NEW YORK (AP) — Teen vaping, which has been skyrocketing, fell dramatically last year in the United States.

A new government survey suggests the number of high school and middle school students using electronic cigarettes fell to 2.2 million last year, from 3 million the year before.

Health officials have worried about the booming popularity of vaping products among kids, and the potential impact the trend may have on adult smoking rates in the future.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the study Thursday. It’s the first decline CDC has reported in teen vaping since the agency began tracking in 2011. The results echo a University of Michigan survey that also detected a teen vaping decline in 2016.

Experts say it’s too soon to know if the numbers will continue to drop.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska residents who have relied on Medicaid for their health or their children’s are urging elected officials to preserve the health coverage program for children, seniors and people with disabilities.

The group voiced concerns Thursday about proposed caps on the program under the Republican-sponsored American Health Care Act. They spoke at a gathering sponsored by Nebraska Appleseed, a public interest law firm.

Katie Nungesser of Lincoln says Medicaid provided coverage for her and her infant daughter after a divorce forced her to close the day care business she had run out of her home.

Amanda Gershon of Lincoln says Medicaid allows her to purchase prescription drugs needed for a variety of autoimmune disorders. Now that she has the medications, she plans to enroll in college.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A University of Nebraska-Lincoln student accused of assault says in a lawsuit that he’s been unfairly banned from the campus.

Court records say Jeremiah Perkins, of Beaver City, was arrested after the off-campus incident. In his lawsuit he says he was assaulted by one or more university students. Police say Perkins assaulted his girlfriend and a man who intervened.

Perkins is charged with felony assault and terroristic threats. His attorney didn’t immediately return a message Thursday.

Perkins alleges the university violated his rights because he had no opportunity for a hearing after he was banned April 15. His federal lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and a judgment that would prevent the university from enforcing its ban.

A university spokesman has declined to comment.

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LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska’s net tax collections in May fell below official state projections.

The Department of Revenue announced Thursday that the state received a net of $402 million last month. That’s more than 2 percent below the certified state forecast of $411 million.

The department says net sales-and-use and individual income taxes fell below projections, while corporate income and miscellaneous were above the forecast.

Net tax receipts for the current fiscal year are roughly on par with projections that were certified in April. The state had collected nearly $3.9 billion as of May. The current fiscal year ends June 30.

U.S. regulators have approved new competition for EpiPen, the emergency allergy medicine that made Mylan a poster child for pharmaceutical greed.

The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved Adamis (ad-DEHM-iss) Pharmaceuticals Corp.’s product, which should go on sale later this year.

Symjepi (sim-JEPP’-ee) is a syringe prefilled with the hormone epinephrine, which helps stop life-threatening allergic reactions from insect stings and bites or eating foods such as nuts and eggs.

San Diego-based Adamis says its product is easier to use than Mylan’s EpiPen, an autoinjector that comes with a training device. Symjepi also is smaller, so it’s easier for people to carry around with them.

Adamis says it will be much cheaper than EpiPens, which cost more than $600 for a two-pack.

Hershey’s Maintenance Superintendent is in some hot water following a disturbance early Thursday morning.

At around 2:28 a.m., deputies with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office responded to the report of a man threatening people with a gun in the 700 block of West 2nd Street, in Hershey.

Deputies arrived and made contact with a female who alleged that her boyfriend, 50-year-old Ronnie Stewart, had assaulted her and pointed a shotgun at another subject. The victim stated that she and the other person were able to flee the scene.

Deputies made contact with Stewart via telephone and asked him to come outside. Stewart reportedly exited the home without incident and was detained.

According to Chief Deputy Roland Kramer, deputies then searched the residence to ensure that there were no other subjects inside. While inside, deputies observed drug paraphernalia and several firearms, two of which had been reported stolen at an earlier date.

Following the initial investigation, it was determined that probable cause existed to arrest Stewart and charge him with 3rd-degree domestic assault, use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony, possession of a stolen firearm and felony terroristic threats.

Stewart was jailed at the Lincoln County Detention Center.  Kramer says the investigation is ongoing.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Environmental experts in Nebraska say transmission lines to power pumping stations for the planned Keystone XL pipeline would threaten endangered whooping cranes.

Representatives from environmental groups including the Sierra Club and Bold Nebraska submitted written testimony on Monday to the Nebraska Public Service Commission.

They say they object to the $8 billion pipeline’s impact on natural resources. The commission regulates the pipeline route through Nebraska.

Bird expert Paul Johnsgard says the preferred route of the pipeline would mean nearly 70 miles (110 kilometers) of new power lines in the state would pass through migration areas where whooping cranes roost and feed. He says that increases the risk of bird deaths from collisions.

Pipeline developer TransCanada says it’ll review comments but that the route doesn’t cross critical habitat for whooping cranes.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska is sending its first shipment of beef to China under an agreement that allowed the U.S. to resume exports after a 14-year hiatus.

The first boxes from Greater Omaha Packing went out Wednesday. Gov. Pete Ricketts and Nebraska Department of Agriculture Director Greg Ibach helped load the first boxes.

China cut off exports in 2003 after mad cow disease affected some American herds. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Monday that it had finalized an agreement with China to restart exports.

Ricketts says Nebraska is the nation’s top beef processor and exporter, and China is the world’s second-largest beef importer. The governor had urged Chinese officials to lift their ban on previous trade missions.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A state commission that will review a proposed route for the Keystone XL pipeline through Nebraska has set another public hearing to gather input.

The Nebraska Public Service Commission says it will hold the hearing at the Divots Conference Center in Norfolk on June 28, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Doors will open at 9 a.m.

Commissioners will accept comments on a first-come, first-served basis. Speakers will have three to five minutes to give their comments.

The commission has held similar public hearings in York and O’Neill and will hold a more formal hearing with legal arguments Aug. 7-11 in Lincoln.

The pipeline would transport oil from Canada, across Montana and South Dakota to Nebraska, where it would connect with an existing pipeline to Texas Gulf Coast refineries.

A mouth-watering aroma of sugar and fresh-baked pastries filled the parking lot of McDaid Elementary on Tuesday. It intensified inside the building.

There, North Platte Community College head volleyball coach Alexa McCall, members of her team and multiple volunteers were elbow-deep in dough and caramel as they hastily worked to bake hundreds of cinnamon rolls ahead of NEBRASKAland Days’ annual Sweet Saloon.

The event is a fundraiser for the NPCC Lady Knights Volleyball Team and one that is highly anticipated every year by local residents.

This year, the Sweet Saloon will accept orders from 7 a.m. to noon Wednesday through Friday. Walk-ins are accepted, but because of demand, calling in is recommended.

“We highly suggest people call to place an order because we can’t guarantee there will be any rolls available for walk-ins,” said McCall. “We fill the call-in orders first.”

Orders can be placed by calling 535-3696. The rolls cost $1.75 each, or $18 for a dozen. They can be delivered for an additional $2 fee.