Latest news with #PeteRicketts
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Nebraska lawmaker announces skin cancer diagnosis, pledges to seek reelection in 2026
State Sen. Mike Jacobson of North Platte, chair of the Banking, Commerce and Insurance Committee, presides over a legislative hearing. Feb. 11, 2025. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) NORTH PLATTE, Neb. — A Nebraska state senator announced this week that he has faced a serious form of skin cancer for the past two years but remains committed to finishing his term and seeking reelection in 2026. State Sen. Mike Jacobson of North Platte, in a Wednesday post, announced to supporters that he was diagnosed the first week of January 2023 with metastatic melanoma, which can spread to other parts of the body. Jacobson said the cancer has spread to his right lung, and he's continued a range of treatments over the past two years. Jacobson said he's faced challenges, including swelling and weakness in his legs and muscles, leading to occasional falls. The most recent led to a brief hospitalization this week. 'Despite these setbacks, I want to assure you that I am firmly on the path to recovery,' Jacobson wrote. 'While my physical presence in the district may be limited at times during this healing process, please know that my commitment to serving our community remains unwavering.' He continued: 'My resolve to fight for the people of our district has never been stronger.' Former Gov. Pete Ricketts appointed Jacobson to the Legislature in February 2022. Jacobson won a four-year term that November and can run for one more term under current limits. Legislative District 42 consists of Lincoln, Hooker, Thomas, McPherson and part of Perkins Counties. Jacobson is one of multiple senators who have faced public cancer diagnoses in recent years, including State Sen. Jane Raybould of Lincoln and former State Sen. Tom Brewer of north-central Nebraska. Jacobson announced his 2026 reelection campaign one week ago, when he pointed to his 2022 promise to put his district 'over politics' and to get results. He currently chairs the Legislature's Banking, Commerce and Insurance Committee. The senator said he has received 'excellent' care from North Platte's Great Plains Health and the University of Nebraska Medical Center. He and his wife, Julie, thanked his care team. Jacobson said he and his wife remain 'cautiously optimistic as we face this journey together.' 'The continued prayers, kind words and support from constituents and colleagues mean the world to us,' Jacobson wrote, 'and we are deeply grateful.' No one else has announced intentions to seek Jacobson's seat in 2026. The top two vote-getters of the nonpartisan legislative primary in May 2026 would advance to the November 2026 general election. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Fox News
2 days ago
- Health
- Fox News
Senators Ricketts, Fetterman unite against China's quiet invasion of US farmland
EXCLUSIVE: Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts is leading the charge with Democrat Sen. John Fetterman to codify oversight on foreign countries buying American farmland. The bipartisan Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure (AFIDA) Improvements Act seeks to implement recommendations published by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) in January 2024, which found the AFIDA was ill-equipped to combat foreign ownership of American agricultural land. "Communist China is our greatest geopolitical threat," Ricketts told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview, adding, "This is a way for us to improve the disclosure that's going on with regard to the purchase of this agricultural land, so we can take other action if necessary to make sure we're not giving Communist China the opportunity to buy agricultural land." The bill's proposal comes as two Chinese nationals – a University of Michigan post-doctoral research fellow, Yunqing Jian, and Huazhong University of Science and Technology student Chengxuan Han – were held in federal custody after they were accused of smuggling biological materials into the United States. The suspects have been charged with "smuggling a fungus that has been described as a "potential agroterrorism weapon" into the heartland of America, where they apparently intended to use a University of Michigan laboratory to further their scheme," interm U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan Jerome Gorgon said in a statement. The fungus causes a "head blight," described as a disease of wheat, maize, rice and barley, and is responsible for billions of dollars of economic losses throughout the world each year, according to the Department of Justice. If ingested by humans, the substance can cause vomiting, liver damage and "reproductive defects in humans and livestock." Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital that the Trump administration is focused on "keeping our homeland secure" through enhanced border screenings. "Protecting America's food supply and national security remains a top priority. Last week's smuggling attempt by Chinese nationals of Fusarium graminearum, a dangerous crop-destroying fungus, posing a significant bioterrorism threat, only highlights this imperative to combat this threat," McLaughlin said. "That could potentially be very damaging to agriculture," Ricketts told Fox News Digital. "We also know that Chinese nationals have been trying to steal our biotechnology with regard to agriculture. They've also been crashing gates of bases. Supposed Chinese tourists have been flying drones around bases. Of course, the Chinese flew a surveillance balloon over our country when the Biden administration just let that happen." Ricketts said China has been aggressively buying American agriculture, "which is why we need to have a heightened sense of vigilance around protecting our homeland." Foreign investors own over 40 million acres of agricultural land in the United States, and between 2010 and 2021, Chinese ownership of American agricultural land increased from 13,720 acres to 383,935 acres, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). "It's not just about the number of acres that they own, but the fact that they own it around Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota or Fort Liberty in North Carolina. They're buying it around sensitive military installations," Ricketts said. The bill, also co-sponsored by Sens. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, John Cornyn of Texas, Roger Wicker of Mississippi and Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, requires AFIDA reporting for foreign persons holding more than 1% interest in American agricultural land. The AFIDA Improvements Act aims to increase information-sharing between the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States and the USDA. It also requires updates to the AFIDA's handbook and establishes a deadline for USDA to set up an online AFIDA system. Based on the GAO's recommendations, the bill seeks to update the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 to better equip the USDA to combat foreign adversaries' ownership of American agricultural land. "We are at the most dangerous point in our history right now since World War II," Ricketts said. "We have to be investing in our military. We have to be supporting our friends around the world that are pushing back on these dictators. Communist China is one of them." Additionally, the bill comes as conflict in the Middle East reaches a boiling point between Iran and Israel, reigniting concerns about national security. Israel successfully coordinated attacks against Iran from inside the country, and Ricketts pointed to Ukraine's success in targeting a Russian air base. "What Ukraine was able to do against Russia with their operation that destroyed some of their strategic bombers, and they placed trucks with drones close to an air base and had those drones attack their squadrons. We could be vulnerable to the same thing if China did that here. They've owned farmland close enough to our air bases to be able to launch a drone strike. That should be very concerning to us," Ricketts said. Ricketts added that American farmland should not be a "tool that our adversaries, like Communist China, can use to attack us from inside our own country." There has been little movement on the bill since it was just recently introduced. That is largely because Senate Republicans are narrowly focused on advancing Trump's "big, beautiful bill" ahead of a self-imposed July 4 deadline.
South China Morning Post
06-06-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
US Senate committee passes measures on Taiwan, mainland China's overseas military growth
The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved a slate of China-focused measures on Thursday, including bipartisan bills to counter Beijing's overseas military expansion and bolster Taiwan's role in global finance while advancing the nomination of a former ambassador to lead US diplomacy in East Asia. The Counter Act of 2025, co-authored by Senators Chris Coons, Democrat of Delaware, and Pete Ricketts, Republican of Nebraska, calls on the US government to develop a strategy to respond to the People's Republic of China's efforts to establish military bases overseas. The bill states that 'the PRC is likely pursuing access to additional military facilities to support naval, air, and ground forces projection in many countries'. It was co-sponsored by Senators Tim Kaine, Democrat of Virginia; John Cornyn, Republican of Texas; and Elissa Slotkin, Democrat of Michigan. If passed, the legislation would require the director of national intelligence to submit a classified assessment of risks posed by Chinese bases overseas, and instruct the State and Defense departments to identify at least five locations that pose the 'greatest potential risks'. It would also establish an inter-agency task force and require quadrennial reviews to maintain a 'proactive posture rather than a reactive posture'. In May, Coons said that China was using the placement of new bases in strategically important countries to expand its military and economic power.
South China Morning Post
05-06-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
US Senate committee passes measures on Taiwan and China's overseas military growth
The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved a slate of China-focused measures on Thursday, including bipartisan bills to counter Beijing's overseas military expansion and bolster Taiwan's role in global finance while advancing the nomination of a former ambassador to lead US diplomacy in East Asia. Advertisement The Counter Act of 2025, co-authored by Senators Chris Coons, Democrat of Delaware, and Pete Ricketts, Republican of Nebraska, calls on the US government to develop a strategy to respond to the People's Republic of China's efforts to establish military bases overseas. The bill states that 'the PRC is likely pursuing access to additional military facilities to support naval, air, and ground forces projection in many countries'. It was co-sponsored by Senators Tim Kaine, Democrat of Virginia; John Cornyn, Republican of Texas; and Elissa Slotkin, Democrat of Michigan. If passed, the legislation would require the director of national intelligence to submit a classified assessment of risks posed by Chinese bases overseas, and instruct the State and Defense departments to identify at least five locations that pose the 'greatest potential risks'. It would also establish an interagency task force and require quadrennial reviews to maintain a 'proactive posture rather than a reactive posture'. Advertisement In May, Coons said that China was using the placement of new bases in strategically important countries to expand its military and economic power.
Fox News
05-06-2025
- Business
- Fox News
Ricketts, Fetterman team up for crackdown on China's attempts to purchase US farmland
FIRST ON FOX: Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts, Democrat Sen. John Fetterman and others are teaming up on legislation to codify oversight on foreign countries buying American farmland. The bipartisan Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure (AFIDA) Improvements Act seeks to implement recommendations published by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) in January 2024, which found the AFIDA was ill-equipped to combat foreign ownership of American agricultural land. "American farmland should remain in the hands of American farmers and ranchers, not foreign adversaries," Ricketts of Nebraska shared first with Fox News Digital. "The neighbors who feed us should benefit from land ownership, not Communist China. Food security is national security." The bill, also co-sponsored by Sens. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, John Cornyn of Texas, Roger Wicker of Mississippi and Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska introduced legislation, requires AFIDA reporting for foreign persons holding more than one percent interest in American agricultural land. "Over the past several decades, China has been buying up American farmland in an attempt to infiltrate our agriculture supply chains. Food security is national security, and we cannot give the CCP a foothold," Tuberville said in a statement to Fox News Digital. The AFIDA Improvements Act aims to increase information-sharing between the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). It also requires updates to the AFIDA's handbook and establishes a deadline for USDA to set up an online AFIDA system. The bill's House sponsor, Bacon, told Fox News Digital that "having actual processes in place will strengthen the security of our nation in the event nefarious foreign agents, such as the CCP, try to purchase agricultural lands within our nation." Based on the GAO's recommendations, the bill seeks to update the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 to better equip the USDA to combat foreign adversaries' ownership of American agricultural land. Under AFIDA, foreign entities must disclose to the USDA transactions of American agricultural land. Foreign investors own over 40 million acres of agricultural land in the United States, and between 2010 and 2021, Chinese ownership of American agricultural land increased from 13,720 acres to 383,935 acres, according to the USDA. The AFIDA Improvements Act is the latest attempt by Congressional Republicans to track foreign ownership of American farmland and strengthen national security. It was first introduced by Bacon and Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisc., in 2024. China owned around 350,000 acres of farmland across 27 states as of last year, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture The movement to ban China from buying U.S. farmland located near military bases has been gaining steam in the Senate this year. The PASS Act, led by Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., has the backing of Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and would prevent any entity from a "covered country," which includes China, North Korea, Russia and Iran, from purchasing agricultural land near military bases or sensitive sites. Republican Sens. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Kevin Cramer of North Dakota and Katie Britt of Alabama, proposed The Not One More Inch or Acre Act, earlier this year to ban China from buying U.S. land entirely. On the presidential campaign trail in 2024, President Donald Trump indicated he would ban China from buying American farmland. The Senate passed an amendment with bipartisan support in 2023 that would ban China, Russia, North Korea and Iran from buying American farmland and agricultural businesses, but it did not become law.
