/microsoft-activision-blizzard-acquisition-call-of-duty-7a9e2bcc8f0b7b9049e4f93fe3e0a4dd">bought the video game company</a>&nbsp;Activision Blizzard with the hopes of accelerating its ambitions for the metaverse.

But it’s not just the big companies. According to app analytics company SensorTower, 86 apps added “metaverse” to their title or description from November 2021 through January of this year. To date, 552 mobile apps include the term “metaverse” in their title or description.

Stifel analyst Mark Kelley sought to calm investors, noting that Zuckerberg outlined not one but seven investment priorities for the company this year. He said he doesn’t think Meta’s initial goal of reaching 1 billion metaverse users is a stretch — and importantly, he believes only 40% would be gamers, signaling its broader appeal.

Meta’s stock plunge doesn’t discourage metaverse enthusiast and venture capitalist Matthew Ball, who months before Facebook’s renaming started an index fund of metaverse-related companies. Meta the company is one of the 45 stocks in Ball’s index.

“Mark’s focus on the next-generation internet is actually justified by the fact they can see in their core business that growth is slowing, that users are shifting elsewhere, and in particular, young users are shifting to these virtual and immersive worlds where they’re a small participant and where their investments are focused,” he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1643910542552.png" alt="Facebook Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Facebook Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Meta is putting a lot of virtual eggs — and billions of dollars — into the metaverse basket, and Wall Street is pretty anxious about it.Shares of the company formerly known as Facebook saw a historic plunge Thursday after the social media giant reported a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/facebook-meta-shares-plunge-mark-zuckerberg-d01a0a4c12dc24fa2150a1a3ea2ac836">rare profit decline</a>&nbsp;due to a sharp rise in expenses, shaky ad revenue growth, competition from TikTok and fewer daily U.S. users on its flagship platform.At the same time, it invested more than $10 billion in CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s ambitious plan to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/facebook-meta-mark-zuckerberg-technology-business-5ad543ab7780caae435935f0aca9fac6">transform Meta Platforms Inc.</a>&nbsp;into a virtual reality — actually, make that “metaverse-based” — company.Meta’s shares fell more than 23% to $246.76 in afternoon trading Thursday, lopping more than $215 billion off the company’s overall value, known as its market capitalization. A drop that big would be the largest ever for a single company on a single day.“Meta is sacrificing its core business model for its fascination with the metaverse,” said Rachel Jones, an analyst with the research firm GlobalData. “Betting big on the metaverse isn’t a bad thing — the technology is set to be huge and provide a multitude of opportunities — but it will take at least another decade to really get going.”While tech companies are accustomed to making big bets on futuristic-sounding ideas that sometimes become reality — and come with a huge payoff — Wall Street doesn’t like uncertainty. There’s also the inconvenient fact of Facebook’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/the-facebook-papers-covid-vaccine-misinformation-c8bbc569be7cc2ca583dadb4236a0613">continued difficulty</a>&nbsp;in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/facebook-haugen-congress-testimony-1daac7a76ca7bf0b0802cc46e732b51b">dealing with toxic real-world effects</a>&nbsp;on its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/the-facebook-papers-whistleblower-misinfo-trafficking-64f11ccae637cdfb7a89e049c5095dca">existing platform</a>.There’s “continued concern that Facebook’s past challenges will follow Meta into the metaverse,” said Mike Proulx, research director at Forrester Research. “The company has work to do to convince consumers that Meta’s expression of the metaverse is a good thing,”Since Meta took on its new name last fall, the company has been shifting resources and hiring engineers — including from competitors like Apple and Google — who can help Zuckerberg realize his vision.Think of the metaverse as the internet brought to life, or at least rendered in 3D. Zuckerberg has described it as a “virtual environment” in which you can immerse yourself instead of just staring at a screen. Theoretically, the metaverse would be a place where people can meet, work and play using virtual reality headsets, augmented reality glasses, smartphone apps or other devices.It might sound like science fiction, but then again, not long ago so were computers that fit in your pocket, driverless cars and microwaves that talk to you. Technology barrels ahead whether we like it or not and, to quote a vintage Facebook motivational poster in the company’s headquarters, “fortune favors the bold.” Despite an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/the-facebook-papers">enormous backlash&nbsp;</a>to Facebook’s problems ranging from misinformation and privacy mishaps to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-knows-instagram-is-toxic-for-teen-girls-company-documents-show-11631620739?mod=article_inline" target="_blank">teen mental health</a>&nbsp;and hate speech, Zuckerberg continues to believe that bold bets to steer the company in new directions have generally paid off.In a Wednesday conference call, Zuckerberg said the company’s investments this year will focus on Reels — a TikTok-esque short form video service on Instagram — as well as messaging, ads, commerce, privacy, artificial intelligence “and, of course, the metaverse.”“Making meaningful progress across all seven of these areas is going to improve the services we offer today and will help power a social, intuitive, and entertaining metaverse,” he said. But he acknowledged that “this fully realized vision is still a ways off, and although the direction is clear, our path ahead is not perfectly defined.”But while Wall Street’s metaverse optimism appears to fall well short off Zuckerberg’s, Meta’s rivals are ramping up their own metaverse projects. This includes Apple, Google and Microsoft, which recently&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/microsoft-activision-blizzard-acquisition-call-of-duty-7a9e2bcc8f0b7b9049e4f93fe3e0a4dd">bought the video game company</a>&nbsp;Activision Blizzard with the hopes of accelerating its ambitions for the metaverse.But it’s not just the big companies. According to app analytics company SensorTower, 86 apps added “metaverse” to their title or description from November 2021 through January of this year. To date, 552 mobile apps include the term “metaverse” in their title or description.Stifel analyst Mark Kelley sought to calm investors, noting that Zuckerberg outlined not one but seven investment priorities for the company this year. He said he doesn’t think Meta’s initial goal of reaching 1 billion metaverse users is a stretch — and importantly, he believes only 40% would be gamers, signaling its broader appeal.Meta’s stock plunge doesn’t discourage metaverse enthusiast and venture capitalist Matthew Ball, who months before Facebook’s renaming started an index fund of metaverse-related companies. Meta the company is one of the 45 stocks in Ball’s index.“Mark’s focus on the next-generation internet is actually justified by the fact they can see in their core business that growth is slowing, that users are shifting elsewhere, and in particular, young users are shifting to these virtual and immersive worlds where they’re a small participant and where their investments are focused,” he said.___

TikTok hurting Facebook: Historic loss of $215 billion in value

MILLER, S.D. (AP) — Classes are canceled for the rest of the week at Miller High School where an explosion and fire caused heavy damage to the agriculture workshop. 

All students and staff evacuated to nearby churches Wednesday morning.

 Authorities say six students and a staff member were in the shop at the time, but were not hurt.

 Officials say there is smoke damage throughout the entire school.

 Superintendent Charlene Crosswait says administrators are working on a plan for the students' return. 

An investigation into what caused the explosion and fire continues.

MILLER, S.D. (AP) — Classes are canceled for the rest of the week at Miller High School where an explosion and fire caused heavy damage to the agriculture workshop. All students and staff evacuated to nearby churches Wednesday morning. Authorities say six students and a staff member were in the shop at the time, but were not hurt. Officials say there is smoke damage throughout the entire school. Superintendent Charlene Crosswait says administrators are working on a plan for the students' return. An investigation into what caused the explosion and fire continues.

Cause of SD explosion, fire investigated at Miller High School

KANSAS CITY (AP) —With teacher absences mounting and substitutes in short supply, parents may be wondering: Who’s teaching the kids?

The answer around the U.S. could be a local police officer, National Guard soldier, state budget analyst, parent or recent high school graduate — nearly anyone willing to help keep schools’ doors open through the omicron-driven staffing crunch.

States have been loosening teaching requirements to give schools more flexibility on hiring as coronavirus exposures, illness and quarantines add to strains on schools that also have been tapping librarians, custodians and support staff to help cover classrooms during the pandemic.

Brian McKinney, a parent with students in second and 10th grade in Hays County, Texas, spent part of this week as a substitute, helping sixth graders through a social studies assignment that had them writing essays about the Soviet Union. A former teacher, he decided he could help as he waited out a cold snap that has slowed business at the World War II-themed miniature golf course he and his wife now own.

“There was no down time today; I was heavily involved with the kids,” he said after school Tuesday.

The measures have kept schools from having to revert to the waves of remote learning that disrupted homes and left many students behind earlier in the pandemic. Supporters say it’s better to have students in school, where they are supervised and have access to food and services, even if the solutions fall short academically.

Still, the lowering of the bar for teachers raises some concerns about whether schools are just treading water. In some cases when possible, virtual school taught by students’ regular teachers could be a better alternative, said Richard Ingersoll, an expert on the teaching profession at the University of Pennsylvania.

“Remote sometimes might be much more preferable to getting some substitute in there who’s basically babysitting,” he said.

Governors have been issuing executive orders to make more people eligible to work in schools. In states including California, Connecticut, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, governors have taken action to give schools more flexibility to bring back retired teachers for short-term assignments.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox have made it possible for schools to dip into the states’ workforces.

Cox’s executive order allows state workers, including budget analysts, social workers and highway patrol officers, to take up to 30 hours of administrative leave to work as substitute teachers or in other school jobs. Oklahoma’s initiative lets state workers volunteer as substitute teachers and continue to receive their state salary.

“We know that kids learn best in the classroom, so we want to do what we can to help schools stay open. Our teachers and our children deserve our support during this difficult phase of the pandemic,” Cox said in a statement.

In Kansas, the state&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-education-covid-19-pandemic-kansas-93137a2c94692b2cfdf5f878d1e9daca">Board of Education has begun allowing districts to hire substitute teachers as young as 18&nbsp;</a>and with little more than a high school diploma after waiving requirements they have at least 60 college credits, the equivalent of at least two years, to receive a temporary license. The changes will last only until June 1, when the more stringent requirements will return.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-education-nevada-bccaa7cd49e59d875b78081342d01d06">State officials in Nevada will consider a similar change</a>&nbsp;for emergencies for the state’s two most populous counties later this month. Currently, substitute teachers must have at least 60 college credits — or an associate degree or higher — to obtain a license.

In addition to asking state workers to step up,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-new-mexico-michelle-lujan-grisham-teaching-eaa5e804bc4f3c98efc0c8b14f2fb94e">New Mexico has called in the National Guard</a>&nbsp;to work as substitute teachers, an unprecedented move that has troops drawing their usual pay for serving on active duty.

At least some schools are choosing to prioritize time with professional teachers, even if it means students don’t keep a full schedule.

In Millville Public Schools in New Jersey, administrators were so concerned about the toll on learning after months of staffing challenges that they moved middle and high school students to a half-day schedule — with teachers -- for the month of February.

“After an analysis of our staffing over the past 5 months, we determined instruction at the secondary level has been severely impacted due to students’ lack of access to direct instruction on a daily basis. Moving to an early dismissal schedule will address our staffing shortages by utilizing our current employees so that we are delivering consistent instruction from teaching professionals,” a notice on the district’s website said.

In the Hays Consolidated Independent School District in Texas, where McKinney filled in as a sub this week, at one point in January the district needed 455 subs in a single day, well over the usual 185, and could fill only 40% of the need, district spokesperson Tim Savoy said.

The district raised the pay to an average of $120 a day, up from about $90, and invited parents to join the ranks of substitutes, waiving for some a requirement they have 30 hours of college. About half of the 60 new subs hired in January were parents, Savoy said.

After an orientation that included refreshers on things like classroom management and discipline, along with a background check that included fingerprinting, there are days McKinney has his pick from a long list of assignments but gravitates first to his specialties of history and physical education.

He said remote learning was hard on families like his that had to juggle kids and jobs, and he praised the district for working to stay open, even if it meant making exceptions for those running the classrooms.

“That’s a huge emotional and physiological burden on families,” he said of virtual school, “so I think Hays is just trying to figure out every possible option to not have to do that to families.”

KANSAS CITY (AP) —With teacher absences mounting and substitutes in short supply, parents may be wondering: Who’s teaching the kids?The answer around the U.S. could be a local police officer, National Guard soldier, state budget analyst, parent or recent high school graduate — nearly anyone willing to help keep schools’ doors open through the omicron-driven staffing crunch.States have been loosening teaching requirements to give schools more flexibility on hiring as coronavirus exposures, illness and quarantines add to strains on schools that also have been tapping librarians, custodians and support staff to help cover classrooms during the pandemic.Brian McKinney, a parent with students in second and 10th grade in Hays County, Texas, spent part of this week as a substitute, helping sixth graders through a social studies assignment that had them writing essays about the Soviet Union. A former teacher, he decided he could help as he waited out a cold snap that has slowed business at the World War II-themed miniature golf course he and his wife now own.“There was no down time today; I was heavily involved with the kids,” he said after school Tuesday.The measures have kept schools from having to revert to the waves of remote learning that disrupted homes and left many students behind earlier in the pandemic. Supporters say it’s better to have students in school, where they are supervised and have access to food and services, even if the solutions fall short academically.Still, the lowering of the bar for teachers raises some concerns about whether schools are just treading water. In some cases when possible, virtual school taught by students’ regular teachers could be a better alternative, said Richard Ingersoll, an expert on the teaching profession at the University of Pennsylvania.“Remote sometimes might be much more preferable to getting some substitute in there who’s basically babysitting,” he said.Governors have been issuing executive orders to make more people eligible to work in schools. In states including California, Connecticut, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, governors have taken action to give schools more flexibility to bring back retired teachers for short-term assignments.Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox have made it possible for schools to dip into the states’ workforces.Cox’s executive order allows state workers, including budget analysts, social workers and highway patrol officers, to take up to 30 hours of administrative leave to work as substitute teachers or in other school jobs. Oklahoma’s initiative lets state workers volunteer as substitute teachers and continue to receive their state salary.“We know that kids learn best in the classroom, so we want to do what we can to help schools stay open. Our teachers and our children deserve our support during this difficult phase of the pandemic,” Cox said in a statement.In Kansas, the state&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-education-covid-19-pandemic-kansas-93137a2c94692b2cfdf5f878d1e9daca">Board of Education has begun allowing districts to hire substitute teachers as young as 18&nbsp;</a>and with little more than a high school diploma after waiving requirements they have at least 60 college credits, the equivalent of at least two years, to receive a temporary license. The changes will last only until June 1, when the more stringent requirements will return.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-education-nevada-bccaa7cd49e59d875b78081342d01d06">State officials in Nevada will consider a similar change</a>&nbsp;for emergencies for the state’s two most populous counties later this month. Currently, substitute teachers must have at least 60 college credits — or an associate degree or higher — to obtain a license.In addition to asking state workers to step up,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-new-mexico-michelle-lujan-grisham-teaching-eaa5e804bc4f3c98efc0c8b14f2fb94e">New Mexico has called in the National Guard</a>&nbsp;to work as substitute teachers, an unprecedented move that has troops drawing their usual pay for serving on active duty.At least some schools are choosing to prioritize time with professional teachers, even if it means students don’t keep a full schedule.In Millville Public Schools in New Jersey, administrators were so concerned about the toll on learning after months of staffing challenges that they moved middle and high school students to a half-day schedule — with teachers -- for the month of February.“After an analysis of our staffing over the past 5 months, we determined instruction at the secondary level has been severely impacted due to students’ lack of access to direct instruction on a daily basis. Moving to an early dismissal schedule will address our staffing shortages by utilizing our current employees so that we are delivering consistent instruction from teaching professionals,” a notice on the district’s website said.In the Hays Consolidated Independent School District in Texas, where McKinney filled in as a sub this week, at one point in January the district needed 455 subs in a single day, well over the usual 185, and could fill only 40% of the need, district spokesperson Tim Savoy said.The district raised the pay to an average of $120 a day, up from about $90, and invited parents to join the ranks of substitutes, waiving for some a requirement they have 30 hours of college. About half of the 60 new subs hired in January were parents, Savoy said.After an orientation that included refreshers on things like classroom management and discipline, along with a background check that included fingerprinting, there are days McKinney has his pick from a long list of assignments but gravitates first to his specialties of history and physical education.He said remote learning was hard on families like his that had to juggle kids and jobs, and he praised the district for working to stay open, even if it meant making exceptions for those running the classrooms.“That’s a huge emotional and physiological burden on families,” he said of virtual school, “so I think Hays is just trying to figure out every possible option to not have to do that to families.”

Schools seek volunteer teachers amid COVID staffing crunch

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Meatpacking giant JBS has agreed to a $52.5 million settlement in a beef price-fixing lawsuit that some say supports their concerns about how the lack of competition in the industry affects prices.

 Colorado-based JBS didn’t admit any wrongdoing as part of the settlement and a spokeswoman said the company will continue to defend itself. 

The giant beef processors have argued that supply and demand factors, not anticompetitive behavior, drive the price of beef and the amount ranchers receive for cattle, but the industry’s practices have been questioned by the White House and Congress. 

And the Justice Department has been investigating possible price fixing in the industry at least since 2020.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Meatpacking giant JBS has agreed to a $52.5 million settlement in a beef price-fixing lawsuit that some say supports their concerns about how the lack of competition in the industry affects prices. Colorado-based JBS didn’t admit any wrongdoing as part of the settlement and a spokeswoman said the company will continue to defend itself. The giant beef processors have argued that supply and demand factors, not anticompetitive behavior, drive the price of beef and the amount ranchers receive for cattle, but the industry’s practices have been questioned by the White House and Congress. And the Justice Department has been investigating possible price fixing in the industry at least since 2020.

Beef giant JBS to pay $52.5M to settle price-fixing lawsuit

By CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/booze-at-big-red-nu-regents-will-discuss-next-week/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN
 — The long-standing ban on alcohol at University of Nebraska athletic 
events is to be reconsidered Feb. 11 by the University of Nebraska Board
 of Regents.&nbsp;

Under
 a proposed policy change, the university president and chancellors 
would be allowed to authorize the sale and consumption of alcohol at 
athletic events at their respective campuses.

A
 university press release issued Thursday noted that while a 1999 
resolution prohibits alcohol at athletic events on university property, 
the Regents have approved exceptions on a contract-by-contract basis on 
multiple campuses and sites.&nbsp;

NU
 President Ted Carter said the policy reversal could create consistency 
across the NU system at a time when alcohol sales have been a frequent 
topic.

“Opening
 any university event to alcohol is a question that we will always 
approach with diligence and care,” Carter said. “Our Board and 
Administration have thoughtfully explored these issues for years, 
together with our athletics colleagues, business teams and others. This 
proposed policy change is a common-sense first step if we ultimately 
decide to consider alcohol at any additional athletic events.”

The
 change also would allow alcohol advertising and sponsorships on 
university property, if given approval by the respective chancellor.

The
 Feb. 11 meeting agenda calls for consideration of an amendment to its 
agreement with the City of Lincoln for Pinnacle Bank Arena to allow 
alcohol sales at the Big Ten Wrestling Championships March 5-6.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1643916688925.png" alt="Fans cheer on the Huskers at Memorial Stadium. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Fans cheer on the Huskers at Memorial Stadium. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>By CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/booze-at-big-red-nu-regents-will-discuss-next-week/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN
 — The long-standing ban on alcohol at University of Nebraska athletic 
events is to be reconsidered Feb. 11 by the University of Nebraska Board
 of Regents.&nbsp;Under
 a proposed policy change, the university president and chancellors 
would be allowed to authorize the sale and consumption of alcohol at 
athletic events at their respective campuses.A
 university press release issued Thursday noted that while a 1999 
resolution prohibits alcohol at athletic events on university property, 
the Regents have approved exceptions on a contract-by-contract basis on 
multiple campuses and sites.&nbsp;NU
 President Ted Carter said the policy reversal could create consistency 
across the NU system at a time when alcohol sales have been a frequent 
topic.“Opening
 any university event to alcohol is a question that we will always 
approach with diligence and care,” Carter said. “Our Board and 
Administration have thoughtfully explored these issues for years, 
together with our athletics colleagues, business teams and others. This 
proposed policy change is a common-sense first step if we ultimately 
decide to consider alcohol at any additional athletic events.”The
 change also would allow alcohol advertising and sponsorships on 
university property, if given approval by the respective chancellor.The
 Feb. 11 meeting agenda calls for consideration of an amendment to its 
agreement with the City of Lincoln for Pinnacle Bank Arena to allow 
alcohol sales at the Big Ten Wrestling Championships March 5-6.

Booze at Big Red? Nebraska Regents will discuss next week

By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/02/03/legislators-urged-to-invest-in-completing-recreation-trails-across-nebraska/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN
 — Nebraska should capitalize on plentiful state and local funds by 
completing two major hike-bike trails that cross the state, a panel of 
state lawmakers were told Tuesday.

State
 Sen. Robert Hilkemann of Omaha, an avid biker who’s pedaled across the 
U.S., said that $18 million would be required to finish the Mo-Pac Trail
 between Omaha and Lincoln, and complete the Cowboy Trail that spans 
northern Nebraska.

The
 work would help complete the proposed Great American Rail Trail, a 
3,700-mile-long collection of trails linking Washington, D.C. and 
Washington State, Hilkemann said. That trail is about 53% completed.

“The trail is an iconic piece of American infrastructure,” the senator told the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee.

Trails
 like the Mickelson Trail in South Dakota and the Katy Trail in Missouri
 attract tourists to taverns, cafes and bed-and-breakfast inns, boosting
 spending in small towns along such routes, Hilkemann said.

The
 pandemic caused a surge in bicycling, he said, and the advent of 
electric-powered “e-bikes” is going to increase such recreation even 
more.

Developing recreational trails was the top request of respondents in a recent survey by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

“This is low-hanging fruit. Nebraskans want trails,” said Julie Harris of Bike Walk Nebraska.

At
 least four other states have used millions in federal American Rescue 
Plan Act (ARPA) funds to launch trail projects, advocates said. They 
include Indiana, Arizona, Virginia and Vermont, according to the 
National Conference of State Legislatures.

An
 8-mile gap remains in Cass County between trails that originate in 
Omaha and Lincoln. But Harris said that the Cass County Board has given 
its approval to a new route that would link the two trails in the South 
Bend area. A previous route had been opposed by landowners in that area.

The
 Cass County gap, because it would require building some bridges, adding
 some culverts and constructing a pathway from scratch, would cost about
 $8 million, an expense that led to questions from one senator, Steve 
Erdman of Bayard.

Jason
 Buss, a representative of the Nebraska Trails Foundation, said that 
hike-bike trails built on old railroad beds are relatively easy because 
they are flat and already graded. They cost only about $185,000 per 
mile.

The
 Cass County trail will be much more expensive, Buss said, because it 
will be built along country roads, across a couple streams and require 
improvements to a minimum maintenance road.

“It’s just not flat,” said Sen. Robert Clements, who lives only a couple of blocks from the Wabash Trail in Elmwood.

The
 Cowboy Trail, a 321-mile-long former railroad line, was obtained by the
 state in 1993. But about 93 miles are yet to be built, from Valentine 
to Gordon, and Rushville to the Wyoming State Line.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Michelle
 Stryker of the State Game and Parks Commission said that it would cost 
about $6 million to complete the Cowboy Trail. She added that the trail 
also needs about $8 million in repairs due to floods in recent years.&nbsp;

Hilkemann
 did not identify a funding source for the trail work in his proposal, 
Legislative Bill 813. But during the hearing, he said funds could come 
from ARPA, or any other federal or state source. Thanks to robust tax 
collections, the state has a record amount in its cash reserve fund.

The Appropriations Committee, which is reviewing budget proposals, took no action on LB 813 after a public hearing Tuesday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1643903494479.png" alt="The Cowboy Trail at Long Pine, Nebraska features a long bridge over a scenic canyon. (Julie Harris/Bike Walk Nebraska / Courtesy Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>The Cowboy Trail at Long Pine, Nebraska features a long bridge over a scenic canyon. (Julie Harris/Bike Walk Nebraska / Courtesy Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/02/03/legislators-urged-to-invest-in-completing-recreation-trails-across-nebraska/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN
 — Nebraska should capitalize on plentiful state and local funds by 
completing two major hike-bike trails that cross the state, a panel of 
state lawmakers were told Tuesday.State
 Sen. Robert Hilkemann of Omaha, an avid biker who’s pedaled across the 
U.S., said that $18 million would be required to finish the Mo-Pac Trail
 between Omaha and Lincoln, and complete the Cowboy Trail that spans 
northern Nebraska.The
 work would help complete the proposed Great American Rail Trail, a 
3,700-mile-long collection of trails linking Washington, D.C. and 
Washington State, Hilkemann said. That trail is about 53% completed.“The trail is an iconic piece of American infrastructure,” the senator told the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee.Trails
 like the Mickelson Trail in South Dakota and the Katy Trail in Missouri
 attract tourists to taverns, cafes and bed-and-breakfast inns, boosting
 spending in small towns along such routes, Hilkemann said.The
 pandemic caused a surge in bicycling, he said, and the advent of 
electric-powered “e-bikes” is going to increase such recreation even 
more.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1643903562772.jpeg" alt="State Sen. Robert Hilkemann of Omaha (Courtesy of the Unicameral Information Office)" />
 <figcaption>State Sen. Robert Hilkemann of Omaha (Courtesy of the Unicameral Information Office)</figcaption>
 </figure>Developing recreational trails was the top request of respondents in a recent survey by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.“This is low-hanging fruit. Nebraskans want trails,” said Julie Harris of Bike Walk Nebraska.At
 least four other states have used millions in federal American Rescue 
Plan Act (ARPA) funds to launch trail projects, advocates said. They 
include Indiana, Arizona, Virginia and Vermont, according to the 
National Conference of State Legislatures.An
 8-mile gap remains in Cass County between trails that originate in 
Omaha and Lincoln. But Harris said that the Cass County Board has given 
its approval to a new route that would link the two trails in the South 
Bend area. A previous route had been opposed by landowners in that area.The
 Cass County gap, because it would require building some bridges, adding
 some culverts and constructing a pathway from scratch, would cost about
 $8 million, an expense that led to questions from one senator, Steve 
Erdman of Bayard.Jason
 Buss, a representative of the Nebraska Trails Foundation, said that 
hike-bike trails built on old railroad beds are relatively easy because 
they are flat and already graded. They cost only about $185,000 per 
mile.The
 Cass County trail will be much more expensive, Buss said, because it 
will be built along country roads, across a couple streams and require 
improvements to a minimum maintenance road.“It’s just not flat,” said Sen. Robert Clements, who lives only a couple of blocks from the Wabash Trail in Elmwood.The
 Cowboy Trail, a 321-mile-long former railroad line, was obtained by the
 state in 1993. But about 93 miles are yet to be built, from Valentine 
to Gordon, and Rushville to the Wyoming State Line.&nbsp;&nbsp;Michelle
 Stryker of the State Game and Parks Commission said that it would cost 
about $6 million to complete the Cowboy Trail. She added that the trail 
also needs about $8 million in repairs due to floods in recent years.&nbsp;Hilkemann
 did not identify a funding source for the trail work in his proposal, 
Legislative Bill 813. But during the hearing, he said funds could come 
from ARPA, or any other federal or state source. Thanks to robust tax 
collections, the state has a record amount in its cash reserve fund.The Appropriations Committee, which is reviewing budget proposals, took no action on LB 813 after a public hearing Tuesday.