WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden delivered a defiant argument for a second term in his State of the Union speech Thursday night, lacing into GOP front-runner Donald Trump for espousing “resentment, revenge and retribution" and for jeopardizing freedom at home and abroad.

(Click below to watch a replay of the address)

Reveling in the political moment, Biden fired multiple broadsides at “my predecessor” without ever mentioning Trump by name — 13 times in all — raising his voice repeatedly as he worked to quell voter concerns about his age and job performance while sharpening the contrast with his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/super-tuesday-trump-biden-rematch-primaries-2024-e36971a222a2b50d35cb0a2c603ce4d5">all-but-certain</a>&nbsp;November rival.

The scrappy tone from Biden was a sharp break from his often humdrum daily appearances and was intended to banish&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-state-of-union-mental-capacity-trump-reelection-66d8784586d21f30885d8153f949510c">doubts</a>&nbsp;about whether the 81-year-old president, the country's oldest ever, is still up to the job.

For 68 minutes in the House chamber, Biden goaded Republicans over their policies on immigration, taxes and more, invited call-and-response banter with fellow Democrats and seemed to relish the fight.

“I know I may not look like it, but I’ve been around a while," Biden deadpanned. “And when you get to my age certain things become clearer than ever before.”

Noting he was born during World War II and came of political age during the upheaval of the 1960s, Biden declared: “My lifetime has taught me to embrace freedom and democracy. A future based on the core values that have defined America: honesty, decency, dignity, equality. To respect everyone. To give everyone a fair shot. To give hate no safe harbor. Now some other people my age see a different story: an American story of resentment, revenge, and retribution. That’s not me.”

The president linked Trump's praise for those who overran the Capitol in an attempt to subvert the 2020 election with antidemocratic threats abroad.

“Freedom and democracy are under attack both at home and overseas at the very same time,” Biden said as he appealed for Congress to support Ukraine's efforts to defend itself against Russia's two-year-old invasion. “History is watching.”

Biden directly referenced the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol, calling out those who have played it down.

“My predecessor — and some of you here — seek to bury the truth about Jan. 6 — I will not do that," Biden said. “This is a moment to speak the truth and to bury the lies. Here’s a simple truth. You can’t love your country only when you win.”

The State of the Union address is the marquee night on the White House calendar, offering presidents a direct line to a captive audience of lawmakers and dignitaries in the House chamber and tens of millions of viewers at home — almost certain to be Biden’s largest audience of the year. Biden knew he would be watched not just for his message, but for whether he could deliver it with vigor and command.

Aides said Biden was aiming to prove his doubters wrong by flashing his combative side and trying to needle Republicans over positions he believes are out of step with the country, particularly on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/roe-biden-abortion-reproductive-rights-election-3d184285cc6edbe733311b26445db2a0">access to abortion</a>, but also tax policy and healthcare.

Taking a victory lap in selling his legislative accomplishments, including funding to bolster manufacturing of computer chips nationwide, Biden veered from his prepared script to take a dig at Republicans who voted against such policies but nonetheless take credit for them back home.

“If any of you don’t want that money in your districts,” Biden said, “just let me know.”

The president was speaking before a historically ineffective Congress. In the GOP-led House, Speaker Mike Johnson took power five months ago after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-speaker-ousted-mccarthy-3fccfca11fe61c36fe399880f2679f12">chaotic ouster</a>&nbsp;of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Legislators are still struggling to approve funding bills for the current year and have been deadlocked for months on foreign assistance bills to help Ukraine&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-2-years-what-to-know-d0f1c1bd57f7ebbe5f7335738acbc6b4">stave off Russia’s invasion</a>&nbsp;and to support&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel’s fight against Hamas</a>.

Johnson urged Republicans in a private meeting Wednesday to show “decorum” during the speech, but he appeared to have limited success. A number of House Republicans began to stand up and leave the chamber as Biden discussed raising taxes on billionaires and corporations. Others remained in their chairs and shook their heads, while Johnson didn't disguise his emotions, raising his eyebrows and occasionally rolling his eyes.

Biden engaged in a loud call and response with lawmakers as he rhetorically questioned whether the tax code was fair and whether billionaires and corporations need “another $2 trillion in tax breaks,” as he charged Republicans want.

Biden also highlighted his efforts to fight “shrinkflation” — companies putting fewer pretzels in the jar and less yogurt in sealed cups — and so-called “junk fees” on services. Neither is a prime driver of inflation, but the White House hoped to show consumers that Biden is fighting for them.

Congressional Republican leaders showcased one of their newest lawmakers through the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/katie-britt-state-of-union-40cd6634bb0343d8c3c7d70dbd9524d1">State of the Union rebuttal</a>, hoping to make a generational contrast with Biden. Alabama Sen. Katie Britt, the youngest Republican woman elected to the Senate, painted a picture of a nation that “seems to be slipping away” and one where “our families are hurting.”

“Right now, our commander-in-chief is not in command. The free world deserves better than a dithering and diminished leader,” Britt said, speaking deliberately in an address from her home kitchen. “America deserves leaders who recognize that secure borders, stable prices, safe streets, and a strong defense are the cornerstones of a great nation.”

Biden, by contrast, insisted the state of the union was “strong and getting stronger.”

Trump responded to the speech in real time on his Truth Social site, defending himself and blasting Biden for what he said “may be the Angriest, Least Compassionate, and Worst State of the Union Speech ever made. It was an Embarrassment to our Country!”

This year, Biden faced heightened emotions — particularly among his base supporters — over his staunch backing for Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. Biden had initially hoped a short-term cease-fire would be in place by the speech to allow for the release of more hostages and surge sorely needed aid into the territory. The White House blames Hamas for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-03-05-2024-a13c5fa6e23fedbda42e3028a96ca14e">not yet accepting a deal</a>&nbsp;brokered by the U.S. and its allies.

“Israel must allow more aid into Gaza and ensure that humanitarian workers aren’t caught in the crossfire,” Biden said, delivering a warning that Israel should not use aid as a “bargaining chip” with Hamas, even as he reaffirmed Israel’s right to defend itself from attacks by the militant group.

As Biden ran through the endorsements by conservative groups of the legislation, some in the audience appeared to yell and interject, and Biden shot back, “I know you know how to read.”

A slew of Democrats and Republicans wore pins and stickers in honor of the Israeli hostages still being held captive in Gaza. Meanwhile, several House progressives wore Palestinian keffiyehs, the black and white checkered scarfs that have come to symbolize Palestinian solidarity. Heading to the address, Biden’s motorcade took a circuitous route to the Capitol, as hundreds of pro-cease-fire demonstrators tried to disrupt its path from the White House.

Immigration was another flashpoint during the night.

The GOP-controlled House has refused to act on a Senate-passed version of the aid legislation, insisting on new stiffer measures to limit migration at the U.S.-Mexico border, after Trump used his influence to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-ukraine-aid-border-security-386dcc54b29a5491f8bd87b727a284f8">help sink a bipartisan compromise</a>&nbsp;that would have done just that.

As Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, wearing pro-Trump paraphernalia, continued to shout at Biden, the president held up a white button that the Georgia Republican had handed him earlier bearing the name of the slain Laken Riley. Authorities say the Georgia nursing student was killed by a Venezuelan national who unlawfully crossed into the U.S. in September 2022.

“Laken Riley,” Biden said, calling her an “innocent young woman who was killed by an illegal.” He expressed condolences to her family, saying his heart goes out to them.

Access to abortion and fertility treatments was also a key component of Biden’s speech, especially in light of a controversial ruling from Alabama’s Supreme Court that has upended access to in vitro fertilization treatment in the state.

"To my friends across the aisle, don’t keep families waiting any longer," Biden said, recognizing Latorya Beasley, a guest of first lady Jill Biden’s whose IVF treatments were cancelled after the Alabama ruling. “Guarantee the right to IVF nationwide!”

Another guest was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-texas-court-kate-cox-complications-3e24f473b0eab907993ddcad189e8115">Kate Cox</a>, who sued Texas, and ultimately left her home state, to obtain an emergency abortion after a severe fetal anomaly was detected, in a case that drew national attention.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709869258044.png" alt="Images courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Images courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden delivered a defiant argument for a second term in his State of the Union speech Thursday night, lacing into GOP front-runner Donald Trump for espousing “resentment, revenge and retribution" and for jeopardizing freedom at home and abroad.(Click below to watch a replay of the address)<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nFVUPAEF-sw?si=bkuuCuoGXlEccYQu&amp;start=2399" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Reveling in the political moment, Biden fired multiple broadsides at “my predecessor” without ever mentioning Trump by name — 13 times in all — raising his voice repeatedly as he worked to quell voter concerns about his age and job performance while sharpening the contrast with his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/super-tuesday-trump-biden-rematch-primaries-2024-e36971a222a2b50d35cb0a2c603ce4d5">all-but-certain</a>&nbsp;November rival.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709867018724.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The scrappy tone from Biden was a sharp break from his often humdrum daily appearances and was intended to banish&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-state-of-union-mental-capacity-trump-reelection-66d8784586d21f30885d8153f949510c">doubts</a>&nbsp;about whether the 81-year-old president, the country's oldest ever, is still up to the job.For 68 minutes in the House chamber, Biden goaded Republicans over their policies on immigration, taxes and more, invited call-and-response banter with fellow Democrats and seemed to relish the fight.“I know I may not look like it, but I’ve been around a while," Biden deadpanned. “And when you get to my age certain things become clearer than ever before.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709869340712.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Noting he was born during World War II and came of political age during the upheaval of the 1960s, Biden declared: “My lifetime has taught me to embrace freedom and democracy. A future based on the core values that have defined America: honesty, decency, dignity, equality. To respect everyone. To give everyone a fair shot. To give hate no safe harbor. Now some other people my age see a different story: an American story of resentment, revenge, and retribution. That’s not me.”The president linked Trump's praise for those who overran the Capitol in an attempt to subvert the 2020 election with antidemocratic threats abroad.“Freedom and democracy are under attack both at home and overseas at the very same time,” Biden said as he appealed for Congress to support Ukraine's efforts to defend itself against Russia's two-year-old invasion. “History is watching.”Biden directly referenced the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol, calling out those who have played it down.“My predecessor — and some of you here — seek to bury the truth about Jan. 6 — I will not do that," Biden said. “This is a moment to speak the truth and to bury the lies. Here’s a simple truth. You can’t love your country only when you win.”The State of the Union address is the marquee night on the White House calendar, offering presidents a direct line to a captive audience of lawmakers and dignitaries in the House chamber and tens of millions of viewers at home — almost certain to be Biden’s largest audience of the year. Biden knew he would be watched not just for his message, but for whether he could deliver it with vigor and command.Aides said Biden was aiming to prove his doubters wrong by flashing his combative side and trying to needle Republicans over positions he believes are out of step with the country, particularly on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/roe-biden-abortion-reproductive-rights-election-3d184285cc6edbe733311b26445db2a0">access to abortion</a>, but also tax policy and healthcare.Taking a victory lap in selling his legislative accomplishments, including funding to bolster manufacturing of computer chips nationwide, Biden veered from his prepared script to take a dig at Republicans who voted against such policies but nonetheless take credit for them back home.“If any of you don’t want that money in your districts,” Biden said, “just let me know.”The president was speaking before a historically ineffective Congress. In the GOP-led House, Speaker Mike Johnson took power five months ago after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-speaker-ousted-mccarthy-3fccfca11fe61c36fe399880f2679f12">chaotic ouster</a>&nbsp;of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Legislators are still struggling to approve funding bills for the current year and have been deadlocked for months on foreign assistance bills to help Ukraine&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-2-years-what-to-know-d0f1c1bd57f7ebbe5f7335738acbc6b4">stave off Russia’s invasion</a>&nbsp;and to support&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel’s fight against Hamas</a>.Johnson urged Republicans in a private meeting Wednesday to show “decorum” during the speech, but he appeared to have limited success. A number of House Republicans began to stand up and leave the chamber as Biden discussed raising taxes on billionaires and corporations. Others remained in their chairs and shook their heads, while Johnson didn't disguise his emotions, raising his eyebrows and occasionally rolling his eyes.Biden engaged in a loud call and response with lawmakers as he rhetorically questioned whether the tax code was fair and whether billionaires and corporations need “another $2 trillion in tax breaks,” as he charged Republicans want.Biden also highlighted his efforts to fight “shrinkflation” — companies putting fewer pretzels in the jar and less yogurt in sealed cups — and so-called “junk fees” on services. Neither is a prime driver of inflation, but the White House hoped to show consumers that Biden is fighting for them.Congressional Republican leaders showcased one of their newest lawmakers through the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/katie-britt-state-of-union-40cd6634bb0343d8c3c7d70dbd9524d1">State of the Union rebuttal</a>, hoping to make a generational contrast with Biden. Alabama Sen. Katie Britt, the youngest Republican woman elected to the Senate, painted a picture of a nation that “seems to be slipping away” and one where “our families are hurting.”“Right now, our commander-in-chief is not in command. The free world deserves better than a dithering and diminished leader,” Britt said, speaking deliberately in an address from her home kitchen. “America deserves leaders who recognize that secure borders, stable prices, safe streets, and a strong defense are the cornerstones of a great nation.”Biden, by contrast, insisted the state of the union was “strong and getting stronger.”Trump responded to the speech in real time on his Truth Social site, defending himself and blasting Biden for what he said “may be the Angriest, Least Compassionate, and Worst State of the Union Speech ever made. It was an Embarrassment to our Country!”This year, Biden faced heightened emotions — particularly among his base supporters — over his staunch backing for Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. Biden had initially hoped a short-term cease-fire would be in place by the speech to allow for the release of more hostages and surge sorely needed aid into the territory. The White House blames Hamas for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-03-05-2024-a13c5fa6e23fedbda42e3028a96ca14e">not yet accepting a deal</a>&nbsp;brokered by the U.S. and its allies.“Israel must allow more aid into Gaza and ensure that humanitarian workers aren’t caught in the crossfire,” Biden said, delivering a warning that Israel should not use aid as a “bargaining chip” with Hamas, even as he reaffirmed Israel’s right to defend itself from attacks by the militant group.As Biden ran through the endorsements by conservative groups of the legislation, some in the audience appeared to yell and interject, and Biden shot back, “I know you know how to read.”A slew of Democrats and Republicans wore pins and stickers in honor of the Israeli hostages still being held captive in Gaza. Meanwhile, several House progressives wore Palestinian keffiyehs, the black and white checkered scarfs that have come to symbolize Palestinian solidarity. Heading to the address, Biden’s motorcade took a circuitous route to the Capitol, as hundreds of pro-cease-fire demonstrators tried to disrupt its path from the White House.Immigration was another flashpoint during the night.The GOP-controlled House has refused to act on a Senate-passed version of the aid legislation, insisting on new stiffer measures to limit migration at the U.S.-Mexico border, after Trump used his influence to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-ukraine-aid-border-security-386dcc54b29a5491f8bd87b727a284f8">help sink a bipartisan compromise</a>&nbsp;that would have done just that.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709864540792.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>As Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, wearing pro-Trump paraphernalia, continued to shout at Biden, the president held up a white button that the Georgia Republican had handed him earlier bearing the name of the slain Laken Riley. Authorities say the Georgia nursing student was killed by a Venezuelan national who unlawfully crossed into the U.S. in September 2022.“Laken Riley,” Biden said, calling her an “innocent young woman who was killed by an illegal.” He expressed condolences to her family, saying his heart goes out to them.Access to abortion and fertility treatments was also a key component of Biden’s speech, especially in light of a controversial ruling from Alabama’s Supreme Court that has upended access to in vitro fertilization treatment in the state."To my friends across the aisle, don’t keep families waiting any longer," Biden said, recognizing Latorya Beasley, a guest of first lady Jill Biden’s whose IVF treatments were cancelled after the Alabama ruling. “Guarantee the right to IVF nationwide!”Another guest was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-texas-court-kate-cox-complications-3e24f473b0eab907993ddcad189e8115">Kate Cox</a>, who sued Texas, and ultimately left her home state, to obtain an emergency abortion after a severe fetal anomaly was detected, in a case that drew national attention.--------

🎥 Biden uses feisty State of the Union to sell voters on a second term

NEW YORK (AP) — Steve Lawrence, a singer and top stage act who as a solo performer and in tandem with his wife Eydie Gorme kept Tin Pan Alley alive during the rock era, died Thursday. He was 88.

Lawrence, whose hits included "Go Away Little Girl,” died from complications due to Alzheimer’s disease, said Susan DuBow, a spokesperson for the family.

Lawrence and Gorme — or Steve &amp; Eydie — were known for their frequent appearances on talk shows, in night clubs and on the stages of Las Vegas. The duo took inspiration from George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern and other songwriters.

Soon after Elvis Presley and other rock music pioneers began to dominate radio and records, Lawrence and his wife were approached about changing their style.

"We had a chance to get in on the ground floor of rock ‘n’ roll," he recalled in a 1989 interview. "It was 1957 and everything was changing, but I wanted to be Sinatra, not Rick Nelson.

"Our audience knows we're not going to load up on heavy metal or set fire to the drummer — although on some nights we've talked about it," he joked.

Although Lawrence and Gorme were best known as a team, both also had huge solo hits just months apart in the early 1960s.

Dionne Warwick, a longtime friend, said in a statement that Lawrence was “resting with comfort in the arms of the Heavenly Father. My heartfelt condolences go out.” Carol Burnett, in a statement, called Lawrence one of her favorite guests on her variety show. “He was also my very close friend,” she said. “He will always be in my heart.”

Lawrence scored first in 1962 with the achingly romantic ballad "Go Away Little Girl," written by the Brill Building songwriting team of Gerry Goffin and Carole King. Gorme matched his success the following year with "Blame It on the Bossa Nova," a bouncy tune about a dance craze of the time that was written by Brill hitmakers Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.

By the 1970s, Lawrence and his wife were a top draw in Las Vegas casinos and nightclubs across the country. They also appeared regularly on television, making specials and guesting on various shows.

In the 1980s, when Vegas cut down on headline acts and nightclubs became scarcer, the pair switched to auditoriums and drew large audiences.

"People come with a general idea of what they're going to get with us," Lawrence said in 1989. "It's like a product. They buy a certain cereal and they know what to expect from that package."

Lawrence launched his professional singing career at age 15. After two failed auditions for “Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts” TV show, he was accepted on the third try, going on to win the competition and the prize of appearing on Godfrey's popular daytime radio show for a week.

King Records, impressed by the teenager's strong, two-octave voice, signed him to a contract. His first record, "Poinciana," sold more than 100,000 copies, and his high school allowed him to skip classes to promote it with out-of-town singing dates.

After several guest appearances on Steve Allen's television show, Lawrence was hired as a regular. When the program became NBC's "Tonight" in 1954, he went with it, singing and exchanging quips with Allen. The series set the pattern for the long-running "The Tonight Show."

"I think Steve Allen was the biggest thing that happened to me," said Lawrence, who stayed with the show's host for five years, honing his comedic skills and attracting a wide audience with his singing. "Every night I was called upon to do something different. In its own way it was better than vaudeville."

Early in the series' run, a young singer named Eydie Gorme joined the cast. After singing together for four years, she and Lawrence were married in 1957.

Until Gorme’s death, in 2013, they remained popular, whether working together in concert or making separate TV appearances.

His reasoning: "If we did television together all the time, why should anyone go see us in a club?"

He appeared in such shows as "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," "Gilmore Girls," "Diagnosis Murder" and "The Nanny."

He and his wife did star together in "The Steve Lawrence-Eydie Gorme Show" in 1958 and Lawrence had his own series, "The Steve Lawrence Show," in 1965.

He also made stage appearances without Gorme, including a starring role in a 1962 summer stock version of "Pal Joey." He made it to Broadway in 1964 — and earned a Tony Award nomination — in the musical "What Makes Sammy Run?" based on Budd Schulberg's classic novel about a New York hustler who claws his way to the top of the entertainment world.

Critics praised Lawrence but gave the play bad reviews. Still, it turned a profit, and insiders attributed its success to his performance.

Lawrence also had a few character roles in movies, most notably "Stand Up and Be Counted," "Blues Brothers 2000," "The Lonely Guy" and "The Yards."

Native-born New Yorkers, Lawrence and Gorme lived in a Manhattan apartment during their early years together. When the center of TV entertainment shifted to Hollywood, they moved to Beverly Hills.

Born Sidney Liebowitz in New York City's borough of Brooklyn, Lawrence was the son of a Jewish cantor who worked as a house painter. He began singing in his father's synagogue choir at 8, moving on to bars and clubs by his mid-teens. He took his name from the first names of two nephews.

He and Gorme had two sons, David, a composer, and Michael. Long troubled with heart problems, Michael died of heart failure in 1986 at age 23.

“My dad was an inspiration to so many people,” his son David said in a statement. “But, to me, he was just this charming, handsome, hysterically funny guy who sang a lot. Sometimes alone and sometimes with his insanely talented wife. I am so lucky to have had him as a father and so proud to be his son.”

This report contains biographical material compiled by former AP reporter Bob Thomas

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709861417063.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Steve Lawrence, a singer and top stage act who as a solo performer and in tandem with his wife Eydie Gorme kept Tin Pan Alley alive during the rock era, died Thursday. He was 88.Lawrence, whose hits included "Go Away Little Girl,” died from complications due to Alzheimer’s disease, said Susan DuBow, a spokesperson for the family.Lawrence and Gorme — or Steve &amp; Eydie — were known for their frequent appearances on talk shows, in night clubs and on the stages of Las Vegas. The duo took inspiration from George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern and other songwriters.Soon after Elvis Presley and other rock music pioneers began to dominate radio and records, Lawrence and his wife were approached about changing their style."We had a chance to get in on the ground floor of rock ‘n’ roll," he recalled in a 1989 interview. "It was 1957 and everything was changing, but I wanted to be Sinatra, not Rick Nelson."Our audience knows we're not going to load up on heavy metal or set fire to the drummer — although on some nights we've talked about it," he joked.Although Lawrence and Gorme were best known as a team, both also had huge solo hits just months apart in the early 1960s.Dionne Warwick, a longtime friend, said in a statement that Lawrence was “resting with comfort in the arms of the Heavenly Father. My heartfelt condolences go out.” Carol Burnett, in a statement, called Lawrence one of her favorite guests on her variety show. “He was also my very close friend,” she said. “He will always be in my heart.”Lawrence scored first in 1962 with the achingly romantic ballad "Go Away Little Girl," written by the Brill Building songwriting team of Gerry Goffin and Carole King. Gorme matched his success the following year with "Blame It on the Bossa Nova," a bouncy tune about a dance craze of the time that was written by Brill hitmakers Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.By the 1970s, Lawrence and his wife were a top draw in Las Vegas casinos and nightclubs across the country. They also appeared regularly on television, making specials and guesting on various shows.In the 1980s, when Vegas cut down on headline acts and nightclubs became scarcer, the pair switched to auditoriums and drew large audiences."People come with a general idea of what they're going to get with us," Lawrence said in 1989. "It's like a product. They buy a certain cereal and they know what to expect from that package."Lawrence launched his professional singing career at age 15. After two failed auditions for “Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts” TV show, he was accepted on the third try, going on to win the competition and the prize of appearing on Godfrey's popular daytime radio show for a week.King Records, impressed by the teenager's strong, two-octave voice, signed him to a contract. His first record, "Poinciana," sold more than 100,000 copies, and his high school allowed him to skip classes to promote it with out-of-town singing dates.After several guest appearances on Steve Allen's television show, Lawrence was hired as a regular. When the program became NBC's "Tonight" in 1954, he went with it, singing and exchanging quips with Allen. The series set the pattern for the long-running "The Tonight Show.""I think Steve Allen was the biggest thing that happened to me," said Lawrence, who stayed with the show's host for five years, honing his comedic skills and attracting a wide audience with his singing. "Every night I was called upon to do something different. In its own way it was better than vaudeville."Early in the series' run, a young singer named Eydie Gorme joined the cast. After singing together for four years, she and Lawrence were married in 1957.Until Gorme’s death, in 2013, they remained popular, whether working together in concert or making separate TV appearances.His reasoning: "If we did television together all the time, why should anyone go see us in a club?"He appeared in such shows as "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," "Gilmore Girls," "Diagnosis Murder" and "The Nanny."He and his wife did star together in "The Steve Lawrence-Eydie Gorme Show" in 1958 and Lawrence had his own series, "The Steve Lawrence Show," in 1965.He also made stage appearances without Gorme, including a starring role in a 1962 summer stock version of "Pal Joey." He made it to Broadway in 1964 — and earned a Tony Award nomination — in the musical "What Makes Sammy Run?" based on Budd Schulberg's classic novel about a New York hustler who claws his way to the top of the entertainment world.Critics praised Lawrence but gave the play bad reviews. Still, it turned a profit, and insiders attributed its success to his performance.Lawrence also had a few character roles in movies, most notably "Stand Up and Be Counted," "Blues Brothers 2000," "The Lonely Guy" and "The Yards."Native-born New Yorkers, Lawrence and Gorme lived in a Manhattan apartment during their early years together. When the center of TV entertainment shifted to Hollywood, they moved to Beverly Hills.Born Sidney Liebowitz in New York City's borough of Brooklyn, Lawrence was the son of a Jewish cantor who worked as a house painter. He began singing in his father's synagogue choir at 8, moving on to bars and clubs by his mid-teens. He took his name from the first names of two nephews.He and Gorme had two sons, David, a composer, and Michael. Long troubled with heart problems, Michael died of heart failure in 1986 at age 23.“My dad was an inspiration to so many people,” his son David said in a statement. “But, to me, he was just this charming, handsome, hysterically funny guy who sang a lot. Sometimes alone and sometimes with his insanely talented wife. I am so lucky to have had him as a father and so proud to be his son.”___This report contains biographical material compiled by former AP reporter Bob Thomas

Steve Lawrence, Grammy winning singer and entertainer, has died

NEW YORK (AP) —Ground cinnamon sold by U.S. discount retailers is contaminated with high levels of lead and should be discarded,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/alerts-advisories-safety-information/fda-alert-concerning-certain-cinnamon-products-due-presence-elevated-levels-lead">federal health officials said Wednesday</a>.

<a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/alerts-advisories-safety-information/fda-alert-concerning-certain-cinnamon-products-due-presence-elevated-levels-lead">Click here to see</a> all the products included.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said cinnamon sold by stores including the Dollar Tree and Family Dollar contains lead at levels that could be unsafe for people, particularly children, with prolonged exposure to the spice. The agency urged suppliers to recall the products voluntarily.

Cinnamon products included in the agency's safety alert include the La Fiesta brand sold by La Superior and SuperMercados; Marcum brand sold by Save A Lot stores; MK brands sold by SF Supermarket; Swad brand sold by Patel Brothers; El Chilar brand sold by La Joya Morelense; and Supreme Tradition brand sold by Dollar Tree and Family Dollar stores.

“Removing the ground cinnamon products in this alert from the market will prevent them from contributing elevated amounts of lead to the diets of children,” the alert said.

Consumers should not buy the products and should throw away any containers they have at home, the agency said.

Dollar Tree and Family Dollar stores have removed the cinnamon from their store shelves, a company spokesperson said. Customers can return products to nearby stores for a refund.

FDA officials launched what they called a “targeted survey” of cinnamon products sold in discount stores after an October 2023 recall of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wanabana-apple-cinnamon-lead-poisoning-fruit-pouch-86c32266e010843d0c9ad3340ccae319">lead-tainted cinnamon applesauce pouches</a>&nbsp;that sickened nearly 500 U.S. children.

The ground cinnamon products in Wednesday's notice had lead levels of 2.03 to 3.4 parts per million, far lower than the puree pouches, which contained 2,270 parts per million to 5,110 parts per million of lead.

No illnesses or other health effects have been reported in connection with the new ground cinnamon alert, the FDA said.

There is no safe level of lead exposure for humans. Long-term exposure of lead can cause problems, especially in growing children, including learning disabilities, behavioral difficulties and lower IQ.

The FDA monitors foods for lead levels, but the U.S. government doesn’t broadly limit lead in food products. The agency sent a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/176824/download?attachment">letter</a>&nbsp;to all cinnamon manufacturers, processors, distributors and facility operators in the U.S. reminding them they're required to prevent contamination from chemical hazards in food, including spices.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709767199407.png" alt="FDA image" />
 <figcaption>FDA image</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) —Ground cinnamon sold by U.S. discount retailers is contaminated with high levels of lead and should be discarded,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/alerts-advisories-safety-information/fda-alert-concerning-certain-cinnamon-products-due-presence-elevated-levels-lead">federal health officials said Wednesday</a>.<a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/alerts-advisories-safety-information/fda-alert-concerning-certain-cinnamon-products-due-presence-elevated-levels-lead">Click here to see</a> all the products included.The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said cinnamon sold by stores including the Dollar Tree and Family Dollar contains lead at levels that could be unsafe for people, particularly children, with prolonged exposure to the spice. The agency urged suppliers to recall the products voluntarily.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709767164551.png" alt="FDA image" />
 <figcaption>FDA image</figcaption>
 </figure>Cinnamon products included in the agency's safety alert include the La Fiesta brand sold by La Superior and SuperMercados; Marcum brand sold by Save A Lot stores; MK brands sold by SF Supermarket; Swad brand sold by Patel Brothers; El Chilar brand sold by La Joya Morelense; and Supreme Tradition brand sold by Dollar Tree and Family Dollar stores.“Removing the ground cinnamon products in this alert from the market will prevent them from contributing elevated amounts of lead to the diets of children,” the alert said.Consumers should not buy the products and should throw away any containers they have at home, the agency said.Dollar Tree and Family Dollar stores have removed the cinnamon from their store shelves, a company spokesperson said. Customers can return products to nearby stores for a refund.FDA officials launched what they called a “targeted survey” of cinnamon products sold in discount stores after an October 2023 recall of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wanabana-apple-cinnamon-lead-poisoning-fruit-pouch-86c32266e010843d0c9ad3340ccae319">lead-tainted cinnamon applesauce pouches</a>&nbsp;that sickened nearly 500 U.S. children.The ground cinnamon products in Wednesday's notice had lead levels of 2.03 to 3.4 parts per million, far lower than the puree pouches, which contained 2,270 parts per million to 5,110 parts per million of lead.No illnesses or other health effects have been reported in connection with the new ground cinnamon alert, the FDA said.There is no safe level of lead exposure for humans. Long-term exposure of lead can cause problems, especially in growing children, including learning disabilities, behavioral difficulties and lower IQ.The FDA monitors foods for lead levels, but the U.S. government doesn’t broadly limit lead in food products. The agency sent a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/176824/download?attachment">letter</a>&nbsp;to all cinnamon manufacturers, processors, distributors and facility operators in the U.S. reminding them they're required to prevent contamination from chemical hazards in food, including spices.

FDA: Ground cinnamon sold at discount stores is tainted with lead

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sweden on Thursday formally joined&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nato">NATO</a>&nbsp;as the 32nd member of the transatlantic military alliance, ending decades of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sweden-nato-policy-of-neutrality-nonaligment-74ae8d15b2e27f9467634d7cde414625">post-World War II neutrality</a>&nbsp;and centuries of broader non-alignment with major powers as security concerns in Europe have spiked following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

President Joe Biden congratulated Sweden on its admission and said it was a sign that Russia's intervention in Ukraine had united, rather than divided, the alliance.

“When Putin launched his brutal war of aggression against the people of Ukraine, he thought he could weaken Europe and divide NATO,” Biden said in a statement, which he is expected to echo in his State of the Union address to Congress later Thursday.

“Instead, in May 2022, Sweden and Finland — two of our close partners, with two highly capable militaries — made the historic decision to apply for full NATO membership," Biden said. ”With the addition of Sweden today, NATO stands more united, determined, and dynamic than ever—now 32 nations strong."

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Secretary of State Antony Blinken presided at a ceremony in which Sweden’s “instrument of accession” to the alliance was officially deposited at the State Department.

“This is a historic moment for Sweden. It's historic for the alliance. It's historic for the transatlantic relationship,” Blinken said. “Our NATO alliance is now stronger, larger than it’s ever been.”

“Today is truly a historic day,” Kristersson said. “We are humbled, but we are also proud. We will live up to high expectations from all NATO allies. United we stand. Unity and solidarity will be Sweden’s guiding light

Later Thursday. Kristersson was to visit the White House and then be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/state-union-guest-list-attendance-2024-biden-003c5da894f9fd7af2c8289a267ac7b0">a guest of honor</a>&nbsp;at Biden’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/state-of-union-biden-gaza-ukraine-israel-1a42ff9d4ef3e0f2753e43ac8d39fc18">State of the Union address</a>.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg also described it as “a historic day.”

“Sweden will now take its rightful place at NATO’s table, with an equal say in shaping NATO policies and decisions,” he said in a statement.

The Swedish flag will be raised outside the military organization’s headquarters in Brussels on Monday. Stoltenberg underscored that the Nordic country “now enjoys the protection granted under Article 5, the ultimate guarantee of allies’ freedom and security.”

Article 5 of NATO’s treaty&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-nato-article-5-88883436438dae49ba9cacb6d4cfad0a">obliges all members</a>&nbsp;to come to the aid of an ally whose territory or security is under threat. It has only been activated once – by the U.S. after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks – and is the collective security guarantee that Sweden has sought since Russia invaded Ukraine.

“Sweden’s accession makes NATO stronger, Sweden safer and the whole alliance more secure,” Stoltenberg said. He added that the move “demonstrates that NATO’s door remains open and that every nation has the right to choose its own path.”

Sweden, along with Finland, which joined NATO last year, both abandoned long-standing military neutrality that was a hallmark of the Nordic states’ Cold War foreign policy after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-russia-moscow-kyiv-626a8c5ec22217bacb24ece60fac4fe1">Russia invaded Ukraine</a>&nbsp;in early 2022.

Biden, in his speech to Congress, was expected to use Sweden’s decision to join to step up calls for reluctant Republicans to approve stalled military assistance to Ukraine as the war enters its third year.

Biden and his NATO counterparts have vowed that Ukraine will join one day, too.

Sweden’s membership had been held up due to objections by NATO members Turkey and Hungary. Turkey expressed concern that Sweden was harboring and not taking enough action against Kurdish groups that it regards as terrorists, and Hungary's populist President Viktor Orban has shown pro-Russian sentiment and not shared the alliance’s determination to support Ukraine.

After months of delay, Turkey ratified Sweden’s admission earlier this year, and Hungary did so this week.

Cook reported from Brussels. AP writer Jan M. Olsen contributed from Copenhagen, Denmark.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709831489794.png" alt="<a href="https://www.c-span.org/person/?47231/AntonyTonyJBlinken">Secretary of State Antony Blinken&nbsp;</a>meets with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/person/?136192/UlfKristersson">Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson&nbsp;</a>at the State Department Thursday as Sweden officially joins NATO, making it the 32nd member of the alliance.- image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption><a href="https://www.c-span.org/person/?47231/AntonyTonyJBlinken">Secretary of State Antony Blinken&nbsp;</a>meets with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/person/?136192/UlfKristersson">Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson&nbsp;</a>at the State Department Thursday as Sweden officially joins NATO, making it the 32nd member of the alliance.- image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Sweden on Thursday formally joined&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nato">NATO</a>&nbsp;as the 32nd member of the transatlantic military alliance, ending decades of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sweden-nato-policy-of-neutrality-nonaligment-74ae8d15b2e27f9467634d7cde414625">post-World War II neutrality</a>&nbsp;and centuries of broader non-alignment with major powers as security concerns in Europe have spiked following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709831140081.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>President Joe Biden congratulated Sweden on its admission and said it was a sign that Russia's intervention in Ukraine had united, rather than divided, the alliance.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Today, I am honored to welcome Sweden as NATO’s 32nd Ally. 75 years ago when NATO was established, President Truman said the Alliance, “would create a shield against aggression and fear of aggression.” That shield – and transatlantic security – is stronger than ever. <a href="https://t.co/0ySHg8dvQy">pic.twitter.com/0ySHg8dvQy</a>&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1765794052698476561?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“When Putin launched his brutal war of aggression against the people of Ukraine, he thought he could weaken Europe and divide NATO,” Biden said in a statement, which he is expected to echo in his State of the Union address to Congress later Thursday.“Instead, in May 2022, Sweden and Finland — two of our close partners, with two highly capable militaries — made the historic decision to apply for full NATO membership," Biden said. ”With the addition of Sweden today, NATO stands more united, determined, and dynamic than ever—now 32 nations strong."Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Secretary of State Antony Blinken presided at a ceremony in which Sweden’s “instrument of accession” to the alliance was officially deposited at the State Department.“This is a historic moment for Sweden. It's historic for the alliance. It's historic for the transatlantic relationship,” Blinken said. “Our NATO alliance is now stronger, larger than it’s ever been.”“Today is truly a historic day,” Kristersson said. “We are humbled, but we are also proud. We will live up to high expectations from all NATO allies. United we stand. Unity and solidarity will be Sweden’s guiding lightLater Thursday. Kristersson was to visit the White House and then be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/state-union-guest-list-attendance-2024-biden-003c5da894f9fd7af2c8289a267ac7b0">a guest of honor</a>&nbsp;at Biden’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/state-of-union-biden-gaza-ukraine-israel-1a42ff9d4ef3e0f2753e43ac8d39fc18">State of the Union address</a>.NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg also described it as “a historic day.”“Sweden will now take its rightful place at NATO’s table, with an equal say in shaping NATO policies and decisions,” he said in a statement.The Swedish flag will be raised outside the military organization’s headquarters in Brussels on Monday. Stoltenberg underscored that the Nordic country “now enjoys the protection granted under Article 5, the ultimate guarantee of allies’ freedom and security.”Article 5 of NATO’s treaty&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-nato-article-5-88883436438dae49ba9cacb6d4cfad0a">obliges all members</a>&nbsp;to come to the aid of an ally whose territory or security is under threat. It has only been activated once – by the U.S. after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks – and is the collective security guarantee that Sweden has sought since Russia invaded Ukraine.“Sweden’s accession makes NATO stronger, Sweden safer and the whole alliance more secure,” Stoltenberg said. He added that the move “demonstrates that NATO’s door remains open and that every nation has the right to choose its own path.”Sweden, along with Finland, which joined NATO last year, both abandoned long-standing military neutrality that was a hallmark of the Nordic states’ Cold War foreign policy after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-russia-moscow-kyiv-626a8c5ec22217bacb24ece60fac4fe1">Russia invaded Ukraine</a>&nbsp;in early 2022.Biden, in his speech to Congress, was expected to use Sweden’s decision to join to step up calls for reluctant Republicans to approve stalled military assistance to Ukraine as the war enters its third year.Biden and his NATO counterparts have vowed that Ukraine will join one day, too.Sweden’s membership had been held up due to objections by NATO members Turkey and Hungary. Turkey expressed concern that Sweden was harboring and not taking enough action against Kurdish groups that it regards as terrorists, and Hungary's populist President Viktor Orban has shown pro-Russian sentiment and not shared the alliance’s determination to support Ukraine.After months of delay, Turkey ratified Sweden’s admission earlier this year, and Hungary did so this week.___Cook reported from Brussels. AP writer Jan M. Olsen contributed from Copenhagen, Denmark.___

U.S. welcomes 32nd member of NATO as war in Ukraine threatens

BROWN COUNTY—An 86-year-old missing person was safely returned to family after law enforcement and the community worked together to resolve the situation.

Just after 2a.m. Wednesday the&nbsp;Brown County law enforcement dispatch received a call from Tanya Rhyne, employee of TA Express Truck Stop in Fairview, Kansas who was concerned about an elderly person who appeared disoriented while driving in their parking lot, according to Brown County Sheriff John Merchant.

 Upon investigation, a Brown County Deputy ran the license plate which came back to an individual in Lincoln,Nebraska.&nbsp; 

Brown County officials contacted the Lincoln, Nebraska Police and it was learned that the 86-year-old driver in the Truck Stop parking lot had been reported missing sinceMarch&nbsp; 4.&nbsp;

 Lincoln police provided the name and contact information&nbsp; of the missing person's daughter who was then contacted by the deputy.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 

The deputy and Tanya stayed with the missing individual until 5:30 a.m. when&nbsp; the daughter arrived. The sheriff thanked Tanya who did the right thing by calling with her concern and assisting the deputy.&nbsp;&nbsp;

BROWN COUNTY—An 86-year-old missing person was safely returned to family after law enforcement and the community worked together to resolve the situation.Just after 2a.m. Wednesday the&nbsp;Brown County law enforcement dispatch received a call from Tanya Rhyne, employee of TA Express Truck Stop in Fairview, Kansas who was concerned about an elderly person who appeared disoriented while driving in their parking lot, according to Brown County Sheriff John Merchant. Upon investigation, a Brown County Deputy ran the license plate which came back to an individual in Lincoln,Nebraska.&nbsp; Brown County officials contacted the Lincoln, Nebraska Police and it was learned that the 86-year-old driver in the Truck Stop parking lot had been reported missing sinceMarch&nbsp; 4.&nbsp; Lincoln police provided the name and contact information&nbsp; of the missing person's daughter who was then contacted by the deputy.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The deputy and Tanya stayed with the missing individual until 5:30 a.m. when&nbsp; the daughter arrived. The sheriff thanked Tanya who did the right thing by calling with her concern and assisting the deputy.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Missing 86-year-old from Nebraska located in Kansas

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House passed a $460 billion package of spending bills Wednesday that would keep money flowing to key federal agencies through the remainder of the budget year. The Senate is expected to take up the legislation before a midnight Friday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/government-shutdown">shutdown</a>&nbsp;deadline.

Lawmakers are negotiating a second package of six bills, including defense, in an effort to have all federal agencies fully funded before a March 22 deadline. In the end, total discretionary spending set by Congress is expected to come in at about $1.66 trillion for the full entire year.

A significant number of House Republicans have lined up in opposition to the spending packages, forcing House Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">Mike Johnson</a>, R-La., to use an expedited process to bring the bill up for a vote. That process requires two-thirds of the House to vote for the measure for it to pass.

The House passed the measure by a vote of 339-85.&nbsp; All three members of the Nebraska delegation voted for the measure.

The nondefense spending in this year's bills is relatively flat compared to the previous year. Supporters say that keeping that spending below the rate of inflation is tantamount to a cut, forcing agencies to be more frugal and focus manpower on top priorities. Johnson cited a 10% cut to the Environmental Protection Agency, a 7% cut to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and a 6% cut to the FBI.

But many Republican lawmakers were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-mccarthy-house-republicans-spending-cuts-deff84c0e2ff7d3bd076b8c38e14cca4">seeking</a>&nbsp;much steeper cuts and more policy victories. The House Freedom Caucus, which contains dozens of the GOP's most conservative members, urged Republicans to vote against the first spending package and oppose the second one being negotiated.

“Despite giving Democrats higher spending levels, the omnibus text released so far punts on nearly every single Republican policy priority,” the group said.

Johnson countered that House Republicans have just a two-vote majority in the House while Democrats control the Senate and White House.

“We have to be realistic about what we're able to achieve,” Johnson said.

Democrats staved off most of the policy riders that House Republicans sought to include in the package. For example, they beat back an effort to block new rules that expand access to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/abortion">abortion</a>&nbsp;pill mifepristone.

Democrats also said the bill would fully fund a nutrition program for low-income women, infants and children, providing about $7 billion for what is known as the WIC program. That's a $1 billion increase from the previous year.

As part of those negotiations, House Republicans pushed to give a few states the ability to disallow the purchase of non-nutritious food, such as sugary drinks and snacks, in the food stamp program known as SNAP. The GOP's effort was unsuccessful for now, but supporters say they'll try again in next year's spending bills.

“The bill certainly doesn't have everything that we may have wanted, but I am very proud to say we successfully defeated the vast majority of the extreme cuts and hundreds of harmful policy riders proposed by the House Republicans,” said Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the top-ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee.

House Republicans were able to achieve some policy wins, however. One provision, for example, will prevent the sale of oil in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to China. Another policy mandate prohibits the Justice Department from investigating parents who exercise free speech at local school board meetings.

Another provision strengthens gun rights for certain veterans.

Under current law, the Department of Veterans Affairs must send a beneficiary’s name to the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System whenever a fiduciary is appointed to help manage someone’s benefits because they lack the mental capacity to manage their own affairs. This year’s spending package prohibits the department from transmitting that information unless a relevant judicial authority rules that the beneficiary is a danger to himself or herself, or others.

Rep. Mark Takano, the top Democrat on the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, said a finding of mental incompetency by the VA is typically based on “very serious mental health conditions like schizophrenia and dementia."

“They wanted so badly to make sure that vulnerable veterans could access more firearms,” Takano said. “This is wrong. Lives are on the line. Veterans' lives are on the line, and I will not agree to legislation that will cause more people's lives to be lost to gun violence.”

Republicans have argued that current VA policy deters some veterans from seeking the care and benefits they have earned.

In a closed-door meeting with the House GOP, Johnson, looking to show that Republicans did get some policy wins in the negotiations, read from a news report about how Democrats were having “heartburn” about the gun provision, according to a Republican familiar with the discussion who was not authorized to discuss it publicly.

The bills to fund federal agencies are more than five months past due with the budget year beginning Oct. 1. House Republicans are describing an improved process nevertheless, saying they have broken the cycle of passing all the spending bills in one massive package that lawmakers have little time to study before being asked to vote on it or risk a government shutdown.

But critics of the bill, such as Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., were dismissive about how much the process really changed.

The first package covers the departments of Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Interior and Transportation, among others.

Democrats overwhelmingly supported the bill, with 207 voting for it and two voting against. The vote among Republicans was 132-83.

"Once again, Democrats protected the American people and delivered the overwhelming majority of votes necessary to get things done,” House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said.

Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., said he opposed the bill because “I've not made any bones about it since I've been here. We have to get spending under control and we've lost the leverage.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709777601578.png" alt="House Speaker Mike Johnson during a Wednesday press conference-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>House Speaker Mike Johnson during a Wednesday press conference-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The House passed a $460 billion package of spending bills Wednesday that would keep money flowing to key federal agencies through the remainder of the budget year. The Senate is expected to take up the legislation before a midnight Friday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/government-shutdown">shutdown</a>&nbsp;deadline.Lawmakers are negotiating a second package of six bills, including defense, in an effort to have all federal agencies fully funded before a March 22 deadline. In the end, total discretionary spending set by Congress is expected to come in at about $1.66 trillion for the full entire year.A significant number of House Republicans have lined up in opposition to the spending packages, forcing House Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">Mike Johnson</a>, R-La., to use an expedited process to bring the bill up for a vote. That process requires two-thirds of the House to vote for the measure for it to pass.The House passed the measure by a vote of 339-85.&nbsp; All three members of the Nebraska delegation voted for the measure.The nondefense spending in this year's bills is relatively flat compared to the previous year. Supporters say that keeping that spending below the rate of inflation is tantamount to a cut, forcing agencies to be more frugal and focus manpower on top priorities. Johnson cited a 10% cut to the Environmental Protection Agency, a 7% cut to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and a 6% cut to the FBI.But many Republican lawmakers were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-mccarthy-house-republicans-spending-cuts-deff84c0e2ff7d3bd076b8c38e14cca4">seeking</a>&nbsp;much steeper cuts and more policy victories. The House Freedom Caucus, which contains dozens of the GOP's most conservative members, urged Republicans to vote against the first spending package and oppose the second one being negotiated.“Despite giving Democrats higher spending levels, the omnibus text released so far punts on nearly every single Republican policy priority,” the group said.Johnson countered that House Republicans have just a two-vote majority in the House while Democrats control the Senate and White House.“We have to be realistic about what we're able to achieve,” Johnson said.Democrats staved off most of the policy riders that House Republicans sought to include in the package. For example, they beat back an effort to block new rules that expand access to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/abortion">abortion</a>&nbsp;pill mifepristone.Democrats also said the bill would fully fund a nutrition program for low-income women, infants and children, providing about $7 billion for what is known as the WIC program. That's a $1 billion increase from the previous year.As part of those negotiations, House Republicans pushed to give a few states the ability to disallow the purchase of non-nutritious food, such as sugary drinks and snacks, in the food stamp program known as SNAP. The GOP's effort was unsuccessful for now, but supporters say they'll try again in next year's spending bills.“The bill certainly doesn't have everything that we may have wanted, but I am very proud to say we successfully defeated the vast majority of the extreme cuts and hundreds of harmful policy riders proposed by the House Republicans,” said Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the top-ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee.House Republicans were able to achieve some policy wins, however. One provision, for example, will prevent the sale of oil in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to China. Another policy mandate prohibits the Justice Department from investigating parents who exercise free speech at local school board meetings.Another provision strengthens gun rights for certain veterans.Under current law, the Department of Veterans Affairs must send a beneficiary’s name to the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System whenever a fiduciary is appointed to help manage someone’s benefits because they lack the mental capacity to manage their own affairs. This year’s spending package prohibits the department from transmitting that information unless a relevant judicial authority rules that the beneficiary is a danger to himself or herself, or others.Rep. Mark Takano, the top Democrat on the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, said a finding of mental incompetency by the VA is typically based on “very serious mental health conditions like schizophrenia and dementia."“They wanted so badly to make sure that vulnerable veterans could access more firearms,” Takano said. “This is wrong. Lives are on the line. Veterans' lives are on the line, and I will not agree to legislation that will cause more people's lives to be lost to gun violence.”Republicans have argued that current VA policy deters some veterans from seeking the care and benefits they have earned.In a closed-door meeting with the House GOP, Johnson, looking to show that Republicans did get some policy wins in the negotiations, read from a news report about how Democrats were having “heartburn” about the gun provision, according to a Republican familiar with the discussion who was not authorized to discuss it publicly.The bills to fund federal agencies are more than five months past due with the budget year beginning Oct. 1. House Republicans are describing an improved process nevertheless, saying they have broken the cycle of passing all the spending bills in one massive package that lawmakers have little time to study before being asked to vote on it or risk a government shutdown.But critics of the bill, such as Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., were dismissive about how much the process really changed.The first package covers the departments of Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Interior and Transportation, among others.Democrats overwhelmingly supported the bill, with 207 voting for it and two voting against. The vote among Republicans was 132-83."Once again, Democrats protected the American people and delivered the overwhelming majority of votes necessary to get things done,” House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said.Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., said he opposed the bill because “I've not made any bones about it since I've been here. We have to get spending under control and we've lost the leverage.”

All 3 Neb. lawmakers vote in favor of $460 billion House spending package 

NEW YORK (AP) — From the start, the case was highly unusual: a criminal prosecution centered on the disputed ownership of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hotel-california-lyrics-manuscript-trial-eagles-henley-973e74e795416821e6f022895b47b78e">cache of hand-drafted lyrics</a>&nbsp;to “Hotel California” and other Eagles hits.

In the middle of trial, New York prosecutors abruptly dropped their case Wednesday against three collectibles experts who had been accused of scheming to hang onto and peddle the pages, which Eagles co-founder Don Henley maintained were stolen, private artifacts of the band’s creative process.

In explaining the stunning turnabout, prosecutors agreed that defense lawyers had essentially been blindsided by 6,000 pages of communications involving Henley and his attorneys and associates. Prosecutors and the defense got the material only in the past few days, after Henley and his lawyers apparently made a late-in-the-game decision to waive their attorney-client privilege shielding legal discussions.

“These delayed disclosures revealed relevant information that the defense should have had the opportunity to explore” when Henley and other prosecution witnesses testified late last month, Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Aaron Ginandes told the court.

With that, rare books dealer Glenn Horowitz, former Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame curator Craig Inciardi and rock memorabilia seller Edward Kosinski were cleared of all the charges. They had included conspiracy to criminally possess stolen property.

The case centered on roughly 100 pages of legal-pad pages, many from the creation of a classic rock colossus. The 1976 album “Hotel California” ranks as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3c0b39a1bb5b4e44aafe2c4e05a4b67f">third-biggest seller</a>&nbsp;of all time in the U.S., in no small part on the strength of its evocative, smoothly unsettling title track about a place where “you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.”

Prosecutors had said the defendants knew the pages' chain of possession was shaky but sought to keep and sell them anyway, contriving to fabricate a provenance that would pass muster with auction houses and stave off Henley’s demands for the return of the handwritten sheets.

Through their lawyers, the defendants contended they were rightful owners of pages that weren’t stolen by anyone.

“The next step is building back our reputations," Inciardi said in a written statement after the dismissal. Kosinski, leaving court, said only that he felt “very good” about the case's end. Horowitz hugged tearful family members, then left court without commenting.

Henley lawyer Dan Petrocelli, meanwhile, said the musician plans to turn to civil courts.

“As the victim in this case, Mr. Henley has once again been victimized by this unjust outcome,” Petrocelli said in a statement.

One of Kosinski's lawyers, Scott Edelman, said they also were going to “evaluate next steps."

The communications that led to the case dismissal weren’t released publicly. But in court earlier this week, defense lawyers said the trove had identified additional potential witnesses and raised questions about some testimony from Henley and others.

Judge Curtis Farber said Wednesday that witnesses and their lawyers used attorney-client privilege “to obfuscate and hide information that they believed would be damaging" and that prosecutors “were apparently manipulated.”

As Edelman saw it, prosecutors "got blinded by the fame and fortune of a celebrity.”

The defense maintained that Henley gave the lyrics pages decades ago to a writer who worked on a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hotel-california-lyrics-manuscript-trial-eagles-henley-8ec3a28657365ecce6bfd4003ead494a">never-published Eagles biography</a>&nbsp;and later sold the handwritten sheets to Horowitz. He, in turn, sold them to Inciardi and Kosinski, who started putting some of the pages up for auction in 2012.

“These are three factually innocent men,” said Inciardi's lawyer, Stacey Richman.

Henley, who realized the pages were missing only when they showed up for sale, reported them stolen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/henley-hotel-california-lyrics-trial-eagles-01d778228e5f7450a2579238798c4f38">He testified</a>&nbsp;at the trial that he let the writer pore through the pages for research but “never gifted them or gave them to anybody to keep or sell.”

The writer, Ed Sanders, wasn’t charged with any crime and wasn’t called to testify. He hasn’t responded to messages about the trial.

Defense lawyers said in court Monday that newly produced emails showed that Henley initially suspected someone else before being reminded of the decades-old book project.

The defense said emails also indicated that some Henley lawyers and a private investigator initially characterized the pages’ disappearance as a burglary — and didn't mention Sanders’ 1979 book contract — because they believed that referring to a burglary would help their cause. The contract, often mentioned during the trial, said the Eagles would furnish Sanders with material, which would remain the band’s “sole property.”

Messages seeking comment were sent to the Henley attorneys involved in the initial 2012 discussions about the lyrics sheets . Another firm that represented Henley in later dealings with the matter, Loeb &amp; Loeb, said in a statement Wednesday that it respects the attorney-client privilege decisions and is “confident that its attorneys acted in accordance with their professional and ethical responsibilities.”

Prosecutors said Wednesday that they repeatedly asked various witnesses to waive their attorney-client privilege, but they chose not to until the past few days.

But Horowitz lawyer Jonathan Bach said that while the defendants were accused of not asking enough questions about the pages' ownership, “it appears that the failure to do a full investigation lies with the other side."

Before the case collapsed, the nonjury trial provided sometimes gossipy peeks into the height of the Eagles' career and the music business.

The court heard the band's longtime manager lament on a decades-old tape about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hotel-california-lyrics-manuscript-trial-eagles-henley-1b873edc7596bb736428fbf8fb431c1d">dealing with “a pampered rock star.”</a>&nbsp;Henley held in his hands aging pages with lyrics-in-the-making for such Eagles songs as “After the Thrill is Gone,” “One of These Nights” and “The Long Run.”

During testimony that stretched across three days, the Grammy-winning singer and drummer recounted highlights from the band's heyday, such as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/henley-hotel-california-lyrics-trial-eagles-305107bd8950280a23ae6100a71f0f88">the writing of “Hotel California."</a>&nbsp;And he discussed personal low points, including his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/don-henley-eagles-hotel-california-sex-worker-dae5d3c41ae5ad1071a06dbc74a957d7">1980 arrest</a>&nbsp;after authorities reported finding a 16-year-old girl who was ailing from drug use at his home. It happened as the Eagles were breaking up, and Henley was reeling.

“The band was everything to me, and it’s something I’d been working towards since I was 15 years old. It was my whole world" and “my identity," he said. "We had accomplished so much in the previous decade.”

In the long run, it wasn't the end. The Eagles reunited in 1994 and are still touring.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708429319229.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — From the start, the case was highly unusual: a criminal prosecution centered on the disputed ownership of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hotel-california-lyrics-manuscript-trial-eagles-henley-973e74e795416821e6f022895b47b78e">cache of hand-drafted lyrics</a>&nbsp;to “Hotel California” and other Eagles hits.Its end was even more unexpected.In the middle of trial, New York prosecutors abruptly dropped their case Wednesday against three collectibles experts who had been accused of scheming to hang onto and peddle the pages, which Eagles co-founder Don Henley maintained were stolen, private artifacts of the band’s creative process.In explaining the stunning turnabout, prosecutors agreed that defense lawyers had essentially been blindsided by 6,000 pages of communications involving Henley and his attorneys and associates. Prosecutors and the defense got the material only in the past few days, after Henley and his lawyers apparently made a late-in-the-game decision to waive their attorney-client privilege shielding legal discussions.“These delayed disclosures revealed relevant information that the defense should have had the opportunity to explore” when Henley and other prosecution witnesses testified late last month, Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Aaron Ginandes told the court.With that, rare books dealer Glenn Horowitz, former Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame curator Craig Inciardi and rock memorabilia seller Edward Kosinski were cleared of all the charges. They had included conspiracy to criminally possess stolen property.The case centered on roughly 100 pages of legal-pad pages, many from the creation of a classic rock colossus. The 1976 album “Hotel California” ranks as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3c0b39a1bb5b4e44aafe2c4e05a4b67f">third-biggest seller</a>&nbsp;of all time in the U.S., in no small part on the strength of its evocative, smoothly unsettling title track about a place where “you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.”Prosecutors had said the defendants knew the pages' chain of possession was shaky but sought to keep and sell them anyway, contriving to fabricate a provenance that would pass muster with auction houses and stave off Henley’s demands for the return of the handwritten sheets.Through their lawyers, the defendants contended they were rightful owners of pages that weren’t stolen by anyone.“The next step is building back our reputations," Inciardi said in a written statement after the dismissal. Kosinski, leaving court, said only that he felt “very good” about the case's end. Horowitz hugged tearful family members, then left court without commenting.Henley lawyer Dan Petrocelli, meanwhile, said the musician plans to turn to civil courts.“As the victim in this case, Mr. Henley has once again been victimized by this unjust outcome,” Petrocelli said in a statement.One of Kosinski's lawyers, Scott Edelman, said they also were going to “evaluate next steps."The communications that led to the case dismissal weren’t released publicly. But in court earlier this week, defense lawyers said the trove had identified additional potential witnesses and raised questions about some testimony from Henley and others.Judge Curtis Farber said Wednesday that witnesses and their lawyers used attorney-client privilege “to obfuscate and hide information that they believed would be damaging" and that prosecutors “were apparently manipulated.”As Edelman saw it, prosecutors "got blinded by the fame and fortune of a celebrity.”The defense maintained that Henley gave the lyrics pages decades ago to a writer who worked on a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hotel-california-lyrics-manuscript-trial-eagles-henley-8ec3a28657365ecce6bfd4003ead494a">never-published Eagles biography</a>&nbsp;and later sold the handwritten sheets to Horowitz. He, in turn, sold them to Inciardi and Kosinski, who started putting some of the pages up for auction in 2012.“These are three factually innocent men,” said Inciardi's lawyer, Stacey Richman.Henley, who realized the pages were missing only when they showed up for sale, reported them stolen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/henley-hotel-california-lyrics-trial-eagles-01d778228e5f7450a2579238798c4f38">He testified</a>&nbsp;at the trial that he let the writer pore through the pages for research but “never gifted them or gave them to anybody to keep or sell.”The writer, Ed Sanders, wasn’t charged with any crime and wasn’t called to testify. He hasn’t responded to messages about the trial.Defense lawyers said in court Monday that newly produced emails showed that Henley initially suspected someone else before being reminded of the decades-old book project.The defense said emails also indicated that some Henley lawyers and a private investigator initially characterized the pages’ disappearance as a burglary — and didn't mention Sanders’ 1979 book contract — because they believed that referring to a burglary would help their cause. The contract, often mentioned during the trial, said the Eagles would furnish Sanders with material, which would remain the band’s “sole property.”Messages seeking comment were sent to the Henley attorneys involved in the initial 2012 discussions about the lyrics sheets . Another firm that represented Henley in later dealings with the matter, Loeb &amp; Loeb, said in a statement Wednesday that it respects the attorney-client privilege decisions and is “confident that its attorneys acted in accordance with their professional and ethical responsibilities.”Prosecutors said Wednesday that they repeatedly asked various witnesses to waive their attorney-client privilege, but they chose not to until the past few days.But Horowitz lawyer Jonathan Bach said that while the defendants were accused of not asking enough questions about the pages' ownership, “it appears that the failure to do a full investigation lies with the other side."Before the case collapsed, the nonjury trial provided sometimes gossipy peeks into the height of the Eagles' career and the music business.The court heard the band's longtime manager lament on a decades-old tape about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hotel-california-lyrics-manuscript-trial-eagles-henley-1b873edc7596bb736428fbf8fb431c1d">dealing with “a pampered rock star.”</a>&nbsp;Henley held in his hands aging pages with lyrics-in-the-making for such Eagles songs as “After the Thrill is Gone,” “One of These Nights” and “The Long Run.”During testimony that stretched across three days, the Grammy-winning singer and drummer recounted highlights from the band's heyday, such as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/henley-hotel-california-lyrics-trial-eagles-305107bd8950280a23ae6100a71f0f88">the writing of “Hotel California."</a>&nbsp;And he discussed personal low points, including his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/don-henley-eagles-hotel-california-sex-worker-dae5d3c41ae5ad1071a06dbc74a957d7">1980 arrest</a>&nbsp;after authorities reported finding a 16-year-old girl who was ailing from drug use at his home. It happened as the Eagles were breaking up, and Henley was reeling.“The band was everything to me, and it’s something I’d been working towards since I was 15 years old. It was my whole world" and “my identity," he said. "We had accomplished so much in the previous decade.”In the long run, it wasn't the end. The Eagles reunited in 1994 and are still touring.

Charges dropped in case of stolen 'Hotel California' lyrics

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A missile attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels on a commercial ship in the Gulf of Aden killed two of its crew members and forced survivors to abandon the vessel on Wednesday, officials said, in the first fatal strike in a campaign of assaults by the Iranian-backed group over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel's war on Hamas</a>&nbsp;in the Gaza Strip.

The attack on the Barbados-flagged bulk carrier True Confidence further escalates the conflict on a crucial maritime route linking Asia and the Middle East to Europe that has disrupted global shipping. The Houthis have launched attacks since November, and the U.S. began an airstrike campaign in January that so far hasn't halted their attacks.

Meanwhile, Iran announced Wednesday that it would confiscate a $50 million cargo of Kuwaiti crude oil for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-oil-tanker-advantage-sweet-seized-40b8f90bc0484fcd626903eef5faf64c">American energy firm Chevron Corp.</a>&nbsp;aboard a tanker it seized nearly a year earlier. It is the latest twist in a yearslong shadow war playing out in the Middle East’s waterways even before the Houthi attacks began.

The attack Wednesday on the True Confidence came after it had been hailed over radio by men claiming to be the Yemeni military, officials said. The Houthis have been hailing ships over the radio in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since beginning their attacks, with analysts suspecting the rebels want to seize the vessels.

Two U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity as they didn’t have authorization to speak publicly, said the anti-ship ballistic missile attack killed two of the crew members on board and wounded six others.

At the State Department in Washington, spokesman Matthew Miller confirmed the loss of life at a briefing with reporters. “We continue to watch these reckless attacks with no regard for the well being of innocent civilians who are transiting through the Red Sea. And now they have, unfortunately and tragically, killed innocent civilians,” he said.

The full extent of the damage to the Liberian-owned ship remained unclear, but the crew abandoned the ship and deployed lifeboats.

A U.S. warship and the Indian navy were on the scene, trying to assist in rescue efforts.

Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, a Houthi military spokesman, claimed the attack in a prerecorded message, saying its missile fire set the vessel ablaze. He said the rebels' attacks would only stop when the “siege on the Palestinian people in the Gaza is lifted.”

The rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea and surrounding waters over the Israel-Hamas war, but up to Wednesday hadn't killed any crew members. The vessels have included at least one with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-ship-missile-houthi-rebels-attack-bab-elmandeb-strait-999b911c916f9266c07a6d29cc020e9e">cargo bound for Iran</a>, the Houthis’ main benefactor, and an aid ship later bound for Houthi-controlled territory.

Despite more than a month and a half of U.S.-led airstrikes,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-attacks-iran-ships-retaliation-houthis-d770a3fb0fab4c4b72e2459771833e11">Houthi rebels have remained capable</a>&nbsp;of launching significant attacks. They include the attack last month on a cargo ship carrying fertilizer, the Rubymar,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-rebels-rubymar-sinks-red-sea-fb64a490ce935756337ee3606e15d093">which sank on Saturday</a>&nbsp;after drifting for several days, and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-red-sea-israel-hamas-6ac2a1bf5032ed0531258816907cfe2c">downing of an American drone</a>&nbsp;worth tens of millions of dollars.

It was unclear why the Houthis targeted the True Confidence. However, it had previously been owned by Oaktree Capital Management, a Los Angeles-based fund that finances vessels on installments. Oaktree declined to comment.

Meanwhile, a separate Houthi assault Tuesday apparently targeted the USS Carney, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer that has been involved in the American campaign against the rebels. The Carney shot down bomb-carrying drones and one anti-ship ballistic missile, the U.S. military's Central Command said. Saree acknowledged that attack as well.

The U.S. later launched an airstrike destroying three anti-ship missiles and three bomb-carrying drone boats, the Central Command said.

The Houthis haven't offered any assessment of the damage they've suffered in the American-led strikes that began in January, though they've said at least 22 of their fighters have been killed. One civilian has reportedly been killed.

The U.S. Treasury separately announced new sanctions targeting a Houthi financier and the expeditionary Quds Force of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, which arms the rebels.

The Houthis have held Yemen's capital, Sanaa, since 2014. They've battled a Saudi-led coalition since 2015 in a long-stalemated war there.

Meanwhile,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/india-china-maritime-security-d53925a976e667f275024fa964818c8f">the Indian navy</a>&nbsp;released a video of its sailors from the INS Kolkata fighting a fire aboard the MSC Sky II, which had been targeted by the Houthis in the Gulf of Aden on Monday. The Mediterranean Shipping Co., a Switzerland-based company, said the missile struck the ship as it was traveling from Singapore to Djibouti. No one was injured.

Iran separately announced the seizure of the crude oil aboard&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-navy-oil-tanker-advantage-057155f4d9caf92131533fe90f94a3a0">the Advantage Sweet</a>&nbsp;through an announcement carried by the judiciary's state-run Mizan news agency. At the time, Iran alleged that the Advantage Sweet collided with another ship, without offering any evidence.

The court order for the seizure offered an entirely different reason for the confiscation. Mizan said it was part of a court order over U.S. sanctions it alleged barred the importation of a Swedish medicine used to treat patients suffering from epidermolysis bullosa, a rare genetic condition that causes blisters all over the body and eyes. It didn't reconcile the different reasons for the seizure.

The Advantage Sweet had been in the Persian Gulf in late April, but its track showed no unusual behavior as it transited through the Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of all traded oil passes. Iran has made allegations in other seizures that later fell apart as it became clear that Tehran was trying to leverage the capture as a bargaining chip to negotiate with foreign nations.

Chevron, based in San Ramon, California, said Wednesday that the Advantage Sweet had been “seized under false pretenses" and that the company “has not had any direct communication with Iran over the seizure of the vessel.”

“Chevron has not been permitted access to the vessel and considers the cargo a total loss due to Iran’s illegal actions,” Chevron said in a statement. “We now consider the cargo the responsibility of the Iranian government.”

Ship seizures and explosions have roiled the region since 2019. The incidents began after then President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708804229711.png" alt="Photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>Photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A missile attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels on a commercial ship in the Gulf of Aden killed two of its crew members and forced survivors to abandon the vessel on Wednesday, officials said, in the first fatal strike in a campaign of assaults by the Iranian-backed group over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel's war on Hamas</a>&nbsp;in the Gaza Strip.The attack on the Barbados-flagged bulk carrier True Confidence further escalates the conflict on a crucial maritime route linking Asia and the Middle East to Europe that has disrupted global shipping. The Houthis have launched attacks since November, and the U.S. began an airstrike campaign in January that so far hasn't halted their attacks.Meanwhile, Iran announced Wednesday that it would confiscate a $50 million cargo of Kuwaiti crude oil for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-oil-tanker-advantage-sweet-seized-40b8f90bc0484fcd626903eef5faf64c">American energy firm Chevron Corp.</a>&nbsp;aboard a tanker it seized nearly a year earlier. It is the latest twist in a yearslong shadow war playing out in the Middle East’s waterways even before the Houthi attacks began.The attack Wednesday on the True Confidence came after it had been hailed over radio by men claiming to be the Yemeni military, officials said. The Houthis have been hailing ships over the radio in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since beginning their attacks, with analysts suspecting the rebels want to seize the vessels.Two U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity as they didn’t have authorization to speak publicly, said the anti-ship ballistic missile attack killed two of the crew members on board and wounded six others.At the State Department in Washington, spokesman Matthew Miller confirmed the loss of life at a briefing with reporters. “We continue to watch these reckless attacks with no regard for the well being of innocent civilians who are transiting through the Red Sea. And now they have, unfortunately and tragically, killed innocent civilians,” he said.The full extent of the damage to the Liberian-owned ship remained unclear, but the crew abandoned the ship and deployed lifeboats.A U.S. warship and the Indian navy were on the scene, trying to assist in rescue efforts.Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, a Houthi military spokesman, claimed the attack in a prerecorded message, saying its missile fire set the vessel ablaze. He said the rebels' attacks would only stop when the “siege on the Palestinian people in the Gaza is lifted.”The rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea and surrounding waters over the Israel-Hamas war, but up to Wednesday hadn't killed any crew members. The vessels have included at least one with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-ship-missile-houthi-rebels-attack-bab-elmandeb-strait-999b911c916f9266c07a6d29cc020e9e">cargo bound for Iran</a>, the Houthis’ main benefactor, and an aid ship later bound for Houthi-controlled territory.Despite more than a month and a half of U.S.-led airstrikes,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-attacks-iran-ships-retaliation-houthis-d770a3fb0fab4c4b72e2459771833e11">Houthi rebels have remained capable</a>&nbsp;of launching significant attacks. They include the attack last month on a cargo ship carrying fertilizer, the Rubymar,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-rebels-rubymar-sinks-red-sea-fb64a490ce935756337ee3606e15d093">which sank on Saturday</a>&nbsp;after drifting for several days, and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-red-sea-israel-hamas-6ac2a1bf5032ed0531258816907cfe2c">downing of an American drone</a>&nbsp;worth tens of millions of dollars.It was unclear why the Houthis targeted the True Confidence. However, it had previously been owned by Oaktree Capital Management, a Los Angeles-based fund that finances vessels on installments. Oaktree declined to comment.Meanwhile, a separate Houthi assault Tuesday apparently targeted the USS Carney, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer that has been involved in the American campaign against the rebels. The Carney shot down bomb-carrying drones and one anti-ship ballistic missile, the U.S. military's Central Command said. Saree acknowledged that attack as well.The U.S. later launched an airstrike destroying three anti-ship missiles and three bomb-carrying drone boats, the Central Command said.The Houthis haven't offered any assessment of the damage they've suffered in the American-led strikes that began in January, though they've said at least 22 of their fighters have been killed. One civilian has reportedly been killed.The U.S. Treasury separately announced new sanctions targeting a Houthi financier and the expeditionary Quds Force of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, which arms the rebels.The Houthis have held Yemen's capital, Sanaa, since 2014. They've battled a Saudi-led coalition since 2015 in a long-stalemated war there.Meanwhile,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/india-china-maritime-security-d53925a976e667f275024fa964818c8f">the Indian navy</a>&nbsp;released a video of its sailors from the INS Kolkata fighting a fire aboard the MSC Sky II, which had been targeted by the Houthis in the Gulf of Aden on Monday. The Mediterranean Shipping Co., a Switzerland-based company, said the missile struck the ship as it was traveling from Singapore to Djibouti. No one was injured.Iran separately announced the seizure of the crude oil aboard&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-navy-oil-tanker-advantage-057155f4d9caf92131533fe90f94a3a0">the Advantage Sweet</a>&nbsp;through an announcement carried by the judiciary's state-run Mizan news agency. At the time, Iran alleged that the Advantage Sweet collided with another ship, without offering any evidence.The court order for the seizure offered an entirely different reason for the confiscation. Mizan said it was part of a court order over U.S. sanctions it alleged barred the importation of a Swedish medicine used to treat patients suffering from epidermolysis bullosa, a rare genetic condition that causes blisters all over the body and eyes. It didn't reconcile the different reasons for the seizure.The Advantage Sweet had been in the Persian Gulf in late April, but its track showed no unusual behavior as it transited through the Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of all traded oil passes. Iran has made allegations in other seizures that later fell apart as it became clear that Tehran was trying to leverage the capture as a bargaining chip to negotiate with foreign nations.Chevron, based in San Ramon, California, said Wednesday that the Advantage Sweet had been “seized under false pretenses" and that the company “has not had any direct communication with Iran over the seizure of the vessel.”“Chevron has not been permitted access to the vessel and considers the cargo a total loss due to Iran’s illegal actions,” Chevron said in a statement. “We now consider the cargo the responsibility of the Iranian government.”Ship seizures and explosions have roiled the region since 2019. The incidents began after then President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers.___

US confirms first 'fatalities' in the assaults on shipping in Red Sea

<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>

Members of the Nebraska Supreme Court appeared to meet with skepticism a state lawyer's defense of a new law that combines a 12-week abortion ban with another measure to limit gender-affirming health care for minors.

Assistant Attorney General Eric Hamilton argued Tuesday that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-transgender-ban-nebraska-filibuster-b0b88845d29f1aaadf7936b7304a0507">hybrid law</a>&nbsp;does not violate a state constitutional requirement that legislative bills stick to a single subject. But he went further, stating that the case is not one the high court should rule on because it is politically charged and lawmaking is within the sole purview of the Legislature.

“Didn't that ship sail about 150 years ago?” Chief Justice Mike Heavican retorted.

Hamilton stood firm, insisting the lawsuit presented a “nonjusticiable political question” and that the Legislature “self-polices” whether legislation holds to the state constitution's single-subject rule.

“This court is allowed to review whether another branch has followed the constitutionally established process, isn't it?" Justice John Freudenberg countered.

<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>Members of the Nebraska Supreme Court appeared to meet with skepticism a state lawyer's defense of a new law that combines a 12-week abortion ban with another measure to limit gender-affirming health care for minors.Assistant Attorney General Eric Hamilton argued Tuesday that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-transgender-ban-nebraska-filibuster-b0b88845d29f1aaadf7936b7304a0507">hybrid law</a>&nbsp;does not violate a state constitutional requirement that legislative bills stick to a single subject. But he went further, stating that the case is not one the high court should rule on because it is politically charged and lawmaking is within the sole purview of the Legislature.“Didn't that ship sail about 150 years ago?” Chief Justice Mike Heavican retorted.Hamilton stood firm, insisting the lawsuit presented a “nonjusticiable political question” and that the Legislature “self-polices” whether legislation holds to the state constitution's single-subject rule.“This court is allowed to review whether another branch has followed the constitutionally established process, isn't it?" Justice John Freudenberg countered.The arguments came in a lawsuit brought last year by the American Civil Liberties Union representing Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, contending that the hybrid law violates the one-subject rule. Lawmakers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-transgender-ban-nebraska-filibuster-94f1e637e2d9034f608c793bf929e888">added the abortion ban</a>&nbsp;to an existing bill dealing with gender-related care only after a proposed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-nebraska-4b23b7c3531b12f303cc0e175239accd">six-week abortion ban</a>&nbsp;failed to defeat a filibuster.The law was the Nebraska Legislature’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-transgender-ban-nebraska-filibuster-b0b88845d29f1aaadf7936b7304a0507">most controversial</a>&nbsp;last session, and its gender-affirming care restrictions triggered an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/filibuster-transgender-gender-affirming-therapy-bill-nebraska-cavanaugh-b9018fd1bf72112ca984ff58679eda6d">epic filibuster</a>&nbsp;in which a handful of lawmakers sought to block every bill for the duration of the session — even ones they supported — in an effort to stymie it.A district judge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-transgender-bill-nebraska-38898fb4b447842aadb9de41e26747c9">dismissed</a>&nbsp;the lawsuit in August, and the ACLU&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-abortion-lawsuit-genderaffirming-care-679b8ecb64b4a8862aa0e4a3103896f5">appealed</a>.ACLU attorney Matt Segal argued Tuesday that the abortion segment of the measure and the transgender health care segment dealt with different subjects, included different titles within the legislation and even had different implementation dates. Lawmakers only tacked on the abortion ban to the gender-affirming care bill after the abortion bill had failed to advance on its own, he said.Segal's argument seemed based more on the way the Legislature passed the bill than on whether the bill violates the single-subject law, Justice William Cassel remarked.But Justice Lindsey Miller-Lerman noted that the high court in 2020 blocked a ballot initiative seeking to legalize medical marijuana after finding it violated the state's single-subject rule. The court found the initiative's provisions to allow people to use marijuana and to produce it were separate subjects.If producing medical marijuana and using it are two different topics, how can restricting abortion and transgender health care be the same subject, she asked.“What we've just heard are attempts to shoot the moon,” Segal said in a rebuttal, closing with, “These are two passing ships in the night, and all they have in common is the sea.”The high court will make a ruling on the case at a later date.