OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Lancaster County’s public defender says Nebraska ought to decriminalize marijuana and regulate its distribution.

Joe Nigro said at a Thursday forum in Omaha that he’s not advocating the use of marijuana. But he says prohibition has failed and that the state’s criminal justice system shouldn’t be treating a health issue.

The forum was hosted by the National Association of Social Workers’ Nebraska chapter.

Nigro also criticized state Attorney General Doug Peterson for continuing to pursue legal action with Oklahoma against Colorado over its marijuana policies. Peterson had left the forum before Nigro’s remarks, but Peterson later defended the lawsuit, saying in an email that the effort is backed by all nine former administrators of the federal Drug Enforcement Administration.

SIDNEY, Neb. (AP) — A 51-year-old Colorado man is facing explosives charges in western Nebraska.

Nebraska prosecutors say Edgar Almond, of Loveland, Colorado, is charged with unlawful possession of explosives and possession of a destructive device. His attorney declined to comment Friday. Almond’s next court hearing is scheduled for Sept. 27.

Sidney police say his wife reported Wednesday that he’d detonated a bomb in the area the night before and that he had bomb-making materials in his vehicle in front of her house. After he was arrested outside the home, police searched his van. Officers say they found bomb materials inside. A bomb fragment also was found in the area.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Attorney General Doug Peterson is taking new shots at a study that says Nebraska’s death penalty costs $14.6 million per year, but the economist who conducted it is standing by his work.

Peterson sought Wednesday to discredit the study, saying it inflated defense and housing costs of death row inmates and the number of court days spent on capital punishment cases.

The Republican attorney general supports the death penalty and criticized the Legislature’s decision to abolish it. Voters will decide whether to overturn that decision in November.

Creighton University economist Ernie Goss says his study is scientifically valid, based on census data from Nebraska’s 93 counties.

Goss was hired by death penalty opponents. He says they wanted a straightforward analysis because they believed the data would support their position.

DETROIT (AP) — Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is recalling more than 1.9 million vehicles worldwide because their air bags might not deploy in a crash.

The recall affects certain Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Lancia vehicles from the 2010-2014 model years. Most are in the U.S., but 224,860 were sold in Canada and Mexico and 284,051 were sold outside North America.

FCA says an air-bag and seat-belt control module with a certain wiring design may not deploy the air bags or tighten the seat belts if the vehicle is involved in a frontal crash. That could increase the risk of injury.

The automaker says three deaths and five injuries may be related to the issue.

FCA will contact owners and replace the defective parts for free.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A new report is outlining a series of steps Nebraska’s beleaguered prisons can take to ensure better outcomes for inmates and staff members.

The report released Thursday by the Office of Inspector General of the Nebraska Correctional System highlights many of the lingering problems in the state corrections department, such as understaffing and crowding.

It also urges officials to hire more minority staff members, including those who speak Spanish and other languages that are prominent in the prison system.

The report notes that at least six Nebraska counties are interested in working with corrections officials on a program that would house work-release inmates in their home counties.

The report was released as prison officials prepare to present their official budget request to lawmakers and Gov. Pete Ricketts.