(AP) — The Obama administration’s decision to allow more veterans to get care at private hospitals could take some pressure off backlogged Veterans Affairs facilities.

Many of them are struggling to cope with new patients from the wars on terrorism as well as soldiers from prior conflicts.

Agreeing to recommendations from lawmakers, the administration says it will allow more veterans to obtain treatment at private hospitals and clinics in an effort to improve care.

In a statement Saturday, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki also said that VA facilities are enhancing capacity of their clinics so veterans can get care sooner.

Lawmakers from both parties have pressed for this policy change as the VA confronts allegations about treatment delays and falsified records at VA centers nationwide.

(AP) — The nation is marking Memorial Day weekend with somber ceremonies, flag planting at cemeteries and parades.

In New York, a Marines Corps chaplain will give a sermon Sunday at the Marble Collegiate College in Manhattan.

Afterward, sailors, marines and Coast Guard members in town for Fleet Week will tie memorial ribbons on the church’s fence.

There will be gold ribbons for service members killed in Afghanistan, green ribbons representing prayers for peace and blue ribbons for the people of Afghanistan.

On Saturday, Democratic congresswoman Tammy Duckworth served as grand marshal of Chicago’s Memorial Day Parade. She lost her legs while serving her country in the Iraq War.

In Massachusetts, a Boston Marathon survivor and his rescuer helped plant tens of thousands of flags at a ceremony to honor veterans.

(AP) — It seems simple: American lakes, rivers and offshore waters are filling up with destructive fish and crustaceans originally from other parts of the world, so why not control these populations by getting people to eat them?

The idea gained momentum recently from the lionfish, which invaded the Gulf of Mexico but was successfully marketed to restaurants and today appears to be in decline.

Businesses and scientists have struggled to repeat this apparent triumph with other species. Some, such as Asian carp, are not appetizing to Americans. Others, like feral hogs, reproduce too quickly.

Laura Huffman is the Nature Conservancy’s director in Texas. She says eating invasive species “is not a silver bullet,” but the idea can still “get people engaged in the topic and in the solution.”

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The University of Nebraska Board of Regents will consider next week a 3.5 percent increase to the university’s operating budget for the upcoming academic year, while keeping tuition from rising for Nebraska residents.

The increase will bring NU’s total operating budget to $2.4 billion. Regents will consider the budget during their regular meeting, which begins at 8 a.m. on Friday in Varner Hall on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln East Campus.

Interim NU President James Linder said freezing tuition reflects the university’s highest priority of keeping college affordable. Nonresidents will see a small increase in tuition costs.

(AP) — An Omaha property owner is suing the city of Omaha and one of its code inspectors, alleging the inspector offered leniency on her code violations in exchange for sexual favors.

The woman claims in the federal lawsuit that her north Omaha rental properties were targeted for code violations and excessive fines by the inspector when she refused his advances.

The inspector is also named in a separate lawsuit by Omaha property owners who make similar allegations. Omaha attorney Jason Bruno represents the property owners in both lawsuits. He says his clients have been in negotiations with the city to fix the problems outlined in the claims.

(AP) — The Nebraska Supreme Court has suspended the license of a Bellevue attorney for 45 days and ordered him to serve two years of monitored probation.

The suspension stemmed from a case in which attorney Gregory Pivovar was appointed to represent inmate Danny Robinson in a motion for post-conviction relief.

The motion was denied, and Pivovar informed Robinson that he would need to be reappointed before he could represent Robinson on appeal. But Pivovar did not advise Robinson that he had 30 days to appeal, nor did Pivovar file an appeal himself.

Pivovar was reappointed days after the deadline for appeal, and the Nebraska Counsel for Discipline found that instead of contacting the court to discuss the problem, Pivovar “stuck his head in the sand” and refused to take Robinson’s calls.

(AP) — Authorities say a Lincoln woman stole more than $11,000 from her employer over a 10-month period.

Lancaster County prosecutors charged 38-year-old Katie Marie Dewald Thursday with felony theft. Court records do not list an attorney.

Officer Katie Flood says Dewald managed the Stony Ridge Apartments from December 2012 to September. During that time, Flood says Dewald collected rent, fees and laundry money and made personal bank deposits. An internal audit shows Dewald took more than $11,000 while employed at the apartment complex.

Flood says when the building’s owner noticed a discrepancy in the amount of incoming money from tenants and confronted Dewald, she resigned and he called police. Dewald turned herself in to the Lancaster County jail in an agreement with investigators.

(AP) — A Boys Town office in north Omaha will hold a block party to celebrate its one-year anniversary.

The party on June 6 will be open to the public and free for all families. It will feature food, face painting, games and a bounce house.

Boys Town opened the new office on Ames Avenue in north Omaha last year in order to better serve the community.

Boys Town opened an office in south Omaha in February, as well. The new offices are the product of increased efforts to take Boys Town services into the communities that need them.

BREMERTON, Wash. (AP) — A 24-year-old Bremerton man told a Washington State trooper he was not wearing pants because he had recently received a body wax.

After the “manzilian” or Brazilian hair removal for men, he said his jeans irritated his skin so he was driving in his underwear.

The Kitsap Sun reports (http://bit.ly/1tu6yVw) a witness saw the man exposing himself Wednesday. He was arrested on suspicion of indecent exposure.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The parents of an infant killed last year by his nanny are suing the nanny and her former employers.

The lawsuit by Christopher and Ashley Bell, of Omaha, says the child care facilities where Sarah Cullen had worked failed to report allegations that she had been abusive to children in her care before.

The lawsuit names as defendants Cullen, Grow With Me child care and its former director Jennifer Schmaderer; La Petite Academy child care and its former director Lisa Hampson; and online family care service Care.com.

Cullen was sentenced earlier this month to 70 years to life in prison for causing the injuries in February 2013 that killed 4-month-old Cash Bell.

The Bells are seeking an unspecified amount in damages.