WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawmakers introduced a&nbsp;<a href="https://appropriations.house.gov/sites/republicans.appropriations.house.gov/files/Second%20FY24%20Package%20-%20Further%20Consolidated%20Appropriations%20Act%2C%202024.pdf">$1.2 trillion spending package</a>&nbsp;Thursday that sets the stage for avoiding a partial government shutdown for several&nbsp;<a href="https://appropriations.house.gov/further-consolidated-appropriations-act-2024">key federal agencies</a>&nbsp;this weekend and allows Congress, nearly six months into the budget year, to complete its work funding the government through September.

<a href="https://appropriations.house.gov/sites/republicans.appropriations.house.gov/files/Second%20FY24%20Package%20-%20Further%20Consolidated%20Appropriations%20Act%2C%202024.pdf">Click here to read</a> details of the bill

Democrats were able to swat back scores of policy mandates and some of the steeper budget cuts that House Republicans were seeking to impose on nondefense programs, though House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., highlighted some wins, including a nearly 24% increase in detention beds for migrants awaiting their immigration proceedings or removal from the country.

This year’s spending bills were divided into two packages. The first one&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-senate-congress-budget-spending-7dfcb8d8682d5dc28c91af3702489d89">cleared Congress</a>&nbsp;two weeks ago, just hours before a shutdown deadline for the agencies funded through the bills.

Now Congress is focused on the second, larger package, which includes about $886 billion for the&nbsp;<a href="https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20240318/Division%20A%20Defense.PDF">Defense Department</a>, a more than 3% increase from last year’s levels. The 1,012-page bill also funds the departments of&nbsp;<a href="https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20240318/Division%20C%20Homeland.pdf">Homeland Security</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20240318/Division%20D%20LHHS.pdf">Health and Human Services, Labor</a>, and others.

“Congress must now race to pass this package before government funding runs out this Friday,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

Nondefense spending will be relatively flat compared with the prior year, though some agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency, are taking a hit, and many agencies will not see their budgets keep up with inflation.

When combining the two packages, discretionary spending for the budget year will come to about $1.66 trillion. That does not include programs such as Social Security and Medicare, and financing the country's rising debt.

The House is expected to take the measure up first on Friday. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., urged Republicans to vote for the measure, noting that more than 70% of the spending goes to defense.

“At at time when the world's on fire, more than ever, we need to make sure that we are properly funding our nation's defense and supporting our troops,” Scalise said.

Then it would move to the Senate where senators would have to agree on taking it up expeditiously to avoid a partial shutdown. Usually, such agreements include votes on proposed amendments to the bill.

Johnson described the bill as a serious commitment to strengthening national defense while expanding support for those serving in the military. The bill provides for a 5.2% pay increase for service members.

In promoting the bill, Republicans cited several ways it would help Israel. Most notably, they highlighted a prohibition on funding through March 2025 for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-un-aid-refugees-29932f8d12c4fa748daa03e3689dc536">U.N. Relief and Works Agency</a>, which is the main supplier of food, water and shelter to civilians in Gaza.

Republicans are insisting on cutting off funding to the agency after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-01-29-2024-4c49c2fb89c3bfd4963f2260b34943c1">Israel alleged that a dozen employees of the agency were involved in the attack</a>&nbsp;that Hamas conducted in Israel on Oct. 7.

But the prohibition does concern some lawmakers because many relief agencies say there is no way to replace its ability to deliver the humanitarian assistance that the United States and others are trying to send to Gaza, where one-quarter of the 2.3 million residents are starving.

Democrats emphasized that humanitarian assistance will increase globally though, by about $336.4 million.

Sen. Patty Murray, the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, also highlighted a $1 billion increase for Head Start programs and new child care centers for military families. Democrats also played up a $120 million increase in funding for cancer research and a $100 million increase for Alzheimer's research.

“We defeated outlandish cuts that would have been a gut punch for American families and our economy," said Murray, D-Wash.

She also said Democrats successfully fought off numerous policy measures, known as riders, that House Republicans were seeking to add.

“From Day 1 of this process, I said there would be no extreme, far-right riders to restrict women’s reproductive freedoms — and there aren’t, she said.

Among the policy provisions that House Republicans did secure was a requirement that only allows for the American flag and “other official flags” to fly over U.S. diplomatic facilities. Under the Biden administration, U.S. embassies have been invited to fly the pride flag or light up with rainbow colors in support of the LGBTQ community.

There is also a provision that prevents the Consumer Product Safety Commission from banning gas stoves. But the White House has said President Joe Biden would not support a ban, and the commission, an independent agency,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-united-states-government-us-consumer-product-safety-commission-ap-fact-check-texas-2003dcf8d0bee8ddf45080186b2e0c7b">says no such ban</a>&nbsp;was in the works.

The spending in the bill largely tracks with an agreement that former Speaker Kevin McCarthy&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-biden-mccarthy-house-votes-9375cce9b7526b2d0a5728f8d4a18a0a">worked out</a>&nbsp;with the White House in May 2023, which restricted spending for two years and suspended the debt ceiling into January 2025 so the federal government could continue paying its bills.

Shalanda Young, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, told lawmakers Thursday that last year's agreement, which became the Fiscal Responsibility Act, will save taxpayers about $1 trillion over the coming decade.

McCarthy, R-Calif., was ousted from the speaker’s role a few months after securing the debt ceiling deal. Eight Republicans ended up joining with Democrats in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mccarthy-gaetz-speaker-motion-to-vacate-congress-3542dd134dccf35bc67db3463baec53b">removing</a>&nbsp;McCarthy as speaker. And some of those unhappy with that deal also expressed misgivings about the latest package.

“I hope there will be some modest wins. Unfortunately, I don’t expect that we will get much in the way of significant policy wins based on past history and based on our unwillingness to use any kind of leverage to force policy wins, meaning a willingness to walk away and say no,” said Rep. Bob Good, R-Va.

Work on the spending bills has been more bipartisan in the Senate. Murray issued a joint statement after the bill's release with Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, urging colleagues to vote for it.

“There is zero need for a shutdown or chaos — and members of Congress should waste no time in passing these six bills, which will greatly benefit every state in America and reflect important priorities of many senators,” Murray and Collins said.

Johnson said that after the spending package passes, the House would next turn its attention to a bill that focuses on aiding Ukraine and Israel, though lawmakers are scheduled to be away from Washington for the next two weeks. The Senate has already approved a $95.3 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, but Johnson has declined to bring that up for a vote.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711054939075.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawmakers introduced a&nbsp;<a href="https://appropriations.house.gov/sites/republicans.appropriations.house.gov/files/Second%20FY24%20Package%20-%20Further%20Consolidated%20Appropriations%20Act%2C%202024.pdf">$1.2 trillion spending package</a>&nbsp;Thursday that sets the stage for avoiding a partial government shutdown for several&nbsp;<a href="https://appropriations.house.gov/further-consolidated-appropriations-act-2024">key federal agencies</a>&nbsp;this weekend and allows Congress, nearly six months into the budget year, to complete its work funding the government through September.<a href="https://appropriations.house.gov/sites/republicans.appropriations.house.gov/files/Second%20FY24%20Package%20-%20Further%20Consolidated%20Appropriations%20Act%2C%202024.pdf">Click here to read</a> details of the billDemocrats were able to swat back scores of policy mandates and some of the steeper budget cuts that House Republicans were seeking to impose on nondefense programs, though House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., highlighted some wins, including a nearly 24% increase in detention beds for migrants awaiting their immigration proceedings or removal from the country.This year’s spending bills were divided into two packages. The first one&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-senate-congress-budget-spending-7dfcb8d8682d5dc28c91af3702489d89">cleared Congress</a>&nbsp;two weeks ago, just hours before a shutdown deadline for the agencies funded through the bills.Now Congress is focused on the second, larger package, which includes about $886 billion for the&nbsp;<a href="https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20240318/Division%20A%20Defense.PDF">Defense Department</a>, a more than 3% increase from last year’s levels. The 1,012-page bill also funds the departments of&nbsp;<a href="https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20240318/Division%20C%20Homeland.pdf">Homeland Security</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20240318/Division%20D%20LHHS.pdf">Health and Human Services, Labor</a>, and others.“Congress must now race to pass this package before government funding runs out this Friday,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.Nondefense spending will be relatively flat compared with the prior year, though some agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency, are taking a hit, and many agencies will not see their budgets keep up with inflation.When combining the two packages, discretionary spending for the budget year will come to about $1.66 trillion. That does not include programs such as Social Security and Medicare, and financing the country's rising debt.The House is expected to take the measure up first on Friday. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., urged Republicans to vote for the measure, noting that more than 70% of the spending goes to defense.“At at time when the world's on fire, more than ever, we need to make sure that we are properly funding our nation's defense and supporting our troops,” Scalise said.Then it would move to the Senate where senators would have to agree on taking it up expeditiously to avoid a partial shutdown. Usually, such agreements include votes on proposed amendments to the bill.Johnson described the bill as a serious commitment to strengthening national defense while expanding support for those serving in the military. The bill provides for a 5.2% pay increase for service members.In promoting the bill, Republicans cited several ways it would help Israel. Most notably, they highlighted a prohibition on funding through March 2025 for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-un-aid-refugees-29932f8d12c4fa748daa03e3689dc536">U.N. Relief and Works Agency</a>, which is the main supplier of food, water and shelter to civilians in Gaza.Republicans are insisting on cutting off funding to the agency after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-01-29-2024-4c49c2fb89c3bfd4963f2260b34943c1">Israel alleged that a dozen employees of the agency were involved in the attack</a>&nbsp;that Hamas conducted in Israel on Oct. 7.But the prohibition does concern some lawmakers because many relief agencies say there is no way to replace its ability to deliver the humanitarian assistance that the United States and others are trying to send to Gaza, where one-quarter of the 2.3 million residents are starving.Democrats emphasized that humanitarian assistance will increase globally though, by about $336.4 million.Sen. Patty Murray, the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, also highlighted a $1 billion increase for Head Start programs and new child care centers for military families. Democrats also played up a $120 million increase in funding for cancer research and a $100 million increase for Alzheimer's research.“We defeated outlandish cuts that would have been a gut punch for American families and our economy," said Murray, D-Wash.She also said Democrats successfully fought off numerous policy measures, known as riders, that House Republicans were seeking to add.“From Day 1 of this process, I said there would be no extreme, far-right riders to restrict women’s reproductive freedoms — and there aren’t, she said.Among the policy provisions that House Republicans did secure was a requirement that only allows for the American flag and “other official flags” to fly over U.S. diplomatic facilities. Under the Biden administration, U.S. embassies have been invited to fly the pride flag or light up with rainbow colors in support of the LGBTQ community.There is also a provision that prevents the Consumer Product Safety Commission from banning gas stoves. But the White House has said President Joe Biden would not support a ban, and the commission, an independent agency,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-united-states-government-us-consumer-product-safety-commission-ap-fact-check-texas-2003dcf8d0bee8ddf45080186b2e0c7b">says no such ban</a>&nbsp;was in the works.The spending in the bill largely tracks with an agreement that former Speaker Kevin McCarthy&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-biden-mccarthy-house-votes-9375cce9b7526b2d0a5728f8d4a18a0a">worked out</a>&nbsp;with the White House in May 2023, which restricted spending for two years and suspended the debt ceiling into January 2025 so the federal government could continue paying its bills.Shalanda Young, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, told lawmakers Thursday that last year's agreement, which became the Fiscal Responsibility Act, will save taxpayers about $1 trillion over the coming decade.McCarthy, R-Calif., was ousted from the speaker’s role a few months after securing the debt ceiling deal. Eight Republicans ended up joining with Democrats in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mccarthy-gaetz-speaker-motion-to-vacate-congress-3542dd134dccf35bc67db3463baec53b">removing</a>&nbsp;McCarthy as speaker. And some of those unhappy with that deal also expressed misgivings about the latest package.“I hope there will be some modest wins. Unfortunately, I don’t expect that we will get much in the way of significant policy wins based on past history and based on our unwillingness to use any kind of leverage to force policy wins, meaning a willingness to walk away and say no,” said Rep. Bob Good, R-Va.Work on the spending bills has been more bipartisan in the Senate. Murray issued a joint statement after the bill's release with Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, urging colleagues to vote for it.“There is zero need for a shutdown or chaos — and members of Congress should waste no time in passing these six bills, which will greatly benefit every state in America and reflect important priorities of many senators,” Murray and Collins said.Johnson said that after the spending package passes, the House would next turn its attention to a bill that focuses on aiding Ukraine and Israel, though lawmakers are scheduled to be away from Washington for the next two weeks. The Senate has already approved a $95.3 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, but Johnson has declined to bring that up for a vote.

What's in the $1.2 trillion spending plan to avert a government shutdown

WASHINGTON —The Biden Administration is cancelling student loans for an additional 78,000 public service workers – teachers, nurses, firefighters, and more – through Public Service Loan Forgiveness, according to a statement on the White House web site.

"These public service workers have dedicated their careers to serving their communities, but because of past administrative failures, never got the relief they were entitled to under the law."

&nbsp; "Because of the fixes my Administration has made, we have now cancelled student debt for over 870,000 public service workers– compared to only about 7,000 public service borrowers ever receiving forgiveness prior to my Administration," the statement said. 

"And through all of our various student debt relief actions, nearly four million Americans have had their student debt cancelled under my Administration."

"The announcement comes on top of the significant progress we’ve achieved for students and student loan borrowers in the past few years.&nbsp; This includes: providing the largest increases in Pell Grants in over a decade to help families who earn less than roughly $60,000 a year; fixing Income-Driven Repayment plans so borrowers in repayment for years get the relief they earned; and creating the most generous Income-Driven Repayment plan in history – the SAVE plan."

"Borrowers can go to&nbsp;<a href="https://studentaid.gov/" target="_blank">studentaid.gov</a>&nbsp;to apply. And, in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision on my Administration’s original student debt relief plan, we are continuing to pursue an alternative path to deliver student debt relief to as many borrowers as possible as quickly as possible.

"From day one of my Administration, I promised to fix broken student loan programs and make sure higher education is a ticket to the middle class, not a barrier to opportunity. I won’t back down from using every tool at my disposal to deliver student debt relief to more Americans, and build an economy from the middle out and bottom up. "

WASHINGTON —The Biden Administration is cancelling student loans for an additional 78,000 public service workers – teachers, nurses, firefighters, and more – through Public Service Loan Forgiveness, according to a statement on the White House web site."These public service workers have dedicated their careers to serving their communities, but because of past administrative failures, never got the relief they were entitled to under the law."&nbsp; "Because of the fixes my Administration has made, we have now cancelled student debt for over 870,000 public service workers– compared to only about 7,000 public service borrowers ever receiving forgiveness prior to my Administration," the statement said. "And through all of our various student debt relief actions, nearly four million Americans have had their student debt cancelled under my Administration.""The announcement comes on top of the significant progress we’ve achieved for students and student loan borrowers in the past few years.&nbsp; This includes: providing the largest increases in Pell Grants in over a decade to help families who earn less than roughly $60,000 a year; fixing Income-Driven Repayment plans so borrowers in repayment for years get the relief they earned; and creating the most generous Income-Driven Repayment plan in history – the SAVE plan.""Borrowers can go to&nbsp;<a href="https://studentaid.gov/" target="_blank">studentaid.gov</a>&nbsp;to apply. And, in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision on my Administration’s original student debt relief plan, we are continuing to pursue an alternative path to deliver student debt relief to as many borrowers as possible as quickly as possible."From day one of my Administration, I promised to fix broken student loan programs and make sure higher education is a ticket to the middle class, not a barrier to opportunity. I won’t back down from using every tool at my disposal to deliver student debt relief to more Americans, and build an economy from the middle out and bottom up. "

Biden cancels another $6 billion in student loan debt 

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department on Thursday announced a sweeping antitrust lawsuit against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/apple-inc">Apple</a>, accusing the tech giant of engineering an illegal monopoly in smartphones that boxes out competitors and stifles innovation.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in New Jersey, alleges that Apple has monopoly power in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/smartphones">the smartphone market</a>&nbsp;and uses its control over the iPhone to “engage in a broad, sustained, and illegal course of conduct.”

It specifically seeks to stop Apple from undermining technologies that compete with its own apps -- in areas including streaming, messaging and digital payments -- and prevent it from building language into its contracts with developers, accessory makers and consumers that lets it “obtain, maintain, extend or entrench a monopoly.”

The lawsuit — which was also filed with 16 state attorneys general — is the latest example of the Justice Department’s approach to aggressive enforcement of federal antitrust law that officials say is aimed at ensuring a fair and competitive market, even as it has lost some significant anticompetition cases.

“The Department of Justice has an enduring legacy taking on the biggest and toughest monopolies in history,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter, head of the antitrust division, at a press conference announcing the lawsuit. “Today we stand here once again to promote competition and innovation for next generation of technology.”

Apple called the lawsuit “wrong on the facts and the law” and said it “will vigorously defend against it.”

President Joe Biden has called for the Justice Department and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/federal-trade-commission">the Federal Trade Commission</a>&nbsp;to vigorously enforce&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-technology-business-federal-trade-commission-fb6913615c7122579a4795f5c3f457c0">antitrust statutes</a>. The increased policing of corporate mergers and business deals has been met with resistance from some business leaders who have said the Democratic administration is overreaching, but it’s been lauded by others as long overdue.

The case is taking direct aim at the digital fortress that Apple Inc., based in Cupertino, California, has assiduously built around the iPhone and other popular products such as the iPad, Mac and Apple Watch to create what is often referred to as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/apple-inc-trials-lifestyle-technology-business-ab4cdc38a09734e3632c25228636bdd0">a “walled garden”</a>&nbsp;so its meticulously designed hardware and software can seamlessly flourish together while requiring consumers to do little more than turn the devices on.

The strategy has helped make Apple the world’s most prosperous company, with annual revenue of nearly $400 billion and, until recently,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/apple-market-value-trillion-dow-jones-7f47279af45cb00506515111b92b46b5">a market value of more than $3 trillion</a>. But Apple’s shares have fallen by 7% this year even as most of the stock market has climbed to new highs, resulting in long-time rival Microsoft — a target of a major Justice Department antitrust case a quarter-century ago — to seize the mantle as the world’s most valuable company.

Apple said the lawsuit, if successful, would “hinder our ability to create the kind of technology people expect from Apple — where hardware, software, and services intersect” and would “set a dangerous precedent, empowering government to take a heavy hand in designing people’s technology.”

“At Apple, we innovate every day to make technology people love — designing products that work seamlessly together, protect people’s privacy and security, and create a magical experience for our users,” the company said in a statement. “This lawsuit threatens who we are and the principles that set Apple products apart in fiercely competitive markets.

Apple has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-apple-inc-games-c5fcfcc748398aa2f56586256711b0b9">defended the walled garden</a>&nbsp;as an indispensable feature prized by consumers who want the best protection available for their personal information. It has described the barrier as a way for the iPhone to distinguish itself from devices running on Google’s Android software, which isn’t as restrictive and is licensed to a wide range of manufacturers.

“Apple claims to be a champion of protecting user data, but its app store fee structure and partnership with Google search erode privacy,” Consumer Reports senior researcher Sumit Sharma said in a statement.

The lawsuit complains that Apple charges as much as $1,599 for an iPhone and that the high margins it earns on each is more than double what others in the industry get. And when users run an internet search, Google gives Apple a “significant cut” of the advertising revenue those searches generate.

The company’s app store also charges developers up to 30 percent of the app’s price for consumers.

Critics of Apple’s anticompetitive practices have long complained that it’s claim to prioritize user privacy is hypocritical when profits are at stake. While its iMessage services is sheathed from prying eyes by end-to-end encryption, that protection evaporates the moment someone texts a non-Apple device.

Prominent critic Cory Doctorow has complained that while Apple has blocked Facebook from spying on its users it runs its “own surveillance advertising empire” that gathers the same kinds of personal data but for its own use.

Fears about an antitrust crackdown on Apple’s business model have contributed to the drop in the company’s stock price, along with concerns that it is lagging Microsoft and Google in the push to develop products powered by artificial intelligence technology.

But antitrust regulators made it clear in their complaint that they see Apple’s walled garden most as a weapon to ward off competition, creating market conditions that enable it to charge higher prices that have propelled its lofty profit margins while stifling innovation.

“Consumers should not have to pay higher prices because companies violate the antitrust laws,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. “We allege that Apple has maintained monopoly power in the smartphone market, not simply by staying ahead of the competition on the merits, but by violating federal antitrust law. If left unchallenged, Apple will only continue to strengthen its smartphone monopoly.”

With the attempt to rein in Apple’s dominance, the Biden administration is escalating an antitrust siege that has already triggered lawsuits against Google and Amazon accusing them in engaging in illegal tactics to thwart competition, as well as unsuccessful attempts to block acquisitions by Microsoft and Facebook parent Meta Platforms.

Apple’s business interests are also entangled in the Justice Department’s case against Google, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/google-antitrust-trial-search-engine-justice-department-2cfb06271455c7e12c4927959061e832">went to trial last fall</a>&nbsp;and is headed toward final arguments scheduled to begin May 1 in Washington, D.C. In that case, regulators are alleging Google has stymied competition by paying for the rights for its already dominant online search engine to be the automatic place to handle queries on the iPhone and a variety of web browsers in an arrangement that generates an estimated $15 billion to $20 billion annually.

Now that the Justice Department is mounting a direct attack across its business, Apple stands to lose even more.

The Justice Department is following up an other recent attempts to force Apple to change the way it runs the iPhone and other parts of its business.

Epic Games, the maker of the popular Fortnite video game, filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple in 2020 in an effort break down the barriers protecting the iPhone App Store and a lucrative payment system operating within it. Apple has long collected commissions ranging from 15% to 30% on digital transactions completed within apps, a setup that Epic alleged was enabled by an illegal monopoly that drives up prices for consumers.

After a monthlong trial in 2021,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-prices-76b30a844324db04f06a144f888a6f0d">a federal judge ruled mostly in favor of Apple</a>&nbsp;with the exception of deciding that links to competing payment options should be permitted inside of iPhone apps. Apple unsuccessfully resisted that portion of the ruling until&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-apple-epic-fortnite-antitrust-iphone-c412553d88f8798acd7d5e1cbb5826bc">the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal</a>&nbsp;in January, forcing the company to relent. But the concessions that Apple made to comply with the ruling are still facing a “bad faith” challenge from Epic, which is seeking an April 30 hearing to ask U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers to order more changes.

Apple also had to open up the iPhone to allow apps to be downloaded and installed from competing stores in Europe to comply with a new set of regulators called&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/digital-markets-act-european-union-rules-apple-5162872791b985e794df9b3a7b46aed1">the Digital Markets Act,</a>&nbsp;or DMA, earlier this month but its approach is being pilloried by critics as little more than an end-around the rules that will enable it to continue to muscle out real competition. European Union regulators already have vowed to crack down on Apple if it finds the company’s tactics continue to thwart true consumer choice.

All of this comes on top of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/apple-antitrust-fine-music-streaming-europe-439e3e8af91d844dee3dc8ff8012c68f">a $2 billion (1.8 billion euro) fine</a>&nbsp;that European regulators slapped on Apple earlier this month after concluding that the company had undermined competition in the music streaming through the iPhone, despite Spotify being the leader in that market.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711052797525.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department on Thursday announced a sweeping antitrust lawsuit against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/apple-inc">Apple</a>, accusing the tech giant of engineering an illegal monopoly in smartphones that boxes out competitors and stifles innovation.The lawsuit, filed in federal court in New Jersey, alleges that Apple has monopoly power in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/smartphones">the smartphone market</a>&nbsp;and uses its control over the iPhone to “engage in a broad, sustained, and illegal course of conduct.”It specifically seeks to stop Apple from undermining technologies that compete with its own apps -- in areas including streaming, messaging and digital payments -- and prevent it from building language into its contracts with developers, accessory makers and consumers that lets it “obtain, maintain, extend or entrench a monopoly.”The lawsuit — which was also filed with 16 state attorneys general — is the latest example of the Justice Department’s approach to aggressive enforcement of federal antitrust law that officials say is aimed at ensuring a fair and competitive market, even as it has lost some significant anticompetition cases.“The Department of Justice has an enduring legacy taking on the biggest and toughest monopolies in history,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter, head of the antitrust division, at a press conference announcing the lawsuit. “Today we stand here once again to promote competition and innovation for next generation of technology.”Apple called the lawsuit “wrong on the facts and the law” and said it “will vigorously defend against it.”President Joe Biden has called for the Justice Department and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/federal-trade-commission">the Federal Trade Commission</a>&nbsp;to vigorously enforce&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-technology-business-federal-trade-commission-fb6913615c7122579a4795f5c3f457c0">antitrust statutes</a>. The increased policing of corporate mergers and business deals has been met with resistance from some business leaders who have said the Democratic administration is overreaching, but it’s been lauded by others as long overdue.The case is taking direct aim at the digital fortress that Apple Inc., based in Cupertino, California, has assiduously built around the iPhone and other popular products such as the iPad, Mac and Apple Watch to create what is often referred to as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/apple-inc-trials-lifestyle-technology-business-ab4cdc38a09734e3632c25228636bdd0">a “walled garden”</a>&nbsp;so its meticulously designed hardware and software can seamlessly flourish together while requiring consumers to do little more than turn the devices on.The strategy has helped make Apple the world’s most prosperous company, with annual revenue of nearly $400 billion and, until recently,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/apple-market-value-trillion-dow-jones-7f47279af45cb00506515111b92b46b5">a market value of more than $3 trillion</a>. But Apple’s shares have fallen by 7% this year even as most of the stock market has climbed to new highs, resulting in long-time rival Microsoft — a target of a major Justice Department antitrust case a quarter-century ago — to seize the mantle as the world’s most valuable company.Apple said the lawsuit, if successful, would “hinder our ability to create the kind of technology people expect from Apple — where hardware, software, and services intersect” and would “set a dangerous precedent, empowering government to take a heavy hand in designing people’s technology.”“At Apple, we innovate every day to make technology people love — designing products that work seamlessly together, protect people’s privacy and security, and create a magical experience for our users,” the company said in a statement. “This lawsuit threatens who we are and the principles that set Apple products apart in fiercely competitive markets.Apple has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-apple-inc-games-c5fcfcc748398aa2f56586256711b0b9">defended the walled garden</a>&nbsp;as an indispensable feature prized by consumers who want the best protection available for their personal information. It has described the barrier as a way for the iPhone to distinguish itself from devices running on Google’s Android software, which isn’t as restrictive and is licensed to a wide range of manufacturers.“Apple claims to be a champion of protecting user data, but its app store fee structure and partnership with Google search erode privacy,” Consumer Reports senior researcher Sumit Sharma said in a statement.The lawsuit complains that Apple charges as much as $1,599 for an iPhone and that the high margins it earns on each is more than double what others in the industry get. And when users run an internet search, Google gives Apple a “significant cut” of the advertising revenue those searches generate.The company’s app store also charges developers up to 30 percent of the app’s price for consumers.Critics of Apple’s anticompetitive practices have long complained that it’s claim to prioritize user privacy is hypocritical when profits are at stake. While its iMessage services is sheathed from prying eyes by end-to-end encryption, that protection evaporates the moment someone texts a non-Apple device.Prominent critic Cory Doctorow has complained that while Apple has blocked Facebook from spying on its users it runs its “own surveillance advertising empire” that gathers the same kinds of personal data but for its own use.Fears about an antitrust crackdown on Apple’s business model have contributed to the drop in the company’s stock price, along with concerns that it is lagging Microsoft and Google in the push to develop products powered by artificial intelligence technology.But antitrust regulators made it clear in their complaint that they see Apple’s walled garden most as a weapon to ward off competition, creating market conditions that enable it to charge higher prices that have propelled its lofty profit margins while stifling innovation.“Consumers should not have to pay higher prices because companies violate the antitrust laws,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. “We allege that Apple has maintained monopoly power in the smartphone market, not simply by staying ahead of the competition on the merits, but by violating federal antitrust law. If left unchallenged, Apple will only continue to strengthen its smartphone monopoly.”With the attempt to rein in Apple’s dominance, the Biden administration is escalating an antitrust siege that has already triggered lawsuits against Google and Amazon accusing them in engaging in illegal tactics to thwart competition, as well as unsuccessful attempts to block acquisitions by Microsoft and Facebook parent Meta Platforms.Apple’s business interests are also entangled in the Justice Department’s case against Google, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/google-antitrust-trial-search-engine-justice-department-2cfb06271455c7e12c4927959061e832">went to trial last fall</a>&nbsp;and is headed toward final arguments scheduled to begin May 1 in Washington, D.C. In that case, regulators are alleging Google has stymied competition by paying for the rights for its already dominant online search engine to be the automatic place to handle queries on the iPhone and a variety of web browsers in an arrangement that generates an estimated $15 billion to $20 billion annually.Now that the Justice Department is mounting a direct attack across its business, Apple stands to lose even more.The Justice Department is following up an other recent attempts to force Apple to change the way it runs the iPhone and other parts of its business.Epic Games, the maker of the popular Fortnite video game, filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple in 2020 in an effort break down the barriers protecting the iPhone App Store and a lucrative payment system operating within it. Apple has long collected commissions ranging from 15% to 30% on digital transactions completed within apps, a setup that Epic alleged was enabled by an illegal monopoly that drives up prices for consumers.After a monthlong trial in 2021,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-prices-76b30a844324db04f06a144f888a6f0d">a federal judge ruled mostly in favor of Apple</a>&nbsp;with the exception of deciding that links to competing payment options should be permitted inside of iPhone apps. Apple unsuccessfully resisted that portion of the ruling until&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-apple-epic-fortnite-antitrust-iphone-c412553d88f8798acd7d5e1cbb5826bc">the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal</a>&nbsp;in January, forcing the company to relent. But the concessions that Apple made to comply with the ruling are still facing a “bad faith” challenge from Epic, which is seeking an April 30 hearing to ask U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers to order more changes.Apple also had to open up the iPhone to allow apps to be downloaded and installed from competing stores in Europe to comply with a new set of regulators called&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/digital-markets-act-european-union-rules-apple-5162872791b985e794df9b3a7b46aed1">the Digital Markets Act,</a>&nbsp;or DMA, earlier this month but its approach is being pilloried by critics as little more than an end-around the rules that will enable it to continue to muscle out real competition. European Union regulators already have vowed to crack down on Apple if it finds the company’s tactics continue to thwart true consumer choice.All of this comes on top of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/apple-antitrust-fine-music-streaming-europe-439e3e8af91d844dee3dc8ff8012c68f">a $2 billion (1.8 billion euro) fine</a>&nbsp;that European regulators slapped on Apple earlier this month after concluding that the company had undermined competition in the music streaming through the iPhone, despite Spotify being the leader in that market.

DOJ sues Apple over alleged iPhone monopoly

A bill that would have held school librarians and teachers criminally responsible for providing “obscene material” to Nebraska students in grades K-12 failed to break a filibuster Wednesday in the Legislature.

But heated debate over it led the body’s Republican Speaker of the Legislature to slash debate times in half on bills he deemed as covering “social issues” for the remaining 13 days of the session.

State Sen. Joni Albrecht, who introduced the bill, said it simply would close a "loophole” in the state’s existing obscenity laws that prohibit adults from giving such material to minors. But critics panned it as a way for a vocal minority to ban books they don’t like from school and public library shelves.

Book bans and attempted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/books-bannings-libraries-record-high-c19af576ca3a446f278bfa2a7c3323a2">bans soared</a>&nbsp;last year in the U.S. Almost half of the challenged books are about communities of color, LGBTQ+ people and other marginalized groups, according to a recent report from the American Library Association. Among the books frequently challenged is Nobel laureate Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye.”

Opponents of the bill argued that children are not accessing obscene material as it is currently defined in the law — which would essentially cover graphic pornography and erotica — in school and public libraries.

Instead, they said, the bill would be used by a handful of people who want to ban books they don't like and would have a chilling effect free speech. It would have allowed a handful of people who would like to ban books they don't like to threaten educators and librarians with criminal charges, opposing lawmakers said, likely lead librarians to pull books from the shelves simply to avoid the conflict.

Debate on the measure grew heated over the two days it took for lawmakers to discuss it, and one Republican lawmaker who name-checked a fellow legislator while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-lawmaker-halloran-rape-415eb8066a43c973128ec2601dee85a8">reading a graphic account</a>&nbsp;of sexual violence from a best-selling memoir is now being&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-lawmaker-rape-sexual-harassment-21c16184e6012a074aefb1125408f859">investigated for sexual harassment</a>.

Supporters of the bill denied that the purpose of the bill was an end-around way to banning books. But many then proceeded to bash the very books and material — including sex education curriculum in schools — as being dangerous for children.

Albrecht said Tuesday during debate that sex education wasn't taught when she was in school 50 years ago, adding, “We just figured it out.” A few male lawmakers openly pined for the days decades ago when most children grew up in two-parent families and extolled keeping young girls “naive."

That led other lawmakers to push back. Sen. Carol Blood noted that the prevalence of two-parent families decades ago had less to do with morals than the fact that women were unable to hold credit cards and bank accounts in their own names, making them financially dependent on their husbands and sometimes confining them in abusive marriages. Sen. Jen Day noted that sex education has been shown to help protect children against sexual predators.

Sen. Danielle Conrad, a free speech advocate and former director of the Nebraska chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, chastised bill supporters, saying they were pandering to those who want to ban books.

“This debate is divorced from reality,” she said. “It's embarrassing to Nebraska. And we have bigger, important issues to address.”

By Wednesday, Speaker of the Legislature Sen. John Arch announced that he had had enough. A bill in Nebraska's unique one-chamber Legislature must get through three rounds of debate to pass, and the rules generally allow eight hours of of debate in the first round, four hours in the second and two in the final round before a vote to end debate can be held.

Arch said that moving forward this session, he would cut that to four hours in the first round, two in the second and one in the last round “for bills which are controversial and emotionally charged.”

“I'm not referring to traditional governmental policy bills such as taxes or creating and funding new programs or existing programs,” he said, adding that debate on those bills, while also often controversial and heated, also often leads to compromise.

“That is not the case with social issue bills," he said. “Members generally go into debate with their minds made up, and prolonged debate only serves the purpose of fanning the fires of contention.”

Associated PressA bill that would have held school librarians and teachers criminally responsible for providing “obscene material” to Nebraska students in grades K-12 failed to break a filibuster Wednesday in the Legislature.But heated debate over it led the body’s Republican Speaker of the Legislature to slash debate times in half on bills he deemed as covering “social issues” for the remaining 13 days of the session.State Sen. Joni Albrecht, who introduced the bill, said it simply would close a "loophole” in the state’s existing obscenity laws that prohibit adults from giving such material to minors. But critics panned it as a way for a vocal minority to ban books they don’t like from school and public library shelves.Book bans and attempted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/books-bannings-libraries-record-high-c19af576ca3a446f278bfa2a7c3323a2">bans soared</a>&nbsp;last year in the U.S. Almost half of the challenged books are about communities of color, LGBTQ+ people and other marginalized groups, according to a recent report from the American Library Association. Among the books frequently challenged is Nobel laureate Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye.”Opponents of the bill argued that children are not accessing obscene material as it is currently defined in the law — which would essentially cover graphic pornography and erotica — in school and public libraries.Instead, they said, the bill would be used by a handful of people who want to ban books they don't like and would have a chilling effect free speech. It would have allowed a handful of people who would like to ban books they don't like to threaten educators and librarians with criminal charges, opposing lawmakers said, likely lead librarians to pull books from the shelves simply to avoid the conflict.Debate on the measure grew heated over the two days it took for lawmakers to discuss it, and one Republican lawmaker who name-checked a fellow legislator while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-lawmaker-halloran-rape-415eb8066a43c973128ec2601dee85a8">reading a graphic account</a>&nbsp;of sexual violence from a best-selling memoir is now being&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-lawmaker-rape-sexual-harassment-21c16184e6012a074aefb1125408f859">investigated for sexual harassment</a>.Supporters of the bill denied that the purpose of the bill was an end-around way to banning books. But many then proceeded to bash the very books and material — including sex education curriculum in schools — as being dangerous for children.Albrecht said Tuesday during debate that sex education wasn't taught when she was in school 50 years ago, adding, “We just figured it out.” A few male lawmakers openly pined for the days decades ago when most children grew up in two-parent families and extolled keeping young girls “naive."That led other lawmakers to push back. Sen. Carol Blood noted that the prevalence of two-parent families decades ago had less to do with morals than the fact that women were unable to hold credit cards and bank accounts in their own names, making them financially dependent on their husbands and sometimes confining them in abusive marriages. Sen. Jen Day noted that sex education has been shown to help protect children against sexual predators.Sen. Danielle Conrad, a free speech advocate and former director of the Nebraska chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, chastised bill supporters, saying they were pandering to those who want to ban books.“This debate is divorced from reality,” she said. “It's embarrassing to Nebraska. And we have bigger, important issues to address.”By Wednesday, Speaker of the Legislature Sen. John Arch announced that he had had enough. A bill in Nebraska's unique one-chamber Legislature must get through three rounds of debate to pass, and the rules generally allow eight hours of of debate in the first round, four hours in the second and two in the final round before a vote to end debate can be held.Arch said that moving forward this session, he would cut that to four hours in the first round, two in the second and one in the last round “for bills which are controversial and emotionally charged.”“I'm not referring to traditional governmental policy bills such as taxes or creating and funding new programs or existing programs,” he said, adding that debate on those bills, while also often controversial and heated, also often leads to compromise.“That is not the case with social issue bills," he said. “Members generally go into debate with their minds made up, and prolonged debate only serves the purpose of fanning the fires of contention.”

A Nebraska bill to subject librarians to charges for giving 'obscene material' to children fails

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/03/20/unmcs-jeffrey-gold-priority-nu-presidential-candidate-seeks-to-pay-it-forward/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

Editor’s note: This story has been updated.

OMAHA — Dr. Jeffrey Gold on Wednesday recounted how he recently opened an email from a former cardiac patient whose life he helped save when she was only 2 days old.

The woman, on the 37th anniversary of her heart surgery in New York City, sent him photos of herself — rock-climbing, raising her three children — offering a glimpse of what resulted because of his hand as a pediatric and adult cardiac surgeon.&nbsp;

“That gives one a perspective of paying it forward, of real value,” Gold said, hours after he received a phone call telling him that he was voted as the priority candidate to serve as the next president of the University of Nebraska.

While he described his feelings as humbled and somewhat intimidated, Gold said during a media event that he is more thrilled at the opportunity to help and inspire another generation of young people “who really want to reach for something special.”

A Nebraskan for 10 years now — since he was tapped in 2014 to be chancellor of the University of Nebraska Medical Center — Gold, 71, said he was prepared to remain as long as he is able at the helm of the entire NU system.

A commitment to stay 10 years was among three must-haves that Gov. Jim Pillen conveyed to the NU Board of Regents for the person selected to fill the presidency, which has been vacant since the start of this year.

The other two criteria were that the person have Nebraska ties and a respect for values of conservative Nebraskans. Sources familiar with the search<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/03/16/nu-leadership-choice-was-deadlocked-between-unmc-chancellor-and-state-chamber-head/">&nbsp;told the Nebraska Examiner earlier</a>&nbsp;that conservative values in that case meant someone who would not advocate for the diversity, equity and inclusion efforts that Pillen campaigned against in 2022.

Asked Wednesday about his thoughts on DEI, Gold said: “Frankly, we need to be a welcoming organization for all students and faculty and staff … where people feel they belong.”

He said he recognized that questions about diversity and inclusion are being tested widely across the country, in schools, Congress, state legislatures. He spoke of the value of learning from multiple opinions. And he said he’ll move forward with “balance and thought.”&nbsp;

“It’s going to take a fine art of what I would call threading the needle to get it exactly right,” Gold said.

Regents who commented Wednesday universally praised Gold as the right choice to take NU to its next chapter:

Regent Elizabeth O’Connor of Omaha:&nbsp;“As an experienced leader in education, I firmly believe that Dr. Gold is poised to help us take advantage of these opportunities and to build a university for Nebraska’s future.”

Regent Kathy Wilmot of Beaver City:&nbsp;“I do think this is going to leave us at a point where we can step forward with competence and we can proceed onward with making the university that best place to be for our students and for our state of Nebraska.”

UNL Student Regent Paul Pechous:&nbsp;Gold is a champion for NU and has proven as much over his last 10 years of service. Pechous said he looks forward to Gold “continuing to be a champion for our students.”

UNMC Student Regent Katie Schultis:&nbsp;“He’s a role model that I look up to and just the leader that I want to be as well.” She said Gold is student-focused and the “biggest champion for student initiatives.”

Regent Jim Scheer of Norfolk:“We’re not on the moon, so it’s not a step for mankind, but it sure as hell is a step for Nebraska.”Regent Paul Kenney of Amherst, board vice chair:“We found the best person available for our job.”

Earlier Wednesday, the NU Board of Regents unanimously selected Gold as its priority candidate. He’ll go through a 30-day public vetting period before an expected confirmation vote, perhaps as early at the board’s April 19 meeting.&nbsp;

Regent Rob Schafer of Beatrice, board chair, said he does not yet know whether the April 19 meeting may just miss the 30-day window that would allow regents to confirm Gold at the earliest time available. That could lead to a meeting a day or a week later for a final vote.

Schafer said Gold came into the system with “probably the most dynamic background” and was formidable from the start. As the presidential search progressed, the process became one of comparing other candidates against Gold.

If confirmed, Gold would be the ninth NU system president, filling the role after former NU President Ted Carter left for The Ohio State University on Dec. 31.

Gold’s departure from UNMC will mean all four of&nbsp; NU’s campus chancellors will have less than three years on the job come this summer. The university now has two leadership spots to fill: both Gold’s and that of UNK Chancellor Doug Kristensen, who will retire after this academic year.

Gold concurrently served as chancellor of the University of Nebraska at Omaha for four years and is NU’s current chief academic officer, serving as a liaison between NU and the regents.&nbsp;

A graduate from the Cornell University College of Engineering with a degree in theoretical and applied mechanics, Gold earned his medical degree from the Will Cornell College of Medicine. He completed his general surgery residency at The New York – Presbyterian Hospital and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.&nbsp;

He has been certified by the American Boards of Surgery and Thoracic Surgery, specializing in adult and pediatric cardiac surgery, and is licensed in Nebraska, Ohio, New York and New Jersey.

Pillen, a former regent, blasted the governing board last week for slow-walking the presidential search. As a regent, Pillen led the 2019 search that brought Carter to NU. That search took 214 days from the time NU President Hank Bounds announced his departure to Carter being named priority candidate.

With Wednesday’s announcement, the most recent search clocked out at 211 days.

Pillen, in a short statement Wednesday afternoon, focused much of his praise on Interim NU President Chris Kabourek’s leadership since taking over Jan. 1. He also congratulated Gold on emerging as NU’s priority candidate.

“He has been a visionary, patient-focused leader for UNMC,” Pillen said of Gold.

The two have been at odds in the past, such as in 2021 when Pillen, during his campaign for governor, sought to prohibit the imposition of critical race theory on NU campuses.

Gold, joined by Carter and the other campus chancellors, rebuffed Pillen that summer in&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.dailynebraskan.com/news/nu-president-chancellors-oppose-crt-resolution-uphold-academic-freedom/article_5a72bf26-ea39-11eb-8aca-3f2dffc65110.html">defense of academic freedom</a>&nbsp;and the “freedom of expression for all members of the University of Nebraska community.” Pillen’s resolution ultimately fell two votes short of being adopted.

During Wednesday’s news conference, Gold said that he had spoken to Pillen, discussing such topics as the importance of building a state workforce. He described the governor as “extremely congratulatory.”

“Clearly his vision and my vision for the academic success of our state and the importance of the university are highly, highly aligned,” Gold said.

Among Gold’s priorities, he said, is regaining membership in the American Association of Universities.

“That is a big part of the future challenge we all have together,” he said, though he offered little detail on how he’d pursue that goal.

He said AAU values are similar to his, including research and productivity of faculty and students. He said that NU has made strides in those areas and that he plans to work further on how progress in those areas is collected and reported.

Encouraging to Gold, he said, is that 57 of the 71 AAU member universities have large, thriving medical centers such as UNMC.

“So this is the company we need to keep and work on,” Gold said.

Gold received praise from several on Wednesday, including State Sen. Merv Riepe of Ralston, a former hospital administrator, who said Gold has taken UNMC “to a new level.”

&nbsp;“He’s smarter than hell,” said Riepe, who worked with Gold in 2017-18 as chair of the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee.

Gold said he will spend time speaking to regents and others. He said he is excited to take on the position, with a competitive spirit and executing his own definition of leadership: “To make others’ dreams come true.”&nbsp;

“We need to compete and win in the classroom, in the laboratory, in clinics and on the cornfields,” he said.&nbsp;

Gold noted his own journey when talking about what he believes makes him the right person for this job.

He said he was a product of a large public high school in New York City and was a first-generation college student, dependent on scholarships, work study and student loans.

He said his work with volunteer boards and in various positions in the NU system — which took him to all parts of the state, and on some rides on combines and tractors — have allowed him a look at various urban and rural needs.

Gold said he is “incredibly well-aware that this is a time of great change and indeed of great stress and great challenge across all higher education.”&nbsp;

But he believes that NU is “rock solid” and prepared for headwinds.

Nebraska Examiner senior reporter Paul Hammel contributed to this report.

University of Nebraska Medical Center Chancellor Jeffrey Gold has been at the helm during unprecedented UNMC growth and a multibillion-dollar flurry of building initiatives on and around its midtown Omaha home campus.

At the end of last year, he gathered with area officials to celebrate the start of the six-story so-called $105 million “CORE” facility (Campus Operations &amp; Research Excellence), which is expected to open in 2026. That facility — along with other developments ongoing or planned along the Saddle Creek corridor — could expand the UNMC footprint by roughly 1.5 million square feet of building space, the medical center’s officials have said.

Officials called that unprecedented growth for the public medical center’s midtown Omaha base, whose building space now spans about 10 million square feet.

Gold has said that growth is essential to maintain momentum reflected in rising student enrollment, research and clinical care for Nebraskans as well as others.

UNMC also has launched projects designed to expand its rural presence.

A $85 million rural medical school, for example, is expected to open in 2025 in Kearney and has been touted as a sign of Nebraska’s effort to grow the health care workforce in its rural communities.

—&nbsp;From Nebraska Examiner senior reporter Cindy Gonzalez

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711034049098.jpeg" alt="Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, Chancellor of the University of Nebraska Medical Center holds a press conference in the Dr. Leland and Dorothy Olson Atrium of the Wigton Heritage Center on the UNMC Omaha campus after it was announced that he is the priority candidate to serve as the ninth president of the University of Nebraska. (Courtesy of Kent Sievers/UNMC)" />
 <figcaption>Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, Chancellor of the University of Nebraska Medical Center holds a press conference in the Dr. Leland and Dorothy Olson Atrium of the Wigton Heritage Center on the UNMC Omaha campus after it was announced that he is the priority candidate to serve as the ninth president of the University of Nebraska. (Courtesy of Kent Sievers/UNMC)</figcaption>
 </figure>Zach Wendling and Cindy Gonzalez<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/03/20/unmcs-jeffrey-gold-priority-nu-presidential-candidate-seeks-to-pay-it-forward/">Nebraska Examiner</a>Editor’s note: This story has been updated.OMAHA — Dr. Jeffrey Gold on Wednesday recounted how he recently opened an email from a former cardiac patient whose life he helped save when she was only 2 days old.The woman, on the 37th anniversary of her heart surgery in New York City, sent him photos of herself — rock-climbing, raising her three children — offering a glimpse of what resulted because of his hand as a pediatric and adult cardiac surgeon.&nbsp;“That gives one a perspective of paying it forward, of real value,” Gold said, hours after he received a phone call telling him that he was voted as the priority candidate to serve as the next president of the University of Nebraska.While he described his feelings as humbled and somewhat intimidated, Gold said during a media event that he is more thrilled at the opportunity to help and inspire another generation of young people “who really want to reach for something special.”A Nebraskan for 10 years now — since he was tapped in 2014 to be chancellor of the University of Nebraska Medical Center — Gold, 71, said he was prepared to remain as long as he is able at the helm of the entire NU system.<h2>‘Welcoming organization’</h2>A commitment to stay 10 years was among three must-haves that Gov. Jim Pillen conveyed to the NU Board of Regents for the person selected to fill the presidency, which has been vacant since the start of this year.The other two criteria were that the person have Nebraska ties and a respect for values of conservative Nebraskans. Sources familiar with the search<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/03/16/nu-leadership-choice-was-deadlocked-between-unmc-chancellor-and-state-chamber-head/">&nbsp;told the Nebraska Examiner earlier</a>&nbsp;that conservative values in that case meant someone who would not advocate for the diversity, equity and inclusion efforts that Pillen campaigned against in 2022.Asked Wednesday about his thoughts on DEI, Gold said: “Frankly, we need to be a welcoming organization for all students and faculty and staff … where people feel they belong.”He said he recognized that questions about diversity and inclusion are being tested widely across the country, in schools, Congress, state legislatures. He spoke of the value of learning from multiple opinions. And he said he’ll move forward with “balance and thought.”&nbsp;“It’s going to take a fine art of what I would call threading the needle to get it exactly right,” Gold said.<h2>Regents praise pick</h2>Regents who commented Wednesday universally praised Gold as the right choice to take NU to its next chapter:Regent Elizabeth O’Connor of Omaha:&nbsp;“As an experienced leader in education, I firmly believe that Dr. Gold is poised to help us take advantage of these opportunities and to build a university for Nebraska’s future.”Regent Kathy Wilmot of Beaver City:&nbsp;“I do think this is going to leave us at a point where we can step forward with competence and we can proceed onward with making the university that best place to be for our students and for our state of Nebraska.”UNL Student Regent Paul Pechous:&nbsp;Gold is a champion for NU and has proven as much over his last 10 years of service. Pechous said he looks forward to Gold “continuing to be a champion for our students.”UNMC Student Regent Katie Schultis:&nbsp;“He’s a role model that I look up to and just the leader that I want to be as well.” She said Gold is student-focused and the “biggest champion for student initiatives.”Regent Jim Scheer of Norfolk:“We’re not on the moon, so it’s not a step for mankind, but it sure as hell is a step for Nebraska.”Regent Paul Kenney of Amherst, board vice chair:“We found the best person available for our job.”Earlier Wednesday, the NU Board of Regents unanimously selected Gold as its priority candidate. He’ll go through a 30-day public vetting period before an expected confirmation vote, perhaps as early at the board’s April 19 meeting.&nbsp;Regent Rob Schafer of Beatrice, board chair, said he does not yet know whether the April 19 meeting may just miss the 30-day window that would allow regents to confirm Gold at the earliest time available. That could lead to a meeting a day or a week later for a final vote.Schafer said Gold came into the system with “probably the most dynamic background” and was formidable from the start. As the presidential search progressed, the process became one of comparing other candidates against Gold.If confirmed, Gold would be the ninth NU system president, filling the role after former NU President Ted Carter left for The Ohio State University on Dec. 31.<h2>Leadership spots to fill</h2>Gold’s departure from UNMC will mean all four of&nbsp; NU’s campus chancellors will have less than three years on the job come this summer. The university now has two leadership spots to fill: both Gold’s and that of UNK Chancellor Doug Kristensen, who will retire after this academic year.Gold concurrently served as chancellor of the University of Nebraska at Omaha for four years and is NU’s current chief academic officer, serving as a liaison between NU and the regents.&nbsp;A graduate from the Cornell University College of Engineering with a degree in theoretical and applied mechanics, Gold earned his medical degree from the Will Cornell College of Medicine. He completed his general surgery residency at The New York – Presbyterian Hospital and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.&nbsp;He has been certified by the American Boards of Surgery and Thoracic Surgery, specializing in adult and pediatric cardiac surgery, and is licensed in Nebraska, Ohio, New York and New Jersey.<h2>A 211-day search</h2>Pillen, a former regent, blasted the governing board last week for slow-walking the presidential search. As a regent, Pillen led the 2019 search that brought Carter to NU. That search took 214 days from the time NU President Hank Bounds announced his departure to Carter being named priority candidate.With Wednesday’s announcement, the most recent search clocked out at 211 days.Pillen, in a short statement Wednesday afternoon, focused much of his praise on Interim NU President Chris Kabourek’s leadership since taking over Jan. 1. He also congratulated Gold on emerging as NU’s priority candidate.“He has been a visionary, patient-focused leader for UNMC,” Pillen said of Gold.The two have been at odds in the past, such as in 2021 when Pillen, during his campaign for governor, sought to prohibit the imposition of critical race theory on NU campuses.Gold, joined by Carter and the other campus chancellors, rebuffed Pillen that summer in&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.dailynebraskan.com/news/nu-president-chancellors-oppose-crt-resolution-uphold-academic-freedom/article_5a72bf26-ea39-11eb-8aca-3f2dffc65110.html">defense of academic freedom</a>&nbsp;and the “freedom of expression for all members of the University of Nebraska community.” Pillen’s resolution ultimately fell two votes short of being adopted.During Wednesday’s news conference, Gold said that he had spoken to Pillen, discussing such topics as the importance of building a state workforce. He described the governor as “extremely congratulatory.”“Clearly his vision and my vision for the academic success of our state and the importance of the university are highly, highly aligned,” Gold said.<h2>‘Smarter than hell’</h2>Among Gold’s priorities, he said, is regaining membership in the American Association of Universities.“That is a big part of the future challenge we all have together,” he said, though he offered little detail on how he’d pursue that goal.He said AAU values are similar to his, including research and productivity of faculty and students. He said that NU has made strides in those areas and that he plans to work further on how progress in those areas is collected and reported.Encouraging to Gold, he said, is that 57 of the 71 AAU member universities have large, thriving medical centers such as UNMC.“So this is the company we need to keep and work on,” Gold said.Gold received praise from several on Wednesday, including State Sen. Merv Riepe of Ralston, a former hospital administrator, who said Gold has taken UNMC “to a new level.”&nbsp;“He’s smarter than hell,” said Riepe, who worked with Gold in 2017-18 as chair of the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee.Gold said he will spend time speaking to regents and others. He said he is excited to take on the position, with a competitive spirit and executing his own definition of leadership: “To make others’ dreams come true.”&nbsp;“We need to compete and win in the classroom, in the laboratory, in clinics and on the cornfields,” he said.&nbsp;Gold noted his own journey when talking about what he believes makes him the right person for this job.He said he was a product of a large public high school in New York City and was a first-generation college student, dependent on scholarships, work study and student loans.He said his work with volunteer boards and in various positions in the NU system — which took him to all parts of the state, and on some rides on combines and tractors — have allowed him a look at various urban and rural needs.Gold said he is “incredibly well-aware that this is a time of great change and indeed of great stress and great challenge across all higher education.”&nbsp;But he believes that NU is “rock solid” and prepared for headwinds.Nebraska Examiner senior reporter Paul Hammel contributed to this report.<h2>UNMC growth and expansion</h2>University of Nebraska Medical Center Chancellor Jeffrey Gold has been at the helm during unprecedented UNMC growth and a multibillion-dollar flurry of building initiatives on and around its midtown Omaha home campus.At the end of last year, he gathered with area officials to celebrate the start of the six-story so-called $105 million “CORE” facility (Campus Operations &amp; Research Excellence), which is expected to open in 2026. That facility — along with other developments ongoing or planned along the Saddle Creek corridor — could expand the UNMC footprint by roughly 1.5 million square feet of building space, the medical center’s officials have said.Officials called that unprecedented growth for the public medical center’s midtown Omaha base, whose building space now spans about 10 million square feet.Gold has said that growth is essential to maintain momentum reflected in rising student enrollment, research and clinical care for Nebraskans as well as others.UNMC also has launched projects designed to expand its rural presence.A $85 million rural medical school, for example, is expected to open in 2025 in Kearney and has been touted as a sign of Nebraska’s effort to grow the health care workforce in its rural communities.—&nbsp;From Nebraska Examiner senior reporter Cindy Gonzalez

UNMC’s Jeffrey Gold, priority NU presidential candidate, seeks to ‘pay it forward’

LINCOLN, NE –&nbsp;Governor Jim Pillen is commending the hire of Troy Dannen as the new director of athletics for the University of Nebraska. The former UNI&nbsp;grad (1989) has been serving as athletic director at the University of Washington. Prior to that, Dannen oversaw athletics at Tulane University and the University of Northern Iowa.

“I am thrilled with the leadership and tenacity demonstrated by Interim NU President Chris Kabourek in decisively bringing in new leadership to the athletic department so quickly. Immediately securing the commitment of a strong AD like Troy signifies to all Nebraskans, and to our competition across the country, that Nebraska intends to succeed.

I offer my congratulations to Troy, and I look forward to welcoming him and his family as new Nebraskans. I’m eager to partner with him and the University’s leadership in keeping the University of Nebraska a place of academic and athletic excellence.”

Office of Governor Jim PillenLINCOLN, NE –&nbsp;Governor Jim Pillen is commending the hire of Troy Dannen as the new director of athletics for the University of Nebraska. The former UNI&nbsp;grad (1989) has been serving as athletic director at the University of Washington. Prior to that, Dannen oversaw athletics at Tulane University and the University of Northern Iowa.Gov. Pillen’s statement follows:“I am thrilled with the leadership and tenacity demonstrated by Interim NU President Chris Kabourek in decisively bringing in new leadership to the athletic department so quickly. Immediately securing the commitment of a strong AD like Troy signifies to all Nebraskans, and to our competition across the country, that Nebraska intends to succeed.I offer my congratulations to Troy, and I look forward to welcoming him and his family as new Nebraskans. I’m eager to partner with him and the University’s leadership in keeping the University of Nebraska a place of academic and athletic excellence.”

Gov. Pillen Commends Hire of New NU Athletic Director Troy Dannen

SEWARD COUNTY —Investigators are working to determine the cause of a fire late Wednesday at National Beef, 1501 East 8th Street in Liberal.

Crews responded just before 10p.m. Wednesday to a fire reported in trailers in the load out area of boxed beef storage on the east side of the plant, according to Liberal Fire Chief Kelly Kirk. 

Some of the trailers contained product to be shipped and other trailers involved were just loaded with pallets. It took crews approximately three hours to bring the fire under control, according to Kirk. There were no injuries to employees or firefighters.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Officials have not released a damage estimate.

SEWARD COUNTY —Law enforcement reported a large fire late Wednesday on the east side of National Beef, 1501 East 8th Street in Liberal, according to a social media report from the Liberal Police Department.&nbsp; 

"Please avoid the area and do not attempt to drive on East 8th St. near National Beef at this time. Liberal Fire Department is on scene, give them space to work."

Police and fire officials have reported no specific details or other information. Check the post for more information as it is released.

SEWARD COUNTY —Investigators are working to determine the cause of a fire late Wednesday at National Beef, 1501 East 8th Street in Liberal.Crews responded just before 10p.m. Wednesday to a fire reported in trailers in the load out area of boxed beef storage on the east side of the plant, according to Liberal Fire Chief Kelly Kirk. Some of the trailers contained product to be shipped and other trailers involved were just loaded with pallets. It took crews approximately three hours to bring the fire under control, according to Kirk. There were no injuries to employees or firefighters.&nbsp;&nbsp;Officials have not released a damage estimate.-----------------SEWARD COUNTY —Law enforcement reported a large fire late Wednesday on the east side of National Beef, 1501 East 8th Street in Liberal, according to a social media report from the Liberal Police Department.&nbsp; "Please avoid the area and do not attempt to drive on East 8th St. near National Beef at this time. Liberal Fire Department is on scene, give them space to work."Police and fire officials have reported no specific details or other information. Check the post for more information as it is released.

Fire at National Beef in Liberal contained after 3-hour battle

DES MOINES (AP) —The winning numbers for a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mega-millions-drawing-friday-798a3c138c8e5dc0ddbb743c6b1d5345">nearly $1 billion Mega Millions</a>&nbsp;lottery prize will be drawn Friday night, offering sudden riches to any lucky player who matches them and almost certain disappointment for everyone else.

Since three months have passed without a winner, the Mega Millions jackpot has grown to an estimated $977 million. That large prize reflects the incredibly long odds of winning the jackpot, as the longer the stretch without a winner, the more the prize grows.

The jackpot ranks as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/largest-lottery-jackpots-mega-millions-powerball-cb473805c48cd3b74a84d7ee4127450d">10th largest in U.S. lottery history</a>&nbsp;— about half the size of a record $2.04 billion Powerball prize won in November 2022.

Players can buy tickets for $2 and select six numbers from separate pools. Five of the selections come from one pool, with different numbers from 1 to 70, and the other is for the Mega Ball, with numbers from 1 to 25. Some states also give players the option of paying more for different options that increase payouts or give people extra sets of numbers.

People can pick their own numbers — and some play the same numbers each time — but most players opt for the quick pick option, which lets a computer generate random numbers.

Mega Millions holds drawings twice a week, at 11 p.m. EDT on Tuesday and Fridays, telecast from a television studio in Atlanta. The numbers are also quickly posted on the game's website.

A lot, but likely a lot less than you might think.

First, that's because the advertised jackpot of $977 million is for a sole winner who is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powerball-jackpot-annuity-vs-cash-0e741f164106c0f4dba89707c5763c99">paid through an annuity</a>, with an initial payment and then annual checks for 29 years. Nearly all winners actually prefer a cash payout, which for Friday night's drawing would be an estimated $461 million — less than half the number splashed across billboards and in neon ads at convenience stores.

Before forking over the money, lottery officials also would deduct 24% for federal taxes. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-mega-millions-jackpot-irs-870361236131">final tax bill</a>&nbsp;could ultimately be higher though, as some of the winnings could be subject to the top federal tax bracket of 37%. State taxes also could be assessed, depending on where a player bought the winning ticket.

There also is a chance that more than one person will buy a winning ticket — as in 2016, when there were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-2b540577dabe4d47986b66ea1ffbfbcf">three winning tickets</a>&nbsp;for a $1.6 billion lottery jackpot. Whatever the jackpot amount, it could be divvied into smaller prizes.

Focusing on the amount of a jackpot prize misses the greater point — that you almost certainly will not win.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powerball-mega-millions-winning-odds-numbers-a3e5a8e8e7ed15d7500c1d6acdab6785">odds of winning</a>&nbsp;the Mega Millions jackpot are 1 in 302.6 million, and it's those low odds that enable the game to trundle along without a winner for months. If the odds were better, people would win jackpots more frequently, so the top prizes wouldn't grow so large — and entice so many people to play. In fact, Mega Millions lengthened its odds in 2019 in order to create bigger jackpots.

During the current stretch, there hasn't been a jackpot winner since Dec. 8, 2023. That's 29 consecutive drawings without someone matching all the numbers.

That said, lottery officials note there have been millions of winning tickets during that span, with prizes ranging from $2 to $1 million. The key, they say, is to play for fun and take a chance to dream a little, but not with an expectation of getting rich.

And of course, eventually someone will win the jackpot.

Mega Millions and Powerball, the other big lottery game, are run separately but both are overseen by state lotteries. Mega Millions is played in 45 states as well as Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Powerball also operates in 45 states plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The games don't operate in Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada or Utah.

Both of the games raise money for the jurisdictions where they operate along with profits from other lottery games, such as scratch tickets. Some states shift the money into their general funds while others use it for specific purposes, such as funding college scholarships or state parks.

DES MOINES (AP) —The winning numbers for a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mega-millions-drawing-friday-798a3c138c8e5dc0ddbb743c6b1d5345">nearly $1 billion Mega Millions</a>&nbsp;lottery prize will be drawn Friday night, offering sudden riches to any lucky player who matches them and almost certain disappointment for everyone else.Since three months have passed without a winner, the Mega Millions jackpot has grown to an estimated $977 million. That large prize reflects the incredibly long odds of winning the jackpot, as the longer the stretch without a winner, the more the prize grows.The jackpot ranks as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/largest-lottery-jackpots-mega-millions-powerball-cb473805c48cd3b74a84d7ee4127450d">10th largest in U.S. lottery history</a>&nbsp;— about half the size of a record $2.04 billion Powerball prize won in November 2022.HOW DO I PLAY?Players can buy tickets for $2 and select six numbers from separate pools. Five of the selections come from one pool, with different numbers from 1 to 70, and the other is for the Mega Ball, with numbers from 1 to 25. Some states also give players the option of paying more for different options that increase payouts or give people extra sets of numbers.People can pick their own numbers — and some play the same numbers each time — but most players opt for the quick pick option, which lets a computer generate random numbers.Mega Millions holds drawings twice a week, at 11 p.m. EDT on Tuesday and Fridays, telecast from a television studio in Atlanta. The numbers are also quickly posted on the game's website.HOW MUCH WOULD I WIN?A lot, but likely a lot less than you might think.First, that's because the advertised jackpot of $977 million is for a sole winner who is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powerball-jackpot-annuity-vs-cash-0e741f164106c0f4dba89707c5763c99">paid through an annuity</a>, with an initial payment and then annual checks for 29 years. Nearly all winners actually prefer a cash payout, which for Friday night's drawing would be an estimated $461 million — less than half the number splashed across billboards and in neon ads at convenience stores.Before forking over the money, lottery officials also would deduct 24% for federal taxes. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-mega-millions-jackpot-irs-870361236131">final tax bill</a>&nbsp;could ultimately be higher though, as some of the winnings could be subject to the top federal tax bracket of 37%. State taxes also could be assessed, depending on where a player bought the winning ticket.There also is a chance that more than one person will buy a winning ticket — as in 2016, when there were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-2b540577dabe4d47986b66ea1ffbfbcf">three winning tickets</a>&nbsp;for a $1.6 billion lottery jackpot. Whatever the jackpot amount, it could be divvied into smaller prizes.SO WHAT ARE THE ODDS?Focusing on the amount of a jackpot prize misses the greater point — that you almost certainly will not win.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powerball-mega-millions-winning-odds-numbers-a3e5a8e8e7ed15d7500c1d6acdab6785">odds of winning</a>&nbsp;the Mega Millions jackpot are 1 in 302.6 million, and it's those low odds that enable the game to trundle along without a winner for months. If the odds were better, people would win jackpots more frequently, so the top prizes wouldn't grow so large — and entice so many people to play. In fact, Mega Millions lengthened its odds in 2019 in order to create bigger jackpots.During the current stretch, there hasn't been a jackpot winner since Dec. 8, 2023. That's 29 consecutive drawings without someone matching all the numbers.That said, lottery officials note there have been millions of winning tickets during that span, with prizes ranging from $2 to $1 million. The key, they say, is to play for fun and take a chance to dream a little, but not with an expectation of getting rich.And of course, eventually someone will win the jackpot.WHO RUNS THESE GAMES?Mega Millions and Powerball, the other big lottery game, are run separately but both are overseen by state lotteries. Mega Millions is played in 45 states as well as Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Powerball also operates in 45 states plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.The games don't operate in Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada or Utah.Both of the games raise money for the jurisdictions where they operate along with profits from other lottery games, such as scratch tickets. Some states shift the money into their general funds while others use it for specific purposes, such as funding college scholarships or state parks.

Mega Millions jackpot soars to nearly $1 billion

WASHINGTON —The United States imposed new sanctions Wednesday on procurement networks based in Iran, Türkiye, Oman, and Germany that have acquired goods for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force Self Sufficiency Jihad Organization, Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL), the Iran Centrifuge Technology Company, and other U.S.-sanctioned entities that are part of Iran’s military-industrial base, according to a statement from Matthew Miller, State Department spokesman.

“Through complex covert procurement networks, Iran seeks to supply rogue actors around the world with weapons systems that fuel conflict and risk countless civilian lives,” said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson. “The United States will continue to use our tools to disrupt these networks and hold accountable those countries that would help proliferate Iran’s drones and missiles.”

The designations follow previous U.S. designations of individuals and entities linked to the IRGC, MODAFL, and their subsidiaries’ ballistic missile production and other activities on behalf of Iran’s defense industrial base.

The Department of the Treasury’s actions were taken pursuant to Executive Order 13382, which targets proliferators of weapons of mass destruction, and their means of delivery, and their supporters.&nbsp;

As a result of today’s action, all property and interests in property of the persons named above, and of any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more by them, individually or with other blocked persons, that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons must be blocked and reported to OFAC. All transactions by U.S. persons or within the United States (including transactions transiting the United States) that involve any property or interests in property of blocked or designated persons are prohibited.

In addition, persons that engage in certain transactions with the entities designated today may themselves be exposed to sanctions. Furthermore, any foreign financial institution that knowingly facilitates a significant transaction or provides significant financial services for any of the or entities designated today could be subject to U.S. sanctions.

The power and integrity of OFAC sanctions derive not only from OFAC’s ability to designate and add persons to the SDN List but also from its willingness to remove persons from the SDN List consistent with the law. The ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish, but to bring about a positive change in behavior.&nbsp;<a href="https://ofac.treasury.gov/faqs/897">For information concerning the process for seeking removal from an OFAC list, including the SDN List, please refer to OFAC’s Frequently Asked Question 897 here</a>.

WASHINGTON —The United States imposed new sanctions Wednesday on procurement networks based in Iran, Türkiye, Oman, and Germany that have acquired goods for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force Self Sufficiency Jihad Organization, Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL), the Iran Centrifuge Technology Company, and other U.S.-sanctioned entities that are part of Iran’s military-industrial base, according to a statement from Matthew Miller, State Department spokesman.“Through complex covert procurement networks, Iran seeks to supply rogue actors around the world with weapons systems that fuel conflict and risk countless civilian lives,” said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson. “The United States will continue to use our tools to disrupt these networks and hold accountable those countries that would help proliferate Iran’s drones and missiles.”The designations follow previous U.S. designations of individuals and entities linked to the IRGC, MODAFL, and their subsidiaries’ ballistic missile production and other activities on behalf of Iran’s defense industrial base.The Department of the Treasury’s actions were taken pursuant to Executive Order 13382, which targets proliferators of weapons of mass destruction, and their means of delivery, and their supporters.&nbsp;As a result of today’s action, all property and interests in property of the persons named above, and of any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more by them, individually or with other blocked persons, that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons must be blocked and reported to OFAC. All transactions by U.S. persons or within the United States (including transactions transiting the United States) that involve any property or interests in property of blocked or designated persons are prohibited.In addition, persons that engage in certain transactions with the entities designated today may themselves be exposed to sanctions. Furthermore, any foreign financial institution that knowingly facilitates a significant transaction or provides significant financial services for any of the or entities designated today could be subject to U.S. sanctions.The power and integrity of OFAC sanctions derive not only from OFAC’s ability to designate and add persons to the SDN List but also from its willingness to remove persons from the SDN List consistent with the law. The ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish, but to bring about a positive change in behavior.&nbsp;<a href="https://ofac.treasury.gov/faqs/897">For information concerning the process for seeking removal from an OFAC list, including the SDN List, please refer to OFAC’s Frequently Asked Question 897 here</a>.

US imposes new sanctions on Iran's military procurement networks

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22MARGERY%20A.%20BECK%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By MARGERY A. BECK Associated Press</a>

A Republican Nebraska lawmaker who stirred a firestorm of controversy by repeatedly name-checking a fellow senator while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-lawmaker-halloran-rape-415eb8066a43c973128ec2601dee85a8">reading a graphic account</a>&nbsp;of rape from a best-selling memoir on the floor of the Legislature is now under investigation for sexual harassment.

The investigation into state Sen. Steve Halloran of Hastings by the Legislature's Executive Board was announced Wednesday by Sen. Ray Aguilar, a fellow Republican and chairman of the board. Aguilar said he filed the harassment complaint himself after witnessing Halloran's remarks on the floor Monday night.

“This formal investigation will be thorough and by the book,” Aguilar read from a statement on the floor. "I can assure members of this body, legislative staff and all Nebraskans that any and all allegations of workplace harassment will be properly investigated and addressed as provided in the Executive Board policy. ”

“More than anything, it is important that all members of the Legislature and legislative staff feel safe in the workplace," Aguilar said.

A panel of three lawmakers will be named to oversee the investigation and will hire an outside investigator to look into Halloran’s actions. A report will be made public within 45 days, Aguilar said.

Halloran said legislative rules on harassment investigations prevent him from commenting on the probe, “other than to note I’ll defend myself.”

During a debate on a bill targeting obscenity in libraries, Halloran read a graphic excerpt from the memoir “Lucky” by Alice Sebold, which recounts Sebold’s experience of sexual violence when she was 18, and invoked the name “Sen. Cavanaugh” several times, appearing to reference Democratic state Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh, a female colleague.

Halloran later said he was invoking the name of Cavanaugh's brother, Democratic Sen. John Cavanaugh, because he wanted to ensure that John Cavanaugh was paying attention to his argument against allowing students to have access to Sebold's memoir. Halloran apologized the next day for invoking the Cavanaugh name, but stood by his reading of the graphic passage on the floor.

Machaela Cavanaugh, who was visibly shaken following Halloran's reading, has said she doubts Halloran's claim that she was not the target, because Halloran had approached her a couple of hours before the reading, as she was eating dinner with another lawmaker, and relayed the same passage from Sebold's memoir.

“You don't know anything about anyone else's life, and I can tell you that women in this body have been subject to sexual violence,” Machaela Cavanaugh responded immediately after Halloran's reading on the floor. “I didn't know you were capable of such cruelty!”

Halloran’s reading drew an immediate backlash from both Democrats and Republicans in the officially nonpartisan Legislature. One of the most vocal has been Republican Sen. Julie Slama, who has called on Halloran to resign. Slama, who also serves on the body's Executive Board, has publicly detailed her own encounters with sexual harassment and assault, including her account of being&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-pete-ricketts-nebraska-legislature-c3e80ae9a8235d9db3896c35c997543a">forcibly groped</a>&nbsp;by former Republican candidate for Nebraska governor Charles Herbster at a fundraiser when she was 22. She has also received rape and death threats while serving in the Legislature.

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22MARGERY%20A.%20BECK%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By MARGERY A. BECK Associated Press</a>A Republican Nebraska lawmaker who stirred a firestorm of controversy by repeatedly name-checking a fellow senator while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-lawmaker-halloran-rape-415eb8066a43c973128ec2601dee85a8">reading a graphic account</a>&nbsp;of rape from a best-selling memoir on the floor of the Legislature is now under investigation for sexual harassment.The investigation into state Sen. Steve Halloran of Hastings by the Legislature's Executive Board was announced Wednesday by Sen. Ray Aguilar, a fellow Republican and chairman of the board. Aguilar said he filed the harassment complaint himself after witnessing Halloran's remarks on the floor Monday night.“This formal investigation will be thorough and by the book,” Aguilar read from a statement on the floor. "I can assure members of this body, legislative staff and all Nebraskans that any and all allegations of workplace harassment will be properly investigated and addressed as provided in the Executive Board policy. ”“More than anything, it is important that all members of the Legislature and legislative staff feel safe in the workplace," Aguilar said.A panel of three lawmakers will be named to oversee the investigation and will hire an outside investigator to look into Halloran’s actions. A report will be made public within 45 days, Aguilar said.Halloran said legislative rules on harassment investigations prevent him from commenting on the probe, “other than to note I’ll defend myself.”During a debate on a bill targeting obscenity in libraries, Halloran read a graphic excerpt from the memoir “Lucky” by Alice Sebold, which recounts Sebold’s experience of sexual violence when she was 18, and invoked the name “Sen. Cavanaugh” several times, appearing to reference Democratic state Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh, a female colleague.Halloran later said he was invoking the name of Cavanaugh's brother, Democratic Sen. John Cavanaugh, because he wanted to ensure that John Cavanaugh was paying attention to his argument against allowing students to have access to Sebold's memoir. Halloran apologized the next day for invoking the Cavanaugh name, but stood by his reading of the graphic passage on the floor.Machaela Cavanaugh, who was visibly shaken following Halloran's reading, has said she doubts Halloran's claim that she was not the target, because Halloran had approached her a couple of hours before the reading, as she was eating dinner with another lawmaker, and relayed the same passage from Sebold's memoir.“You don't know anything about anyone else's life, and I can tell you that women in this body have been subject to sexual violence,” Machaela Cavanaugh responded immediately after Halloran's reading on the floor. “I didn't know you were capable of such cruelty!”Halloran’s reading drew an immediate backlash from both Democrats and Republicans in the officially nonpartisan Legislature. One of the most vocal has been Republican Sen. Julie Slama, who has called on Halloran to resign. Slama, who also serves on the body's Executive Board, has publicly detailed her own encounters with sexual harassment and assault, including her account of being&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-pete-ricketts-nebraska-legislature-c3e80ae9a8235d9db3896c35c997543a">forcibly groped</a>&nbsp;by former Republican candidate for Nebraska governor Charles Herbster at a fundraiser when she was 22. She has also received rape and death threats while serving in the Legislature.And these aren't the only scandals involving men targeting women in the Nebraska Legislature in recent years.In 2017, state Sen. Bill Kitner — a married Republican who had already been fined in 2015 for having&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fc88427747b243a7aadd2d1f94f7120d?utm_content=buffer2f716&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter.com&amp;utm_campaign=buffer">cybersex with a woman</a>&nbsp;using his state-issued laptop — resigned after retweeting a comment that implied participants at a women’s march were too unattractive to be sexually assaulted.Then in 2022, Republican state Sen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-legislature-nebraska-term-limits-university-of-nebraska-4e1c6b79f26b44552d65acb00165a123">Mike Groene</a>&nbsp;abruptly stepped down and abandoned his campaign to be a University of Nebraska Regent after admitting that he took workplace photos of a female subordinate — including what she said were close-ups of body parts while she was clothed — without her knowledge or consent. After several women lawmakers railed against the handling of the complaint against Groene, the Legislature last year updated its policy on workplace harassment.