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Nebraska Public Media | News

English, Local-Regional News, 1 season, 1179 episodes, 2 days, 15 hours
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Daily NET Radio news and features on a wide variety of topics that affect Lincoln, Omaha, and all of Nebraska. Updated weekdays.
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Experts discuss threats of artificial intelligence on democracy

Experts in media, election security and counterterrorism spoke on ChatGPT, deep fake videos, voice cloning and more at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Saturday for Civic Nebraska’s AI and Democracy Community Summit. The panel included UNL public relations professor Bryan Wang, UNL journalism professor Matt Waite, Douglas County Election Commissioner Brian Kruse and UNO counterterrorism center director, Gina Ligon.
2/26/20241 minute, 31 seconds
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Legislature moves to restore oversight; veterans' proposal heard

The Nebraska Legislature moved Friday toward restoring its oversight authority for state agencies, and lawmakers heard a proposal to help veterans accused of crimes avoid convictions.
2/23/20245 minutes, 52 seconds
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HBCUs visit Lincoln Public Schools for first-time

Lincoln Public School students at four high schools had the opportunity to learn more about H-B-C-Us this week. Nebraska Public Media’s Kassidy Arena reports the informational sessions offered some students a first-time look at some of these schools.
2/23/202451 seconds
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Abortion exceptions considered; fentanyl penalties advanced

A proposal to allow exceptions to Nebraska’s limits on abortion in cases of fatal fetal anomalies produced strong reactions at a public hearing Thursday. And, senators advanced a bill enhancing penalties for people who supply fentanyl-laced drugs that kill or seriously injure another person.
2/22/20245 minutes, 51 seconds
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LTU shares plans for temporary StarTran Transfer Center location

The hub of Lincoln’s bus system may be getting a new temporary location until the completion of a multi-modal transportation center in 2027. Lincoln Transportation and Utilities shared plans at a public open house Wednesday morning for a new transfer center location at 11th and L Streets, two blocks south of its current location next to the Gold’s Building construction site.
2/22/20241 minute, 40 seconds
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Bill for more childcare advances; drug penalty increases debated

The Nebraska Legislature advanced a bill Wednesday aimed at increasing the availability of childcare, and senators debated increasing penalties for providing drugs that result in serious injury or death.
2/21/20245 minutes, 52 seconds
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Flood launches program to recruit out-of-state police officers

The initiative, called Nebraska Backs the Blue, aims to recruit officers to Nebraska by highlighting the state’s support for law enforcement, recreational opportunities and free college tuition program for law enforcement officials. “Our message today, while very important in Nebraska, is really a message to the rest of America. Nebraska is the best state in the union to work as a law enforcement official,” Flood said.
2/21/20241 minute, 17 seconds
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Former Husker women's basketball player files lawsuit

A former women’s basketball player at the University of Nebraska has filed a lawsuit claiming the school and the team’s head coach were aware of and mishandled an inappropriate sexual relationship between her and a member of the coaching staff.
2/20/20241 minute, 36 seconds
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UNL-developed robot completes surgical simulation in space

A robot developed at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is among the first to complete a surgical simulation in space. A research team led by UNL engineering professor Shane Farritor received grant funding from NASA to send the robot to the International Space Station. The 2-pound robot, controlled by surgeons from across the United States, cut ten rubber bands as part of its initial space test.
2/19/20241 minute, 26 seconds
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Bill seeks to fund Nebraska tribal water projects

Raybould’s LB1383 would establish Nebraska Tribal Community Assistance Program. The program would be funded through an initial transfer of $10,000,000 from the Intern Nebraska Cash Fund and provide at least one grant per year — up to $2,000,000 — to tribal water and sewer projects.
2/16/20241 minute, 28 seconds
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New resource launches for Spanish breast cancer survivors

Spanish-speaking breast cancer survivors in the state now have a new resource for helping with mental health.
2/15/202444 seconds
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Bill to help hospitals advances

The Nebraska Legislature advanced a bill that aims to help financially struggling hospitals by increasing federal Medicaid reimbursements.
2/15/20246 minutes, 1 second
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Birthing support advocates could receive Medicaid reimbursement

Doulas are trained birthing coaches who help women through pregnancy and childbirth. And if a bill passes through state legislation, this resource could be available to Nebraskans who use Medicaid. Nebraska Public Media’s Kassidy Arena has the story.
2/15/202450 seconds
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Aid for low-income pregnant women moves; oversight deal reached

The Nebraska Legislature advanced a bill adding Medicaid services for pregnant women, and senators reached a temporary deal with the Pillen administration restoring some legislative oversight of corrections and child welfare.
2/14/20246 minutes, 12 seconds
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Bills prohibiting DEI, eliminating tenure have hearings

Two bills that would impact state colleges had hearings in the Nebraska Legislature’s Education Committee today. One would prohibit diversity, equity and inclusion programs, and the other would eliminate tenure at state colleges.
2/14/202447 seconds
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Senators consider railroad safety, broadband expansion

. The Nebraska Legislature considered proposals Tuesday aimed at improving railroad safety and expanding broadband coverage.
2/13/20245 minutes, 53 seconds
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Education Committee hears bill protecting religious expression

A bill that would stop schools from punishing or prohibiting employees engaging in religious expression outside of class went in front of the state legislature’s Education Committee on Monday. State Senator Loren Lippincott said he wants to solidify the protections in state law following a U.S. Supreme Court decision that recognized a football coach’s right to pray after a game.
2/13/202448 seconds
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Pillen to accept summer food program; senators mull "mega-sites"

Gov. Jim Pillen said Nebraska will apply for the summer EBT program, and senators are considering money to prepare sites to attract industrial projects.
2/12/20246 minutes, 10 seconds
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Due process violated in Omaha Immigration Court, report says

Despite the law requiring the government to accommodate interpretation, the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska said that doesn’t always happen in Omaha Immigration Court. A new report by the ACLU said Omaha Immigration Court violates due process in many cases.
2/9/20241 minute, 15 seconds
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NU Board of Regents approves cutting three UNK programs

The University of Nebraska Board of Regents approved transitioning out the University of Nebraska at Kearney’s Theatre program along with two other programs at their meeting Friday.
2/9/20241 minute, 2 seconds
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Judge reviews if sextortion suspect should be tried as juvenile

A District Court Judge in Hall County will decide if a 17-year-old should stand trial as an adult for allegedly extorting sex and explicit photos from other teenagers in central Nebraska. Details of the complex, disturbing case came to light during the Wednesday hearing to consider a motion to transfer the case to juvenile court. Seventeen-year-old Cody Holum of Doniphan faces 13 charges of human trafficking and four charges of 1st degree sexual assault. At an earlier hearing, he pled not guilty to all the accusations.
2/9/20244 minutes, 48 seconds
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HUD grants $15 million to Nebraskans fighting homelessness

Each of Nebraska’s three continuum of care regions in Omaha, Lincoln and the rest of the state received more than $5 million in federal funds to assist individuals experiencing homelessness. Nebraska Field Office Director Kitty Amaya says this year’s grants are HUD’s largest annual investment nationally and reflect the need for services in smaller cities.
2/8/20241 minute, 23 seconds
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Proposed grocery fund looks to improve food access

Grocery store owners and managers in Nebraska are excited about the prospects of a bill proposed in the Nebraska Legislature. LB 1116 would create a grant or loan program for locally run grocery stores. A store in west central Nebraska said they could use this money to try and grow its customer base.
2/8/20241 minute, 11 seconds
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Two bills could improve Medicaid for long-term care

Financial issues are plaguing Nebraskans’ ability to access long-term care. Bills in the Nebraska Legislature would increase Medicaid reimbursement rates for assisted living and nursing homes.
2/8/202457 seconds
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Hiking sales tax to lower property tax meets opposition

The idea of raising sales taxes in order to lower property taxes got a less-than-rousing reception in a hearing before the Legislature’s Revenue Committee Wednesday.
2/8/20245 minutes, 29 seconds
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Bill making counties offer assessed value for property heard

Counties would have to offer to buy properties for their assessed value, under a proposal heard Wednesday by the Legislature’s Revenue Committee. And senators advanced a bill aimed at making dental services available for more Medicaid recipients.
2/8/20244 minutes, 36 seconds
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Sen. Ricketts explains opposition to border security bill

Ricketts joined 49 other senators in opposition to a border security bill and foreign aid bill that had the support of Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and most Senate Democrats. Ricketts explained his opposition in a press call Wednesday.
2/8/20241 minute, 5 seconds
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Data shows NE community college students behind US average

Newly-released data from higher education researchers shows Nebraska is behind the national average when it comes to community college students transferring to four-year universities and ultimately earning their bachelor’s degrees. Nebraska Public Media’s Kassidy Arena has the details.
2/7/202452 seconds
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Amendment to change State Board of Education draws opposition

A proposed constitutional amendment that would change the makeup of the State Board of Education drew opposition Tuesday at the Legislature’s Education Committee hearing.
2/7/20241 minute, 4 seconds
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Allowing schools to arm teachers draws mixed reaction

Host Intro: Nebraska schools would have more options for armed personnel to confront possible shooters under a bill that drew strong support and opposition at a hearing Tuesday.
2/6/20245 minutes, 25 seconds
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Merrick Co. jury’s sexual assault verdict reversed

A man imprisoned for the past year after being convicted of sexual assault in Merrick County will get a new trial. In a very unusual move, Nebraska’s Attorney General filed a memorandum with the Nebraska Court of Appeals stating testimony that helped put 63-year-old Jack Tourtillott of Chapman in jail should not have been heard by the jury. The attorney recommended the jury’s guilty verdict be reversed. The court did so in January.
2/6/20241 minute, 11 seconds
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A conversation with Black Votes Matter Get Out the Vote Director

There are plenty of elections this year including Nebraska primaries, local elections and a vote for U.S. president. This means people like Dwayne Hawkins—the director for Black Votes Matter Get Out the Vote initiative based in Omaha-- is very busy. Nebraska Public Media’s Kassidy Arena got a coffee with him to talk about what’s on his mind in this new role.
2/6/20244 minutes, 59 seconds
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Legislature rejects year-round daylight saving or standard time

Nebraskans will continue to switch their clocks twice a year, after senators rejected proposals today/Monday to stick with standard time or daylight saving time year-round.
2/5/20244 minutes, 8 seconds
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NU offering full-ride scholarship for students with perfect ACT

The University of Nebraska announced a new full-ride scholarship starting in the fall for in-state students who receive a perfect score on the ACT. The President’s scholarship will cover all costs to attend the University of Nebraska – including room, board and books — plus a $5,000 stipend.
2/5/202459 seconds
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Train crew requirements fall short; eminent domain bill heard

An effort to require two-person crews on trains crossing Nebraska fell short Friday in the Legislature. And senators heard a proposal to tighten requirements for local governments or businesses that want to condemn land.
2/2/20244 minutes, 3 seconds
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Board of Education discusses proposed rule change for libraries

State Board of Education members disagreed on a potential rule change that would prohibit sexually explicit content in school libraries at their meeting Friday.
2/2/20241 minute, 26 seconds
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Refugee resettlement agencies look ahead to a busy year

This November, voters will decide the next president. And depending on this outcome, Nebraska refugee resettlement agencies may have to quickly adjust how many new arrivals to prepare for. The refugee outlook for 2024 may be starkly different from 2025.
2/2/20244 minutes, 39 seconds
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Bill aims to stop discrimination against firearm industry

Aguilar’s Firearm Industry Nondiscrimination Act would prohibit state and local government entities from entering into a contract with a company that has a policy of discriminating against the firearm industry. Steve Hornady, president of Hornady Manufacturing, an ammunition company based in Grand Island, testified at Thursday’s legislative hearing on the bill.
2/2/20241 minute, 52 seconds
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Nebraska announces new plan to help incarcerated individuals

Governor Jim Pillen and the Department of Correctional Services announced Thursday the start of a new strategy to help incarcerated individuals re-enter their community.
2/2/20241 minute, 13 seconds
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Tax changes resisted; train crew requirements slowed

Proposals to expand sales taxes to reduce property taxes ran into opposition in a public hearing Thursday. And, opponents of requiring two-people on train crews continued the first legislative filibuster of the year, leading the discussion onto some interesting sidings.
2/1/20246 minutes, 23 seconds
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UNL researchers test roadside barriers against heavy EVs

University of Nebraska-Lincoln researchers have released results from an electric vehicle crash test last fall. Cody Stolle, assistant director of UNL’s Midwest Roadside Safety Facility, says the research is important as electric vehicles, which can be much heavier than their gas-powered counterparts, become more common.
2/1/20241 minute, 47 seconds
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Bill could make it easier to remove signature from petition

Under the current process, voters must sign a notarized affidavit to make that happen. Linehan, who introduced the new legislation, says her bill would only require voters to send a letter to the Secretary of State’s Office to remove their name.
2/1/20241 minute, 35 seconds
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Property tax levy cuts heard, train crew minimum size debated

Property tax levies would be automatically reduced if valuations increased, under a proposal heard by the Legislature’s Revenue Committee Wednesday. And senators debated requiring at least two crew members on trains crossing the state.
1/31/20244 minutes, 54 seconds
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Douglas County Health Department talks overdose deaths

Douglas County is taking steps to prevent drug overdose related deaths with a new program, The Douglas County Overdose Fatality Review Team(OFR).
1/31/202446 seconds
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Yearlong Daylight or Standard Tim? Debate continues...

The Nebraska Legislature continued debate Tuesday on proposals to have the state observe either yearlong Daylight Saving Time or yearlong Standard Time.
1/30/20244 minutes, 55 seconds
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Arabic, Kurdish manufacturing class to address labor shortage

Lincoln has developed a way for the state’s resettled refugees to help fill the workforce. Nebraska Public Media’s Kassidy Arena shares more about a manufacturing course starting this weekend (Sunday).
1/30/202446 seconds
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Arabic, Kurdish manufacturing class to address labor shortage

Lincoln has developed a way for the state’s resettled refugees to help fill the workforce. Nebraska Public Media’s Kassidy Arena shares more about a manufacturing course starting this weekend (Sunday).
1/30/202443 seconds
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Higher percentage of renters burdened in parts of Central Neb.

More than 49 percent of renting households in and around Kearney and Hastings experience cost burden. Housing cost burden is defined as any household spending more than 30 percent of their income toward rent and utilities.
1/29/20241 minute, 18 seconds
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Blood begins campaign for Congress

Carol Blood, a Democrat State Senator from Bellevue, launched her campaign for Congress against Mike Flood Saturday afternoon. At a union hall in Lincoln, Blood criticized Flood for his role in an unproductive, hyper-partisan Congress. Blood promised to protect social security and access to abortion.
1/28/20241 minute, 16 seconds
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Partisan power elections, nonpartisan needles proposal advances

The Nebraska Legislature advanced bills Friday calling for partisan elections to public power boards, but then advanced a public health measure on a nonpartisan vote.
1/26/20245 minutes, 41 seconds
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Senators debate switching to year-round daylight savings time

Nebraskans would stop having to “spring ahead” and “fall back,” under a bill for year-round daylight savings time being debated in the Legislature.
1/25/20246 minutes, 17 seconds
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Gender care regulations advance, but some comments left unheard

Earlier this week, the Nebraska State Board of Health voted to approve temporary regulations on gender affirming care for minor, bringing them one step closer to becoming permanent. The regulations included no significant changes to the regulations state Chief Medical Officer Doctor Timothy Tesmer (TEZ-muhr) approved in October. But on Wednesday, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services says it was notified that some comments submitted at a public hearing were not included in the hearing summary.
1/25/20241 minute, 26 seconds
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Senators fight over north Omaha redevelopment funds

Host Intro: A fight over who controls more than $100 million intended to revitalize north Omaha spilled onto the floor of the Legislature Wednesday.
1/24/20244 minutes, 46 seconds
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LPS Board of Education considering new contract for teachers

The Lincoln Public Schools Board of Education discussed a new contract for teachers that includes changes to professional learning time and an increase in the base annual salary at their meeting on Tuesday.
1/24/202459 seconds
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Texting while driving, religious freedom bills aired

A law against texting while driving would be bolstered under a proposal heard Tuesday in a legislative committee. And a bill aimed at strengthening protections for freedom of religion is advancing in the Legislature.
1/23/20245 minutes, 58 seconds
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Bills for better state contracts, easier occupational licenses

Bills for better state contracts and easier occupational licenses are advancing in the Legislature.
1/22/20245 minutes, 9 seconds
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Ride along with one of Lincoln’s snowplow drivers

In Lincoln and Omaha, hundreds of snowplow drivers have put in long hours over the last two weeks, with each city using a different strategy to keep the streets clear. Clayton Engelman, the transportation maintenance coordinator for the city of Lincoln, says major arterials remain the city’s priority after the snow stops falling. “Once the snow stops, that's usually what we call zero hour,” Engelman said. “And then at that point, we try to get the streets, the main streets, fully cleared before we move on into residentials.”
1/22/20244 minutes, 48 seconds
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Pillen: change tax incentives; senators: no big rules changes

Host Intro: Governor Jim Pillen wants changes in how Nebraska tries to attract new people and businesses to the state. And the Legislature is moving on to debate bills without making major changes to its rules.
1/19/20243 minutes, 40 seconds
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State employees union asks judge to hold state in contempt

In December, the Nebraska Association of Public Employees was granted a motion of temporary relief, which halted the implementation of Governor Jim Pillen’s executive order requiring workers to return to the office in January. But Justin Hubly, the union’s Executive Director, says he received some complaints from union members that were required to return to in-person work despite the ruling.
1/19/20241 minute, 37 seconds
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Isanti Schools uses connections to address chronic absenteeism

Schools across the state are facing challenges with chronic absenteeism in students. One school district is using connections to overcome the issue and get students to school.
1/19/20245 minutes, 31 seconds
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Pillen outlines priorities; open chairmanship elections fail

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen talked about his priorities and drew a mixed reaction, while a bid to change legislative rules and require open elections for committee chairmanships fell short.
1/18/20245 minutes, 56 seconds
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Gov. Pillen State of the State Address 2024

Governor Jim Pillen made his State of the State address today (yesterday). But as Nebraska Public Media’s Kassidy Arena reports, his speech was delayed by those concerned about his administration’s decisions.
1/18/202448 seconds
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Investors in Neb. Niobium Mine: “Something must happen."

As NioCorp prepares for its annual shareholders meeting, frustrated investors in Nebraska would like answers following what even the CEO calls a "disappointing" year. The company attracted small investors after it proposed to build a Niobium mine outside of Elk Creek, Nebraska. The project has yet to materialize. The stock languished in 2023 after joining the Nasdaq Stock Exchange. In the past year, the focus of the discussion among NioCorp shareholders shifted from the buzz about the prospects for a mine toward the under-performance of its stock.
1/18/20245 minutes, 42 seconds
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Omaha Democrat Preston Love kicks off Senate campaign

The eighty-one year-old community activist and Sunday school teacher compared his campaign for Pete Ricketts’ Senate seat to David going up against Goliath in his opening speech. Love said his priorities as U.S. senator would include stronger gun control, more abortion access, and the creation of a robust farm bill.
1/17/20241 minute, 3 seconds
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Tax proposals, restrictions on foreign ag ownership introduced

.Senators introduced proposals to raise sales tax and eliminate exemptions to lower property taxes, and to tighten restrictions on foreign ownership of ag land.
1/17/20244 minutes, 14 seconds
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Omaha redevelopment funds could be shifted; rules still debated

The Legislature's Urban Affairs Committee advanced a proposal to shift control of north Omaha redevelopment funds, and legislative rules debate continued.
1/16/20244 minutes, 26 seconds
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LES prepared for frigid temps during Nebraska cold spell

Sunday morning, the temperature in Lincoln fell to -18 degrees, making it the coldest day in the capital city since February 16, 2021. On that day, nearly three years ago, the temperature dipped to 31 below, contributing to rolling blackouts across the region.
1/16/20241 minute, 21 seconds
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Resources for people in need during extremely cold weather

Wind chills will dip as low as negative 30 degrees in Lincoln this week. That’s a looming concern for people experiencing homelessness. Nonprofits in Lincoln are encouraging people to seek refuge from the cold. People’s City Mission is opening its doors to everyone this week. Matt Talbot Kitchen and Outreach is open during the day.
1/15/20241 minute, 7 seconds
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CHI Health, Creighton set up phone line to study long COVID

CHI Health Center and Creighton University in Omaha set up a phone line to research long COVID across the state. They are also using the phone line to provide further care to those affected with continued symptoms.
1/15/202450 seconds
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Remembering Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Nebraska Public Media remembers a visit Dr. King made to Lincoln, NE on December 30, 1964. From the stage at Pershing Auditorium, Dr. King spoke at the Methodist Student Movement Conference saying, “I need not pause to say how very delighted and honored I am to be here tonight and to be a part of this very significant conference.” Assigned security for Dr. King was 25 year old Lincoln Police Officer Al Maxey.
1/15/202452 seconds
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Food bank opens on holiday unscheduled

Due to the heavy winter storms this past weekend, some community resources have had to shift their plans
1/15/202440 seconds
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Snow, wind and cold blast Nebraska for second time this week

It’s been a busy week for Lincoln snowplow driver Brett Bratrsovsky. Lincoln is in its second snow emergency of the week, and Bratrsovsky has already worked multiple 12 hour shifts. He worked 16 hours on Thursday. While the early week storm had warmer temperatures and wetter snow, Friday’s accumulation has been colder and drier, making it easier to plow. But the wind is a problem.
1/12/20241 minute, 23 seconds
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Palmtag suit against Nebraska Republican Party headed to trial

The Nebraska Supreme Court ruled Janet Palmtag's defamation suit against the Nebraska Republican Party can go to trial.
1/12/20241 minute, 32 seconds
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Legislative rules changes: a necessity, or an overreaction?

The Nebraska Legislature began debating rules changes Thursday that some argued are necessary, and others criticized as an overreaction.
1/11/20245 minutes, 37 seconds
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Eased abortion restrictions proposed

Sen. Merv Riepe proposed eased abortion restrictions in cases of fatal fetal anomaly, and the Rules Committe endorsed open elections for committee chairs.
1/10/20245 minutes, 46 seconds
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Regulation of midwives considered by Nebraska Supreme Court

The Nebraska Supreme Court is weighing who can legally help an expectant mother with the birth of her child in Nebraska. A pair of cases involving an unlicensed lay midwife triggered an appeal to the high court. District Court judges in Douglas and Madison Counties threw out charges against Judy Jones, an unlicensed lay midwife after she assisted in the birth of two babies in a home birth. The justices heard opposing points of view during oral arguments on Wednesday.
1/10/20241 minute, 18 seconds
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Pillen, Stothert announce state funding for industrial park site

More than $120 million of state funds are heading to Omaha for the creation of a business park site and youth sports complex in the northeast part of the city. Governor Jim Pillen and Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert joined other civic leaders to make the announcement Wednesday. Nearly $90 million will help pay for land acquisitions and infrastructure development near Eppley Airfield, allowing private businesses to begin construction on the site upon completion.
1/10/20241 minute, 30 seconds
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Stratton lumberyard closing after more than 80 years in business

League Builders Supply, a lumberyard and store in Stratton, Nebraska, is set to shut down in the coming weeks after owner Denis League retires. “I'm not going to say Stratton’s going to shrivel up and die, because I'm not here, but I don't think it's going to help anything,” he said. “And I feel bad about that, but there’s a point where you’ve got to take care of yourself and I think I’m there.”
1/10/20244 minutes, 32 seconds
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Reparations for slavery, abolition of tenure among proposals

Bills concerning reparations for slavery and abolition of tenure are among proposals to be considered by the Legislature.
1/9/20245 minutes, 31 seconds
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Snow removal efforts underway after winter storm

Winter Storm Finn blanketed much of eastern Nebraska with snow over the last two days. Lincoln and Omaha each saw around 5 inches of snow Monday and Tuesday, while other parts of the state saw upwards of one foot. A spot near Daykin, a village in Saline County, had the storm’s highest measured snowfall in the state of 14.5 inches, according to the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network.
1/9/20241 minute, 38 seconds
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Pillen wants 40 percent property tax cut; doesn't specify plan

Gov. Jim Pillen endorsed a 40 percent property tax cut Monday but did not offer a specific plan for how to achieve that.
1/8/20245 minutes, 30 seconds
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Crete Citizenship Classes

A new resource for Nebraskans working to become U-S citizens is now available in Crete. Nebraska Public Media’s Kassidy Arena reports it was created due to an increased need in the community.
1/8/202450 seconds
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Senators introduce bills, prepare for rules debate

Senators introduced proposals dealing with the death penalty and degree requirements, while preparing for an upcoming debate on how they conduct business.
1/5/20244 minutes, 31 seconds
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City of Lincoln and Native Americans settle 20 month court fight

Local Native American advocates and a fish farm owner settled a series of court disputes against the city of Lincoln on Thursday. Advocates opposed a housing development the city approved back in spring 2022. The Wilderness Crossing Development is planned to be created next to sacred Native American prayer grounds, called the Niskíthe Prayer Camp.
1/5/20245 minutes, 13 seconds
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Senators begin 2024 session with hope, apprehension

The Nebraska Legislature began its 2024 session Wednesday with a mixture of hope and apprehension about doing the state's business
1/3/20245 minutes, 35 seconds
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U.S. Department of Education slowly releases FAFSA

The U.S. Department of Education is slowly releasing this year's FAFSA form after a two-month delay due to changes from the FAFSA Simplification Act. One student managed to get in and complete his application among technical difficulties.
1/3/20241 minute, 11 seconds
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Nebraska begins buying Colorado land for Perkins County Canal

Nebraska has begun buying land in Colorado for the proposed Perkins County Canal.
1/2/20241 minute
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Business owners react to Nebraska’s 2024 minimum wage increase

On Monday, Nebraska’s minimum wage increased to $12 an hour, making it the 18th highest state minimum wage in the country and one of 25 states increasing its minimum wage this year. In 2022, Nebraska voters passed an initiative raising the minimum wage from $9 an hour up to $15 an hour by 2026, increasing by $1.50 each year. After that, the wage will be adjusted in accordance with cost of living increases.
1/2/20241 minute, 32 seconds
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The sights and sounds of Toyland: Lincoln families pick out gift

Santa Claus is about to come to town, but some families in the Lincoln metro area need some extra help. Center for People hosts Toyland, an event for families to fill up their stockings and put presents under the tree free of charge.
12/22/20234 minutes, 55 seconds
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Perkins Canal plans spark enthusiasm, skepicism in Ogallala

At an open house in Ogallala, residents of western Nebraska and Colorado had reactions ranging from enthusiasm to skepticism about plans for the Perkins County Canal.
12/21/20233 minutes, 58 seconds
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2024 Legislature faces fiscal, social, self-governance issues

In 2024, Nebraska state senators will decide what they want to do about fiscal and social issues, but also how they want to govern themselves.
12/21/20235 minutes, 2 seconds
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Reflecting on 2023 with Reporter Jolie Peal

Reporter Jolie Peal talks about first year covering education for Nebraska Public Media.
12/21/20234 minutes, 29 seconds
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Reflecting on 2023 with Reporter Elizabeth Rembert

This holiday season, Nebraska Public Media is reflecting on stories and topics our newsroom has covered over the past year. Nebraska Public Media's Dale Johnson sat down with reporter Elizabeth Rembert to hear about her year covering agriculture and rural communities through our partnership with Harvest Public Media.
12/20/20234 minutes, 1 second
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End of the Year Interview with Aaron Bonderson

This holiday season, Nebraska Public Media is reflecting on stories and topics our newsroom has covered over the past year. Our team is made up of ten reporters, each one with their own beat. A beat is a genre of event-driven journalism where a reporter focuses on a particular issue, sector, organization, or institution over time. For example, typical beats include police, courts, government, business, and schools. Reporter Aaron Bonderson joined Nebraska Public Media in 2021 as an intern and started full-time in 2022. He is a Report for America corps member - the first at Nebraska Public Media. Aaron's job includes giving voice to underserved communities and people around the state. He also has a passion for sports. In 2023, one of the most memorable stories for Bonderson was Volleyball Day in Nebraska. Bonderson sat down with Dale Johnson to reflect.
12/19/20235 minutes
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Seniors in rural Nebraska feeling brunt of nursing shortage

Seventy-three counties in Nebraska are below the national average ratio of registered nurses to patients. That’s according to a Nebraska Hospital Association report. Nebraska Public Media reports on how the nursing shortage affects seniors in rural parts of the state.
12/19/202354 seconds
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End of Year Interview with Kassidy Arena

This holiday season, Nebraska Public Media is reflecting on stories and topics our newsroom has covered over the past year. Nebraska Public Media's Dale Johnson sat down with new senior reporter Kassidy Arena to hear about what brought her back to the state and the type of reporting she'd like to focus on.
12/19/20234 minutes, 53 seconds
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Husker Volleyball swept by Texas in NCAA National Championship

The Texas Longhorns swept the Nebraska Cornhuskers at the NCAA Volleyball National Championship in Tampa Sunday afternoon. Nebraska and Texas battled back and forth throughout the first set, but the Longhorns eventually pulled away, winning 25-22.
12/18/20231 minute, 28 seconds
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Pillen, consultant seek efficiencies, budget savings

Gov. Jim Pillen's adminstration's consultant is to identify budget savings of 3% this year and 6% next.
12/15/20232 minutes, 17 seconds
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From Tampa, Husker volleyball playing for a national title

Following a dominating victory over Pittsburgh on Thursday, the Nebraska volleyball team has earned a place in the National Championship match. The Huskers will take on Texas on Sunday at 2 p.m. The match will air on ABC. It’s the first college volleyball game broadcast on the network. Nebraska, who is seeking its sixth national title, is the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament after an impressive regular season and postseason run.
12/15/20234 minutes, 31 seconds
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A woman in Lincoln expands business through local classes

A woman in Lincoln is finding ways to grow her business by participating in local classes with ECHO Collective and Doane University.
12/15/20231 minute, 14 seconds
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Western Kansas cities are turning to AI to help their economies

Communities in western Kansas are trying a new AI tool to help them target economic growth and hopefully fight long-term trends of population loss.
12/14/20234 minutes, 3 seconds
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Nebraska Public Media from the NCAA Volleyball Final Four

The Nebraska Cornhuskers volleyball squad competes in the national semifinals on Thursday night against the Pittsburgh Panthers. Two more wins would give the Huskers its sixth national championship. Nebraska Public Media television sports producer Brock Lohr is in Tampa, Florida — the site of the Final Four. Nebraska Public Media’s Aaron Bonderson spoke with him about the turnout and excitement from the Nebraska faithful.
12/13/20234 minutes, 6 seconds
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Indigenous sewing group empowers and heals

Generations of Native Americans have experienced historical trauma, due to centuries of mistreatment. One group of intertribal women are taking the steps to heal through a new creative outlet.
12/13/20234 minutes, 22 seconds
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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. holds campaign event in Lincoln

Independent candidate for president Robert F. Kennedy Jr. spoke to a crowd of several hundred people at Lincoln’s Royal Grove Tuesday night. Kennedy spent much of his speech Tuesday talking about how a small number of investment firms, namely BlackRock, Vanguard and State Street, are taking away wealth from the American middle class.
12/13/20231 minute, 28 seconds
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Guilty verdict, life sentence in prison riot murder case

Nearly seven years ago, Michael Galindo died following a mob attack during a riot at the Tecumseh State Prison. On Tuesday, a Saline County jury found fellow inmate Eric Ramos guilty of taking part in the murder. Shortly after the jury returned to the Saline County District Court Tuesday morning to resume discussions they returned a verdict of guilt to murder in the first degree, carrying a life sentence.
12/12/20231 minute, 56 seconds
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Months later, Railway Safety Act looks unlikely to pass

After February's freight train derailment and chemical fire in East Palestine, Ohio, Democrats and Republicans — including Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley — joined to push for the Railway Safety Act of 2023. But the legislation is likely dead, says one industry expert who calls it "a political stunt."
12/12/20234 minutes, 15 seconds
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Attorneys give closing arguments in Ramos murder trial

After a month-long trial involving hours of surveillance video and surprise testimony from Ramos himself, attorneys made their final arguments Monday morning. Ramos is charged with killing fellow inmate Michael Galindo during a prison riot at the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution in 2017. Prosecuting attorney Corey O’Brien presented the state’s case and said the video evidence of Galindo’s death was enough to charge Ramos with first-degree murder.
12/12/20232 minutes, 12 seconds
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Nebraska For Us

Nebraskans in District Two now have a new group to help people in the state learn about policies that affect their cost of living.
12/8/202346 seconds
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NAPE pushes back against Pillen order requiring return to office

State employee union members filled the capitol rotunda on their lunch break Thursday to express concerns with the governor’s order ending remote work next month. Nebraska Association of Public Employees executive director Justin Hubly said the union renewed its demand to bargain with the Pillen administration and has given them until December 12th to respond.
12/7/20231 minute, 22 seconds
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There are less people without a home in Nebraska since 2007

On a given night in 2007, the state’s homeless population was about 35-hundred people. Last year, that total fell to about 22-hundred. Lee Heflebower is the chair of the Nebraska Commission on Housing and Homelessness. She says a new strategy to rehouse people has streamlined the process in Nebraska.
12/7/20231 minute, 1 second
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FAFSA delay is “curveball” one school is prepared for

Next year’s FAFSA is delayed due to changes required by the FAFSA Simplification Act. Typically, the application is available on Oct. 1. This year, the U.S. Department of Education announced the form will come out by Dec. 31. At Lexington High School, faculty are trying to help students prepare for the delayed release.
12/6/202353 seconds
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Pillen: Year 1 property taxes "not the success that we wanted"

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen said the first year's results on his effort to reduce property taxes were not not what he hoped for.
12/4/20231 minute, 9 seconds
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NCIA still working on how to honor children who died in Genoa

No consensus has been reached on how to honor children’s remains if they are found at the Genoa U.S. Indian Industrial School in Central Nebraska. By sifting through old documents in 2021, the Genoa Reconciliation Project estimated that 100 children died at the school. Diseases were the main causes of death. According to Nebraska Commission on Indian Affairs executive director, Judi gaiashkibos, the NCIA hosted a call with 40 Native American tribes across the country last Thursday. All of those nations had youth enrolled in the Genoa federal boarding school.
12/4/20231 minute, 21 seconds
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USDA program gives second chance to food that stores won’t sell

Over 100 billion pounds of food goes to waste every year in America. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm to Food Bank is trying to cut down on that waste by connecting local farmers and food pantries, but its future depends on how much funding is included for the program in the next farm bill.
12/4/20233 minutes, 16 seconds
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NU Board of Regents hear concerns on proposed budget cuts

The University of Nebraska Board of Regents heard concerns from the public about proposed budget cuts and approved the NU interim president at their meeting on Friday. With a $58 million budget shortfall looming, the university system has been searching for ways to cut costs. Current NU President Ted Carter said campuses conducted zero-based budget reviews that were due to his office on Dec. 1. These reviews are intended to look at administrative functions, like information technology and facilities.
12/1/20231 minute, 17 seconds
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Prison murder trial relies on security video to ID suspect

For three weeks, jurors in a murder trial in Saline County District Court have been witnesses to a prison riot. Surveillance footage captured during the 2017 uprising at the Tecumseh Correctional Facility plays a central role in determining whether inmate Eric Ramos took part in the murder of a fellow prisoner. Bill Kelly with Nebraska Public Media has been in court for much of the trial. A transcript of his conversation with Morning Edition host Dale Johnson follows.
12/1/20238 minutes, 45 seconds
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Doctors recommend RSV vaccine to older adults, pregnant women

Expecting mothers during 32 to 36 weeks and adults 60-years-old and older should get the RSV vaccine, according to CHI Health doctors. Dr. Michael Schooff, primary care medical director for CHI Health, said RSV can have a severe impact on infants and older adults. “They can get into a bronchiolitis or a pneumonia. Deeper and more severe infections in the lung can lead to difficulty breathing,” Schooff said. “People might need to go to the ER. Sometimes people need to be hospitalized and have help with breathing during these illnesses. And yes, sometimes it is fatal.”
11/30/20231 minute, 8 seconds
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First of its kind fashion show will promote healing

Summary: Indigenous women from throughout Nebraska and parts of Iowa have been sewing and working on traditional garments for six months—all leading up to a first-of-its-kind fashion show.
11/30/202351 seconds
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Schools grappling with student cellphone use

Nebraska schools are wrestling with the problem of cellphones distracting students.
11/30/20231 minute, 31 seconds
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Nebraska communities prepare for warmer, wetter conditions

Climatologists are predicting a warmer and wetter than average winter this year thanks to El Nino, a climate pattern of warm air over the Pacific Ocean. Eric Hunt with the Nebraska State Climate Office said despite warmer temperatures, Lincoln is likely to receive more snowfall than the previous two winters. “I would basically tell anybody Grand Island and east, and particularly South of the Platte, to prepare for more snow than what we've had in the last couple of years,” Hunt said.
11/27/20231 minute, 21 seconds
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Nebraska Department of Education sees improvement in test scores

Newly released state assessment scores show Nebraska’s schools improved this past school year. Across the state, 58% of students were proficient in English Language Arts, 61% in math and 70% in science. These numbers are higher than before the pandemic. “Hopefully we can build on this momentum and work with our schools to really address issues of high quality materials that we're seeing have an impact in our classrooms, quality instruction, and really continue to help teachers teach because as everybody truly knows, that's where the magic happens in education,” Nebraska Department of Education Commissioner Brian Maher said.
11/22/20231 minute, 3 seconds
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Two Nebraska educators receive $25,000 award for their teaching

Two Nebraska educators received a $25,000 surprise this past week. The teachers caught the attention of a national organization because of their teaching methods and love for the job. “I could think of 15 other people before myself that would receive an award in this school because this place is just filled with the best educators in Nebraska,” Leslie McIntosh, one of the recipients, said. “I couldn’t believe it.”
11/22/20233 minutes, 36 seconds
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The journey of Omaha’s official Christmas tree

The tradition of harvesting an evergreen for the official Christmas tree of Omaha is almost one-hundred years old. It’s a trek that used to start across the country, but has transitioned to a more local journey.
11/21/20234 minutes, 28 seconds
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Supporters step up efforts to promote EPIC tax option

Supporters of a plan to replace Nebraska's income and property taxes say they're hiring a petition circulation firm to try and get on next year's ballot.
11/20/20231 minute, 35 seconds
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NU Regent Chairman Tim Clare discusses president search

The University of Nebraska Board of Regents is looking for a new president to run the NU system. Chairman Tim Clare discusses the search, his recommendation for interim president and more. Clare said the application for the position is open for candidates. “We are now in a position where we're full steam ahead with trying to get candidates in," Clare said.
11/20/20235 minutes, 12 seconds
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Santee Clean Water Pipeline Update

Northern Nebraska’s Santee Sioux Reservation is still without safe drinking water after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a no-drink order in 2019. But in recent weeks, some progress has been made. The Santee Sioux tribal council voted to pursue funding for a pipeline bringing clean water from South Dakota in September, but several bureaucratic and financial hurdles need to be cleared before safe drinking water becomes a reality in Santee once more.
11/20/20232 minutes, 13 seconds
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Nebraska students expand knowledge with All State Music

Hundreds of high school band, orchestra and choir students from across Nebraska came together last week to perform at All-State in Lincoln. This year, almost 750 students made one of the four groups.
11/20/20233 minutes, 37 seconds
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Ramos Trial Begins

Eric Ramos, the man accused of killing a fellow inmate at the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution in 2017, is back in court after his initial 2018 trial ended in a mistrial. Opening statements for Ramos’ second trial began Wednesday afternoon at the Saline County Courthouse in Wilber, Nebraska. The State of Nebraska charged Eric Ramos with first degree murder, use of a weapon and tampering with evidence in the death of Michael Galindo during a 2017 riot at the state prison in Tecumseh.
11/16/20231 minute, 10 seconds
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Nebraska homeschool numbers lower than pandemic peak

Homeschool numbers increased all over the country at the start of the pandemic. Studies show many states have sustained that uptick. But Nebraska has a different story.
11/15/20231 minute, 12 seconds
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SNAP & WIC programs safe for now, needing long-term certainty

U.S. Department of Agriculture officials say a continuing resolution dodged the worst case scenario for food assistance programs if the government shuts down Nov. 17. Still, food advocates warn that Congress needs to act quickly and do more to make sure programs are fully funded.
11/14/202340 seconds
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Tri-Faith Initiative supports one another through war impact

“We felt as though silence would be better than making an attempt at words that might fall short," Rev. Sarah Rentzel Jones, who works at Countryside Community Church on the Tri-Faith campus, said. A church, synagogue and mosque sit on the Tri-Faith campus. The three communities are trying to support each other through the impact of the Israel-Hamas war.
11/13/20234 minutes, 7 seconds
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Ricketts: Exempt military retirement from federal income tax

Sen. Pete Ricketts wants to exempt military retirement from federal income tax, but most veterans would not benefit.
11/8/20231 minute, 26 seconds
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Insects hold our planet together, but they’re disappearing

Entomologists say insects are declining at alarming rates — one major study estimates we’re losing 2% in total insect biomassevery year. Now, the National Academy of Sciences is preparing to embark on a study to understand insect trends across North America.
11/6/20233 minutes, 47 seconds
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This Midwestern school district booted kids from classrooms

Since the 2018-19 school year, the Hazelwood School District has sharply increased its rate of investigating student residency eightfold, deploying a team of employees who can use intrusive tactics.
11/3/20235 minutes, 8 seconds
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Meet Nebraska's first wheelchair cross country athlete

Before Abigail, no one had ever competed in wheelchair cross country in the history of the state. At least not according to the Nebraska School Activities Association. But this fall, Abigail competed in four races alongside other junior high runners, each a little more than one mile long. She says her teammates have helped inspire her to not give up when she’s tired.
11/2/20234 minutes, 44 seconds
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Nebraska's Deputy Secretary of Elections Testifies at US Senate

Election integrity experts, including Nebraska’s Deputy Secretary of State for Elections, Wayne Bena, testified at a U.S. Senate hearing about threats to election administration Wednesday. Senate Committee on Rules and Administration Ranking Member Deb Fischer of Nebraska said she hoped to find solutions to problems facing election officials and volunteer poll workers.
11/1/20231 minute, 34 seconds
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Growing Readers Initiative

The Nebraska Department of Education announced a $2 million commitment to Nebraska Growing Readers, which will distribute books to early childhood centers across the state. Mary Jo Pankoke is the CEO of the Nebraska Children and Families Foundation which is partnering with the state. She said one of the goals of the program is to address book deserts. The book distribution began at Educare Indian Hill in Omaha, and will expand to 18 other sites statewide.
10/30/20231 minute, 3 seconds
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Nebraska nursing home CEOs say new staffing rules are flawed

Intended to improve patient care in long-term care facilities, the regulation would require nursing homes to staff a registered nurse for 24 hours a day. Tim Groshans, CEO of the Burwell Community Memorial Health Center, said it would give them less flexibility to accept patients and adjust staffing levels to fit patient needs.
10/30/20231 minute, 41 seconds
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Kids and their animals steal the spotlight at one livestock show

Thousands of competitors come to the American Royal Livestock Show in Kansas City, Missouri, each year to show their best livestock. The competition includes children as young as 7 years old, who take part in a long tradition of raising and showing their animals.
10/30/20233 minutes, 43 seconds
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NEFAB sets new projections for Nebraska state tax revenue

The Nebraska Economic Forecasting Advisory Board increased its projections for state tax revenue in the upcoming year, but the board is less optimistic about fiscal year 2025. The board now projects Nebraska will collect $6.445 billion dollars in state tax revenue between July 2023 and June 2024. That represents an increase of nearly $8 million dollars from the previous projection set in April 2023.
10/27/20231 minute, 13 seconds
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Ex-Scottsbluff police captain gives up credentials over drugs

Former Scottsbluff Police Captain Brian Wasson surrenders his law enforcement certificates over theft and use of drugs.
10/25/20231 minute, 24 seconds
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Voices of Hope Fundraiser This Week

In Lincoln, the crisis Voices of Hope is having their annual fundraiser this week. Nebraska Public Media’ shares more about the difference the organization is making.
10/25/20231 minute, 14 seconds
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Hilgers, other AGs sue Meta over youth mental heatlh concerns

Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers and dozens of others AGs across the country are suing Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook. The lawsuits allege that Meta intentionally designed its social media apps to be addictive to children and teens, taking advantage of psychological vulnerabilities to make a profit.
10/24/20231 minute, 24 seconds
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Volunteer fire departments could recruit more POC to fill gaps

62 percent of volunteer fire departments surveyed in Nebraska say recruiting is difficult, according to a Nebraska Public Media survey. Some diverse towns in Nebraska may try to recruit more People of Color to fill those gaps. How are those efforts going? And, why is it important for the community be represented in the fire department?
10/23/20235 minutes, 1 second
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Survey reveals NE volunteer fire departments struggle to recruit

In most rural communities throughout Nebraska, the firefighters and EMTs who respond to emergencies are all volunteers. But according to survey data from Nebraska Public Media News, recruiting and retaining members has become more challenging in recent years. Nebraska Public Media’s Brian Beach reports how generational bonds and creative solutions are keeping volunteer fire departments alive.
10/23/20235 minutes, 22 seconds
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Rural Poll: Nebraskans feel the country is more divided

About two-thirds of Rural Nebraskans’ think a lack of civil discourse is a somewhat serious (33%) or very serious (32%) problem in America. That’s according to the latest results of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Rural Poll.
10/20/20231 minute, 8 seconds
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Flood continues to back Jordan as McHenry resolution falls throu

A move to give Speaker pro tem Patrick McHenry the full authority of Speaker of the House fell short in a Republican Conference meeting Thursday. Flood began Thursday morning joining Jim Jordan in support of a resolution that would give McHenry the full powers of the Speaker of the House through the end of November.
10/19/20231 minute, 34 seconds
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Listening sessions for next NU president scheduled next week.

The University of Nebraska Board of Regents approved the 22-member search committee to find the system’s next president on Thursday. The committee scheduled listening sessions on all four NU campuses for next week.
10/19/20231 minute
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Don Bacon explains why he voted against Jordan as speaker

Nebraska Congressman Don Bacon joined 21 other House Republicans Wednesday in not voting for Jim Jordan as Speaker of the House. Instead, Bacon voted for former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who was ousted by eight Republicans earlier this month. “He was really the best speaker we could have had,” Bacon said of McCarthy. “He had the experience, the staff. He's the reason we're the majority today.”
10/19/20231 minute, 14 seconds
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NRD Board member sues district over free speech violations

A board member of a natural resource district based in Norfolk has filed a federal lawsuit against the rest of the elected body claiming they violated her First Amendment rights. Melissa Temple claims the district brought illegal sanctions against her as part of a punishment for criticizing other board members.
10/17/202347 seconds
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Midwestern efforts to track monarchs carry into a third decade

Monarch butterflies travel hundreds and even thousands of miles in their migration to Mexico. Volunteer efforts to tag the butterflies have helped scientists learn more about their journey.
10/16/20233 minutes, 28 seconds
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UNL student shares update from family after Morocco earthquake

In his hometown of Casablanca, Morocco, Mohammed Sbai’s family felt tremors from the 6.8-magnitude earthquake that hit the country last month. Nebraska Public Media shares an update from one of the worst natural disasters in the last 60 years in Morocco.
10/12/20231 minute, 43 seconds
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KCUR: New KC Current stadium aims to focus on women's sports

Anyone who’s driven into Kansas City from the north has probably seen the swooping white steel fame of the Kansas City Current's new stadium going up. The team's new owners believe it can change women's soccer.
10/10/20234 minutes, 32 seconds
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Plans for carbon dioxide pipelines raise safety concerns

Proposed projects would add more than 3,000 miles of new carbon pipelines through rural parts of the Midwest. Some emergency officials are concerned about safety, especially after a rupture on a similar pipeline three years ago.
10/9/20234 minutes, 3 seconds
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State can decide on Platte-Republican diversion plan

The Nebraska Supreme Court says the Department of Natural Resources can decide about a plan to divert water from the Platte to the Republican River.
10/6/20231 minute, 20 seconds
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It's tough to keep street superintendents in rural Nebraska

It can be tough to find street and highway superintendents in many parts of rural Nebraska. Nebraska Public Media’s Aaron Bonderson reports on the issue of getting superintendents committed to living in remote parts of the state.
10/6/20231 minute, 7 seconds
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Visibility of women athletes inspires Midwest teens

Nebraska Public Media and the Midwest Newsroom talked with teenage girl athletes about this moment in time and how they feel girls' sports have changed.
10/6/20234 minutes, 3 seconds
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Lack of volunteers ends ambulance service in Merriman

The town of Merriman, Nebraska no longer has its own ambulance service. The Sandhills Ambulance Service could no longer recruit enough qualified volunteers to transport emergency patients to local hospitals. The rescue squad served a 100 square mile area in the far-northwest corner of Cherry County. On Wednesday, the three-member board of Sandhills held a virtual meeting and voted to disband the service after a three-year-long effort to recruit capable Emergency Medical Technicians.
10/6/20231 minute, 7 seconds
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Board of Regents approve $450 million Memorial Stadium project

The University of Nebraska Board of Regents approved the start of a $450 million construction project that will change Memorial Stadium on Thursday.
10/5/20231 minute, 4 seconds
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School district settles Native American hair cutting lawsuit

Two Native American families have settled a lawsuit against the Cody Kilgore Schools with an agreement the district will no longer cut students' hair without the permission of parents. In 2020 an elementary school secretary cut the hair of the two girls during a check for headlice. The lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union maintained the Lakota Sioux believe long hair is a sacred symbol, only to be cut by select individuals. The school employee’s actions, it was argued, violated the Civil Rights of the students.
10/5/20231 minute, 6 seconds
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Nebraska Representatives react to Speaker Kevin McCarthy ousting

Nebraska’s three congressional representatives have voiced disappointment over Tuesday’s ouster of Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House. All of the House Democrats, along with eight Republicans led by Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, voted to remove McCarthy from the role.
10/4/20231 minute, 12 seconds
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KNS: How UNL researchers help Kansans know their wildfire risk

Wildfires have become more common in Great Plains states. City outskirts and rural areas where cedars spread aggressively face some of the highest risks.
10/4/20234 minutes, 41 seconds
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Perkins County Canal: Boon or Boondoggle? Part Four

Nebraska's planning to build the Perkins County Canal at a cost of more than $600 million, but big practical and legal questions remain unanswered.
10/4/20235 minutes, 39 seconds
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The FBI Omaha Field Office is working with the Omaha Police Department to find Cindy Valle, who went missing on August 26, 2011. She was 15 years old and five months pregnant at the time.
10/3/20231 minute, 17 seconds
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Farmers want more crop support in the farm bill. Do they work?

Farmers say Title One — a farm bill program that sends money when crop prices or harvests get low enough — isn’t working as a buffer against tough years. Yet others argue the nearly 100-year-old safety net is costing billions of dollars with few strings attached.
10/3/20234 minutes, 28 seconds
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Perkins County Canal: Boon or Boondoggle? Part Three

Nebraska's proposed Perkins County Canal could mean less water for Colorado farmers. But it could be a long time before the effects are clear.
10/3/20234 minutes, 50 seconds
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Perkins County Canal: Boon or Boondoggle? Part Two

Nebraska says its proposed Perkins County Canal is needed because of development in Colorado. Colorado officials say the canal won't stop development, but could hurt that state's farmers.
10/2/20234 minutes, 13 seconds
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After a setbacks, Nebraska's LGBTQ community is both hopeful and

After a series of high-profile setbacks, a new mural in Lincoln hopes to provide a sense of hope to Nebraska’s LGBTQ community. Nebraska Public Media’s William Padmore talked with members of the community about how they see their situation and whether there’s hope for the future
9/29/20234 minutes, 25 seconds
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Perkins County Canal: Boon or Boondoggle? Part One

Nebraska has revived plans to build a canal to bring South Platte River water from Colorado. But is the canal necessary, and will it deliver the promised benefits?
9/28/20235 minutes, 9 seconds
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Large schools looking for bus drivers, small schools managing

School bus drivers are in short supply nationwide, and Nebraska is no exception. Larger districts are still looking for bus drivers to fill positions. Smaller districts are managing to keep a full staff thanks to community members who are willing to step up. Nebraska Public Media's Jolie Peal reports on what could be contributing to the driver shortage in different areas across the state.
9/25/20234 minutes, 53 seconds
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Composting is happening, but not all Midwest cities are ready

Food waste takes up space in landfills and produces methane, a powerful greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. Composting that waste can reduce climate impacts and save municipalities money on landfill fees, but concerns about bad smells and pests sometimes get in the way.
9/25/20233 minutes, 37 seconds
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Kansas News Service: Maternal homicides are on the rise

Homicide is a leading cause of maternal mortality, and experts say the problem is getting worse.
9/20/20234 minutes, 54 seconds
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The Nebraska Department of Correctional Services is still having trouble finding enough employees, according to a recent report. Doug Koebernick, the state’s Inspector General of Corrections, says that as of June 2023, NDCS had 377 vacancies out of more than 2500 total positions.
9/19/20231 minute, 21 seconds
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Climate change is pushing crop insurance costs up

Federally subsidized crop insurance made record-high payouts last year. While climate change is making farming more risky, the federal program often shields producers at taxpayer expense. Some argue it’s time that the fast-growing program encourages farmers to mitigate their risks.
9/18/20233 minutes, 45 seconds
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Avocado launching contest brings fun, tourism to North Platte

Small rural communities often have to get creative to generate tourism and public interest. One central Nebraska town is hoping to do so by throwing avocados - really, really far
9/15/20234 minutes, 24 seconds
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Midwest Newsroom: Midwest houses not ready for extreme heat

Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska are part of an emerging “extreme heat belt” that could deliver more scorching days within 30 years. So far, there’s no unified plan to make our dwellings safe in the dangerously high temperatures to come.
9/15/20234 minutes, 36 seconds
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For the past four years, Santee has not had access to safe drinking water. And for four years, the tribe has been unable to afford the necessary infrastructure to fix the problem. “We’re supposed to be the greatest country in the world," Kameron Runnels, Santee Sioux Vice Chairman said. "Yet, we have a community right here in our state that can't even drink its own water.”
9/11/20236 minutes, 42 seconds
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Farm-to-school lunches get government money, but will it stick?

The Farm-to-School movement is out to revolutionize the humble school lunch with food grown on local farms. But the path from cropland to cafeteria is full of complicated twists and turns. A new wave of federal funding is trying to smooth the way.
9/11/20233 minutes, 54 seconds
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Midwest Newsroom: Child abuse reports pile up in St. Louis

Over 6,000 St. Louis-area child abuse and neglect cases remain open due to staff shortages
9/7/20237 minutes, 26 seconds
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Diverting water from Platte to Republican argued

The Nebraska Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday on a proposal to divert water from the Platte to the Republican River
8/29/20231 minute, 36 seconds
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Midwest farmworkers struggle with extreme heat and little rules

A fifth of reported heat-related deaths between 2017 and 2022 were agricultural workers, according to OSHA data. Many are calling attention to the under-reported impact of climate change on this group from heatwaves.
8/28/20233 minutes, 44 seconds
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Noche Latina provides a safe space for queer Omahans

New Latin drag night a safe space for Iowans and Nebraskans following anti-LGBTQ bills
8/25/20234 minutes, 29 seconds
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New UNL Chancellor discusses Volleyball Day, enrollment and more

University of Nebraska-Lincoln students started classes this week, and Chancellor Rodney Bennett started his first school year leading them. The former president of the University of Southern Mississippi took over the role from Ronnie Green, who retired at the end of June. Nebraska Public Media’s Jolie Peal spoke with the new chancellor starting with the excitement around Volleyball Day.
8/23/20234 minutes, 24 seconds
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Group plans to haul AltEn’s solid waste to Omaha area landfill

The group cleaning up the AltEn ethanol plant near Mead has a pilot plan for cleaning up the mountain of pesticide sludge. Nebraska Public Media’s Elizabeth Rembert reports they’ll try moving it to a landfill near an Omaha suburb.
8/23/202359 seconds
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VB Day in NE is a chance at respect for smaller schools

Memorial Stadium will be packed at the end of this month, with more than 90-thousand people expected to watch Nebraska’s best volleyball programs in action. Four teams will compete in the first-ever Volleyball Day in Nebraska. Record-breaking ticket sales highlight the significance of volleyball to the Cornhusker state. Nebraska Public Media’s Aaron Bonderson reports on how the sport got to this point…
8/18/20234 minutes, 21 seconds
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Pillen announces new prison to be built in Lincoln

Gov. Jim Pillen announced Thursday the state will build a new prison in northeast Lincoln.
8/17/20231 minute, 32 seconds
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America's chicken supply chain is vulnerable to salmonella.

A research team from multiple universities is developing technology that can detect salmonella contamination in a matter of minutes.
8/17/202344 seconds
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How The Marion County Record published following a police raid

Journalists at the Marion County Record worked late into the night to publish their first issue since the widely-criticized raid. “SEIZED… but not silenced,” its headline read.
8/16/20233 minutes, 31 seconds
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Here's why Kansas is seeing more senior hoarding cases

Experts worry hoarding is on the rise in Kansas amid a lack of support for those who struggle with it, straining families and communities.
8/16/20234 minutes, 34 seconds
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Pillen appoints Corsi to head DHHS

Gov. Jim Pillen appointed Steve Corsi to head the Department of Social Services; some of Corsi's social media posts spark concerns.
8/15/20231 minute, 50 seconds
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Peaches are in short supply this year after weather pitfalls

Warm weather in the South and cold weather in the Midwest knocked out a significant number of the nation’s peach crop this year, leaving a shortage across the country.
8/15/20233 minutes, 40 seconds
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Omaha celebrates Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford as its boxing champion

Thousands packed Omaha’s streets on Saturday to celebrate Crawford after his win over Errol Spence, Jr. The latest triumph made him the first male boxer to hold all four major titles in two different weight classes.
8/14/20234 minutes, 26 seconds
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Lack of transportation strands seniors in rural Kansas

Senior citizens who want to live in the same rural towns where they grew up face a growing problem ... how to get around. Unreliable transportation means many seniors have trouble shopping for groceries, visiting family and getting to medical care. However, there might be one solution.
8/10/20236 minutes, 52 seconds
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Experts want more protections for Kansas sports betters

Legal sports betting in Kansas came with mobile casinos that offer easy access to place wagers online. Experts say that also comes with a higher risk of addiction.
8/9/20233 minutes, 42 seconds
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Congressional delegation airs views at legislative summit

Members of Nebraska's congressional delegation talked about subjects including immigration, trade, ethanol, and partisanship at a meeting Tuesday.
8/8/20234 minutes, 39 seconds
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Hail Damage in Franklin County

May 5, 2023 is a day many residents of Franklin, Nebraska will never forget. That’s when tennis ball sized hail and heavy winds bombarded the Republican River Valley town of less than 1,000 people. By late July, roofing crews could still be seen throughout the town, working through triple digit temperatures to repair damage sustained several months ago.
8/7/20235 minutes, 12 seconds
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The Midwest has a surprising number of shrimp farms

A group of Midwestern shrimp farmers are on a mission to provide Americans with better-tasting, sustainable shrimp. The industry struggled during the COVID-19 pandemic, but farmers remain hopeful that indoor shrimp farming will come back stronger than ever.
8/7/20234 minutes, 22 seconds
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Battle of the Barbers

Barbers from across Nebraska are sharpening their shears and queuing their clippers in preparation for the Battle of the Barbers event in Omaha. But, the event is shaping up to be much more than a simple contest.
8/3/20234 minutes, 52 seconds
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Tornado Hits Downtown Sutton

An EF-1 tornado ripped through the town of Sutton Saturday morning. The storm didn’t lead to any injuries, but there was extensive damage to the town 70 miles southwest of Lincoln.
8/1/20231 minute, 10 seconds
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Educators Rising aims to help state’s teacher shortage

Over 700 teaching positions were vacant or filled with an unqualified individual last year, according to the Nebraska Department of Education. Other issues, like burnout and low teacher pay, are making it hard for teachers to stay in the classroom. An organization called Educators Rising is trying to help fill those positions by encouraging students to overcome these issues and become teachers.
7/31/20234 minutes, 42 seconds
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Winslow’s plan to move uphill was supposed to save the town. It

The town of Winslow gained statewide attention for its plan to save the community from future floods by moving its uphill. However, the plan has almost ground to a halt, and while some community members support it, most cannot afford it, while others are actively fighting to keep the town where it is.
7/27/20235 minutes, 10 seconds
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Elderberries are a successful niche crop at a crossroads

Elderberries are native to the Midwest, but the commercial cultivation of the crop is relatively recent, and saw a big increase during the coronavirus pandemic. That has the burgeoning industry wondering if its future is as a small, niche crop or something bigger.
7/24/20233 minutes, 43 seconds
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School Choice

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7/21/20234 minutes, 51 seconds
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Willa Cather Summit Seeks to Analyze and Critique

Willa Cather is one of the most celebrated American writers from the Midwest for her depictions of life in the great plains. This week and next, 25 academics from across the country are convening in Nebraska to critique her works and methods.
7/21/20231 minute, 39 seconds
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Lasting Impact of Nebraska National Guard mission in Bosnia

This year is the 20th anniversary of a Nebraska Army National Guard peacekeeping mission in Bosnia. At the time, a NATO-sponsored mission was rare for the Guard. Nebraska Public Media reports on the lasting impact of the so-called “Taskforce Huskers” mission.
7/20/20235 minutes, 5 seconds
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Challenge to abortion, transgender health law gets hearing

A court hearing Wednesday considered the constitutionality of a law restricting both abortion and health care for transgender youth.
7/19/20234 minutes, 52 seconds
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An Iowa minister explains why they left the Methodist church

10% of Iowa’s Methodist congregations are leaving the church. The denomination is wrestling over the future of LGBTQ members and whether they can be clergy.
7/18/20236 minutes, 40 seconds
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How much will recent rains help Nebraska's drought?

Dryness in the Great Plains began spreading east this year, affecting much of the Midwest and endangering crops, livestock and river transportation. Recent rains have been a god-send, but will it be enough to loosen the years-long drought?
7/17/20234 minutes, 38 seconds
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U.S. approves ‘lab-grown meat’ for sale

The U.S. Department of Agriculture gave two companies the green light last month to produce and sell their cultivated chicken meat across the country. But it could still take years before people can buy the new meat at grocery stores.
7/14/202347 seconds
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Broadband expansion: opportunities and challenges

The promise of $405 million will help connect more Nebraskans, but challenges remain.
7/13/20234 minutes, 25 seconds
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Tax credits jump start Midwest carbon capture projects

In an effort to reach zero carbon emissions by 2050, the Biden administration is offering more tax credits for carbon capture sequestration and utilization. The program once expected to cost $3.2 billion now could exceed $100 billion.
7/10/20234 minutes, 3 seconds
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How social media has changed the face of storm chasing

Storm chasers of different ages and backgrounds explain why they chase storms, and how social media is transforming the profession
7/7/20233 minutes, 35 seconds
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Congress made SNAP work rules stricter. Kansas did it first.

Congress expanded work requirements for food assistance during the debt ceiling negotiations, a move that would normally happen in the Farm Bill. Shortly before that, the state of Kansas made similar changes.
7/3/20234 minutes, 3 seconds
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Two court rulings later, abortion access remains in Iowa

Abortion is still legal in Iowa a year after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the nationwide right to terminate a pregnancy. But just like this time last year, it’s not clear how long that will last. An Iowa Supreme Court order this month left only one thing certain—Republican lawmakers will try again to restrict abortion.
6/30/20234 minutes, 55 seconds
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North Platte’s rancher-led meat plant works toward opening

In 2020, a group of Nebraska ranchers and cattle feeders came up with a plan to establish their own meat plant. It’s a proposal to break away from the four massive companies that control the beef market. Three years later, they're working on construction and housing.
6/29/20234 minutes, 49 seconds
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Visa holdup means foreign nurses can't help hospitals

Hospitals across the country have recruited nurses from around the world to make up for U.S. labor shortages. But demand for international workers is delaying visas and slowing the flow of nurses able to come to Kansas.
6/28/20234 minutes, 7 seconds
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Nebraska getting $400 million for broadband expansion

Nebraska will receive more than $400 million in federal infrastructure funding to improve broadband access in the state.
6/27/20231 minute, 10 seconds
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STEM camp grows Native American students' curiousity

A summer camp in Nebraska is trying to spark Native American students’ interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. Twenty-seven middle school students from more than eight tribes in Nebraska and South Dakota toured the Aerospace Museum in Ashland, Nebraska, earlier this month.
6/27/20232 minutes, 6 seconds
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Extreme drought, low levels in water towers may lead to complete

Extreme drought, low levels in water towers may lead to complete sprinkler ban
6/26/202351 seconds
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Listen: University of Nebraska President Ted Carter

University of Nebraska President Ted Carter speaks on tuition increases, politics in education and beer at Memorial Stadium.
6/26/202325 minutes, 49 seconds
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Iowa is one of a few holdouts in expanding postpartum care

For two years, federal funds have been available for states to extend postpartum health care from two months to a full year for moms on Medicaid. The policy is popular across the Midwest, with Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska all adopting an extension. Iowa remains hesitant.
6/26/20234 minutes, 45 seconds
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How Decorah became a same-sex marriage hub before Obergefell

Iowa was one of the first states to legalize same-sex marriage, years before it would be allowed across the rest of the country. During that time in between, couples flocked to the state to tie the knot, and in particular, one small town became a popular destination.
6/23/20234 minutes, 38 seconds
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Abortion 'abolitionists' want to charge women with murder

The anti-abortion movement is contending with a growing faction that calls for abortion patients to be criminally punished.
6/23/20237 minutes, 32 seconds
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Movement or Hostile Takeover: Inside the intraparty battle in th

There’s a battle going on within the Nebraska Republican Party. In interviews gathered over months, both current and former officials within the NEGOP say incidents in Sarpy, Dixon and York counties are indicative of a statewide battle between longtime “establishment” officials and “far-right” newcomers.
6/19/20236 minutes, 54 seconds
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Not "Off their rockers" — Why these grannys play basketball

Several groups of women over 50 are now playing competitive basketball. From Kansas to Iowa to Texas and beyond, these women openly admit they are “off their rockers.”
6/19/20234 minutes, 56 seconds
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Southwest Nebraska mobile home communities are fighting ‘uphill

In April, a new lease agreement from the Bureau of Reclamation, who manages the land, requires the owners to remove the trailers from the lakes by Nov. 1, 2024.
6/14/20232 minutes, 11 seconds
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Ancient fish, modern problem: pallid sturgeons and the Missouri

The pallid sturgeons outlasted dinosaurs, but human changes to the Missouri River nearly wiped out the prehistoric fish. Some experts think the fish’s struggle could signal larger problems on the Big Muddy, especially as climate change accelerates.
6/12/20234 minutes, 17 seconds
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Flash droughts are becoming a bigger threat to crops, water supp

Last fall the Mississippi River fell to low water levels when a flash drought exacerbated a dry spell in the upper part of the river’s basin. Soon it was more expensive for a grain company to send corn from St. Louis to New Orleans than it was to ship to China.
6/7/202347 seconds
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Does the Mississippi River have rights? Some say it should

A growing legal movement to grant natural entities like rivers and forests legal rights is gaining traction in the U.S., and environmentalists are now setting their sights on the Mississippi River.
6/6/20233 minutes, 57 seconds
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Winslow, NE begins to burn flood damaged homes

The Winslow Volunteer Fire Department began the process of burning down homes they once committed to protect. The Dodge County community intends to torch around 20 homes and businesses ruined by the massive flood of 2019 in an attempt to clear the flood plain and return the area to green space. Plans to relocate the town have stalled.
6/5/20231 minute, 46 seconds
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2023 Legislature made big changes to economic, social policies

The Nebraska Legislature made big changes to the state's economic and social policies in its just-concluded session.
6/2/20235 minutes, 6 seconds
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Renting in Omaha made stressful by shortage of homes

Between 2010 and 2020, Omaha lost 7,000 affordable dwellings for people making low incomes, according to a City Planning Department report called the Housing Affordability Action Plan (HAAP).
6/2/20234 minutes, 31 seconds
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Nebraska Legislature finishes 'impactful' session

The bill allows prisoners who receive a 20 year sentence to be eligible for parole 2 years before their mandatory discharge date.
6/1/20235 minutes, 3 seconds
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Senators to adjourn early; laws face legal, political challenges

The Nebraska Legislature will end its 2023 session Thursday, with several of its major enactments facing legal or political challenges.
5/31/20235 minutes, 56 seconds
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How do you find love on the farm? Rural dating isn't always easy

FOX’s “Farmer Wants a Wife” recently wrapped up its first season, and it got Harvest Public Media wondering what dating is like for farmers and ranchers. Turns out, dating in a small town isn’t always easy.
5/30/20234 minutes, 4 seconds
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'Everyone's scared': Transgender Kansans brace for new law

Kansas SB 180 will bring a host of changes, including limiting trans residents’ access to bathrooms. Much is still unknown about how it'll be enforced.
5/26/20234 minutes, 32 seconds
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Senators pass tax cuts, school aid increases

The Nebraska Legislature gave final approval Thursday to tax cuts and school aid increases.
5/25/20236 minutes, 31 seconds
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Senators pass private school scholarships; advance justice refor

The Nebraska Legislature passed tax-credit funded scholarships and advanced criminal justice reforms Wednesday.
5/24/20235 minutes, 20 seconds
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Criminal justice reform inches ahead; filibustering continues

Agreement appears near on some aspects of criminal justice reform, as Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh continues to slow down legislation.
5/23/20235 minutes, 22 seconds
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Senators debate photo ID; Pillen inks abortion/trans health bill

The Nebraska Legislature debated photo ID requirements to vote, and Gov. Jim Pillen signed restrictions on abortion and health treatments for transgender youth into law.
5/22/20235 minutes
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This ancient drought-resistant crop may help with climate change

The United Nations has declared 2023 the International Year of Millets — a type of small grain mostly grown in parts of Asia and Africa. The highly resilient and cost-friendly grains could make them the next crop for U.S. farmers in the midst of climate change.
5/22/20234 minutes, 2 seconds
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Senators pass restrictions on abortion, transgender youth care

The Nebraska Legislature gave final approval Friday to a bill restricting abortion and medical treatments for transgender youth.
5/19/20233 minutes, 54 seconds
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Lincoln's public transit back to full capacity

This Thursday, Lincoln’s public transportation system will restore offering rides at night. Since last summer, StarTran and Paratransit, its service for people with disabilities, have stopped service at 7 p.m. Nebraska Public Media reports what the full service means to people who use Paratransit.
5/19/20231 minute, 23 seconds
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Budget, Voter ID, Abortion/Trans Health Bills Disputed

The Nebraska Legislature approved budget bills and wrangled over voter IDs, abortion and transgender health restrictions Thursday.
5/18/20235 minutes, 42 seconds
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Senators reflect after tumultuous abortion/trans health debate

Nebraska state senators reflect on cowardice and incitement after their tumultuous debate on abortion and trans health restrictions.
5/17/20234 minutes, 24 seconds
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Seven Years a Correspondent

Fifty years ago, the United States, North and South Vietnam, and the Vietcong signed a peace agreement in Paris ending America’s direct military involvement in the Vietnam War.
5/17/20235 minutes
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Restrictions on abortion, trans health care poised for final vot

The Nebraska Legislature on Tuesday added abortion restrictions to a bill restricting health treatments for transgender youth.
5/17/20234 minutes, 57 seconds
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Auctions are going online, changing a rural social event

Auctions —a marketplace for knick knacks, farm land and everything in between — are often also social gathering events for rural communities. That’s changing as more auctions go online.
5/15/20234 minutes, 30 seconds
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Senators advance income, property tax cuts despite criticism

The Nebraska Legislature gave second-round approval Thursday to bills designed to reduce income and property taxes, despite criticism that the cuts might not be sustainable.
5/11/20234 minutes, 28 seconds
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Funds for needy families, size of cash reserve debated

The Nebraska Legislature debated the use of funds for needy families, and the size of the state's cash reserve Wednesday.
5/10/20235 minutes, 50 seconds
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VineBrook Homes owns thousands of Midwest homes

The company’s self-declared strategy is to buy single-family rental properties around the region, including North Omaha and in Council Bluffs. A Midwest Newsroom investigation uncovered neglect, aggressive evictions and rising rents where VineBrook moves in – mostly non-white neighborhoods.
5/10/20234 minutes, 35 seconds
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Education funding bill advances despite legislative angst

The Nebraska Legislature gave second-round approval Tuesday to far-reaching changes in education funding.
5/9/20234 minutes, 19 seconds
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Hastings Superfund shows challenges of federal program for small

The Hastings Ground Water Contamination site was the first Superfund in Nebraska. After 40 years of working with the EPA, the city has learned a lot.
5/9/20234 minutes, 41 seconds
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Abortion restrictions resurface, Chinese telecoms hit

Abortion will be debated again, and restrictions would be imposed on companies that use certain Chinese telecommunications equipment, under proposals discussed in the Nebraska Legislature.
5/8/20235 minutes, 34 seconds
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Voter ID agreement in sight; some senators want better lighting

It's a good amendment. We have to wait and see the actual amendment when it comes from Bill drafters. But if everything follows through with agreement, we should be in a good place.
5/5/20234 minutes, 2 seconds
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The Wizard of Oz still shapes the world's view of Kansas

The Wizard of Oz and Kansas have been inseparable since farm girl Dorothy Gale first skipped down the yellow brick road. But having an enduring image from the Dust Bowl 1930s might also hold Kansas back from what it wants to be today.
5/5/20237 minutes, 13 seconds
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Efforts fail to stop or scale back canal, prison projects

The Legislature Thursday rejected attempts to stop or scale back canal and prison projects.
5/4/20235 minutes, 11 seconds
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Legislature debates budget including prison, canal

The Nebraska Legislature debated a state budget for the next two years on Wednesday.
5/3/20233 minutes, 34 seconds
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Teacher retention, 'school-to-prison' pipeline addressed

Efforts to try and keep teachers teaching, and to disrupt the so-called 'school-to-prison' pipeline, were debated in the Legislature Tuesday.
5/2/20234 minutes, 11 seconds
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Bill to restrict abortions falls one vote short

A proposal that would have prohibited most abortions after about 6 weeks of pregnancy fell one vote short Thursday in the Nebraska Legislature.
5/2/20235 minutes, 19 seconds
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Here’s how Nebraska funds its public schools.

Nebraska’s school funding system has kept politicians, taxpayers and educators arguing for decades. It’s probably kept people confused for just as long. Nebraska Public Media’s Elizabeth Rembert decided she was tired of feeling like she was in the dark and asked some experts to explain the system.
5/2/20237 minutes, 3 seconds
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Legal abortions in the U.S. dropped 6% after Roe fell

The report from the Society of Family Planning also shows abortions via telemedicine have doubled in the U.S. after Roe v. Wade was overturned. Providers say constantly changing state laws leave patients confused about where they can access reproductive care.
4/28/20234 minutes, 33 seconds
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Cats, dogs die from rare bird flu infections

In extremely rare cases, bird flu can infect and kill cats and dogs when the pets eat birds with the disease.
4/27/202343 seconds
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Home health worker shortage has Nebraskans who need it concerned

Nebraska health care advocates say there aren’t enough home health care professionals in the state. Since the start of the pandemic, it’s estimated that 33 percent more Nebraskans are being referred to health care at home because of the overcrowding at hospitals. That’s according to Janet Seelhoff, Executive Director for the Nebraska Association of Home Healthcare and Hospice.
4/27/20231 minute, 8 seconds
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Complaint against Hunt sparks emotional debate

A complaint that Sen. Megan Hunt failed to disclose a potential conflict of interest sparked emotional debate in the Nebraska Legislature.
4/26/20236 minutes, 19 seconds
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E-15 mandate advances; Pillen signs permitless concealed carry

The Nebraska Legislature gave first-round approval Tuesday to a bill requiring gas stations to sell E-15 gasoline, and Gov. Jim Pillen signed into law a bill allowing Nebraskans to carry concealed weapons without a permit.
4/25/20235 minutes, 23 seconds
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One man had to leave Kansas for a lifesaving liver transplant

It's harder for Kansans to get liver transplants than it used to be, highlighting inequities in a system that doctors say has always been unfair.
4/25/20234 minutes, 37 seconds
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Milkweed: good for butterflies, banned in some Midwest cities

Across the Midwest, some city codes threaten people with fines for having milkweed on their property. But experts say many places have dropped those rules to support monarchs with urban and suburban butterfly gardens.
4/24/20234 minutes, 6 seconds
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Thousands of Lincolnites Celebrate Eid al-Fitr, End of Ramadan

Self-control, love and forgiveness are just a few of the virtues discussed at Eid al-Fitr, a Muslim holiday. About 2,000 people gathered in the early morning in Southwest Lincoln on Friday.
4/21/20231 minute, 1 second
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Legislature debates requiring E-15 pumps

The Nebraska Legislature is considering requiring gas stations to install E-15 pumps.
4/20/20234 minutes, 26 seconds
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Legislature passes permitless concealed carry

The Legislature gave final approval today/Wednesday to a bill allowing Nebraskans to carry concealed weapons without a permit.
4/19/20235 minutes, 34 seconds
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Cash for needy families, broccoli and hostas discussed

Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh discussed cash for needy families, broccoli, and hostas in the Legislature Monday.
4/17/20234 minutes, 40 seconds
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Ethanol industry supports carbon pipelines, others are skeptical

The Biden administration wants the U-S carbon footprint to be at net zero by 2050. As part of that goal, the federal government is offering big incentives to remove carbon dioxide -- including from ethanol plants. There are three major pipeline proposals that would capture CO2 from ethanol plants around the Midwest and store it underground. The ethanol industry is fully on board, but others question the climate benefits.
4/17/20233 minutes, 49 seconds
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Health bill slowed by filibuster

Proposals to help hospitals and nursing home patients were slowed by a filibuster Friday in the Legislature.
4/14/20235 minutes, 19 seconds
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Health bill slowed by filibuster

Proposals to help hospitals and nursing home patients were slowed by a filibuster Friday in the Legislature.
4/14/20235 minutes, 20 seconds
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Restrictions on transgender health care get second approval

The Nebraska Legislature gave second round approval Thursday to prohibitions on surgery, hormones and puberty blockers for transgender youth, but only after the chief sponsor agreed to negotiate about changes before a final vote.
4/13/20234 minutes, 9 seconds
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The Mississippi River basin should get more USDA funding

A new report from the Environmental Working Group found targeting the U.S. Department of Agriculture's conservation funding to the Mississippi River region would have huge benefits to water quality and the climate.
4/13/202347 seconds
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Tornadoes are becoming more frequent east of the Mississippi Riv

These parts of the country are also where the number of severe events are steadily increasing.
4/13/202346 seconds
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Abortion restrictions advance in Nebraska Legislature

The Nebraska Legislature voted 33-16 Tuesday evening to prohibit most abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy.
4/13/20235 minutes, 25 seconds
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Transgender health proposal continues to slow Legislature

Opposition to a ban on health treatments for transgender youth continued to slow the Nebraska Legislature Tuesday.
4/11/20234 minutes, 41 seconds
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Dale Johnson Interviews Senator Pete Ricketts

Dale Johnson Interviews Senator Pete Ricketts and talks WOTUS and SNAP Benefits.
4/10/20234 minutes, 27 seconds
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Pilots fly people to Kansas and other states for abortions

Elevated Access recruits hobby pilots to fly abortion patients out of states with bans. They offer a window into the increasingly scrappy tactics of abortion rights groups in a post-Roe America.
4/10/20234 minutes, 3 seconds
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Appropriations Committee endorses new prison

The Nebraska Legislature's Appropriations Committee on Thursday endorsed building a new, $350 million prison.
4/6/20235 minutes, 7 seconds
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Senators combining bills to get things done

Senators in the Nebraska Legislature are combining bills to get things done in a session that's so far been characterized by filibusters.
4/5/20234 minutes, 1 second
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Legislature advances school finance reforms

The Nebraska Legislature gave first-round approval Tuesday to a bill making big changes in how the state finances schools.
4/4/20234 minutes, 26 seconds
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Legislature gives property tax measure first-round approval

The Nebraska Legislature gave first-round approval Monday to a package of property tax changes.
4/3/20234 minutes, 39 seconds
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Meal debt is soaring after universal free lunch ended

After the end of pandemic-era free meals, schools are reporting rising school meal debt and fewer kids in their free and reduced price programs.
4/3/20233 minutes, 59 seconds
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Legislature tackles property taxes; broadband office advances

The Nebraska Legislature on Friday began debating a bill designed to lower property taxes and advanced a measure to coordinate broadband expansion.
3/31/20235 minutes, 48 seconds
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Legislature advances income tax cuts

The Nebraska Legislature gave first-round approval Thursday to a series of income tax cuts.
3/30/20233 minutes, 58 seconds
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Three candidates publicly interview for Ed Commissioner

Three finalists for Nebraska Commissioner of Education publicly interviewed with the State Board of Education today/Thursday. Either Brian Maher, Summer Stephens, or Melissa Poloncic will be the next Commissioner of Education.
3/30/20231 minute, 2 seconds
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School funding increase advances; income tax cuts debated

The Education Committee advanced big changes in school funding, and the full Legislature began debarting income tax cuts Wednesday.
3/29/20234 minutes, 45 seconds
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Senators advance permitless concealed carry through second round

Nebraska lawmakers gave second-round approval Tuesday to a bill allowing the carrying of concealed weapons without a permit.
3/29/20231 minute, 39 seconds
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Legislature suspends rules to speed business; minority objects

The Nebraska Legislature voted Tuesday to suspend its rules in an attempt to speed up business; senators on the losing side claimed it was an effort to stifle minorities.
3/28/20234 minutes, 59 seconds
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Mental health services discussed; trans health fallout continues

The Nebraska Legislature discussed improving mental health services, as fallout from this week's debate on trans health treatments for youth contiinued.
3/24/20235 minutes, 2 seconds
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Young Americans are becoming less religious. But Why?

Young Americans are becoming less religious. That is the conclusion UNL sociology professor Philip Schwadel has made from his research into the topic. A decline in religious affiliation isn’t just an interesting thing to note, it has a broad societal impact. Nebraska Public Media’s William Padmore spoke with Schwadel about the trend ahead of a public lecture he will deliver on the topic March 30.
3/24/20236 minutes, 1 second
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Senators advance ban on transgender treatments for youth

The Nebraska Legislature gave first round approval Thursday to a ban on surgery, hormone treatments and puberty blockers for Nebraskans under age 19.
3/23/20235 minutes, 40 seconds
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Nebraska Classes are setting up Students for Careers in Esports

In parts one and two of our series on esports, we analyzed why colleges in Nebraska are rushing to create teams and what the players get out of the experience. Today we explore what esports opportunities are available for Nebraskans who don’t play on a team.
3/22/20234 minutes, 31 seconds
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Personal, policy arguments highlight transgender treatmentdebate

Personal and policy arguments highlighted the Nebraska Legislature's second day of debate on treatments for transgender youth.
3/22/20234 minutes, 43 seconds
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Partnerships, cleanliness key cogs in rural grocers success

Rural areas are losing grocery stores to consolidation faster than their urban counterparts — but some communities have come up with innovative solutions.
3/22/20234 minutes, 10 seconds
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Air Force discusses Nebraska land buys for missile site project

The United States Air Force is on the verge of purchasing hundreds of acres of land in Nebraska, Wyoming and Colorado as part of its plan to modernize its land-based nuclear missile force. The project replaces Minuteman III missiles, in service since the early 1970s, with a new class of Sentinel nuclear weapons. Public meetings are being held to share information about the lease and purchase of additional land to accommodate huge new telecommunication towers.
3/21/20234 minutes, 57 seconds
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Debate begins on transgender treatment bans for youth

The Nebraska Legislature began debate Tuesday on a proposal to prohibit surgical or medical treatment to help young people with gender transitioning.
3/21/20235 minutes, 28 seconds
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As Esports Grows, Nebraska Students are Taking Advantage

In part one of our series on the growth of Esports in Nebraska, we explored why colleges in the state are rushing to create esports teams. Today, we explore the question of what’s in it for the video game players filling teams’ ranks. Spoiler Alert: Money is a big factor, but not the only one.
3/21/20235 minutes, 1 second
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As Esports Grows, Nebraska Students are Taking Advantage

In part one of our series on the growth of Esports in Nebraska, we explored why colleges in the state are rushing to create esports teams. Today, we explore the question of what’s in it for the video game players filling teams’ ranks. Spoiler Alert: Money is a big factor, but not the only one.
3/21/20234 minutes, 53 seconds
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Gering to host first gravel cycling national championships

Gering, Nebraska, will host the first gravel cycling national championships in September. This event through USA Cycling will bring potentially thousands of cyclists to the area for a 131-mile bike race around the area's landmarks.
3/20/20231 minute, 8 seconds
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With no night service, LNK public transit riders missing out

People who use public transportation in Lincoln aren’t able to get rides after 7 p.m.. The change took effect on Aug. 18, 2022. The lack of evening rides affect all people who use public transit in Nebraska’s capital city. However, that especially interferes with the independence of people with disabilities.
3/20/20234 minutes, 44 seconds
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With no night service, LNK public transit riders missing out

People who use public transportation in Lincoln aren’t able to get rides after 7 p.m.. The change took effect on Aug. 18, 2022. The lack of evening rides affect all people who use public transit in Nebraska’s capital city. However, that especially interferes with the independence of people with disabilities.
3/20/20234 minutes, 44 seconds
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Nebraska Colleges are Going All in on Esports - But Why?

Esports, or playing video games competitively, is the newest sensation sweeping the nation and Nebraska is no exception. At both the collegiate and high school levels, it seems Nebraska schools are all in. This is part one of a three-part examination on the growth of esports in the state.
3/20/20234 minutes, 29 seconds
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Cavanaugh ends filibuster; one transgender bill to be debated

Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh ended her filibuster protesting a ban on medical treatments for transgender youth, while one dealing with transgender athletes will remain in committee.
3/16/20235 minutes, 11 seconds
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Surprise move puts further abortion restrictions in question

Sen. Merv Riepe proposes to have restrictions take effect after 12 weeks
3/15/20235 minutes, 43 seconds
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Arch vows not to bow to filibuster pressure

Speaker John Arch said he won't avoid scheduling bills just because opponents are filibustering to stop them.
3/14/20235 minutes, 52 seconds
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McKinney says deferred maintenance used to promote new prison

Sen. Terrell McKinney accused the Department of Correctional Services of not maintaining the Nebraska State Penitentiary to create pressure for building a new prison, a charge the department denied.
3/13/20235 minutes, 44 seconds
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McKinney says deferred maintenance used to promote new prison

Sen. Terrell McKinney accused the Department of Correctional Services of not maintaining the Nebraska State Penitentiary to create pressure for building a new prison, a charge the department denied.
3/13/20235 minutes, 45 seconds
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Midwest states want to limit who can buy farmland

Legislation is being proposed at the federal and state level to restrict foreign ownership of farmland, especially by China. The scrutiny comes after a Midwestern project was scuttled by military concerns and the flight of a Chinese spy balloon across the U.S.
3/13/20239 seconds
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Proposal for two house legislature heard

The Nebraska Legislature's Executive Board held a public hearing Thursday on Sen. Steve Erdman's proposal to return to a two-house legislature.
3/10/20236 minutes, 9 seconds
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Turkey earthquake tragedy brought home for this Lincoln man

The grief and heartache caused by two major earthquakes in Turkey and Syria hasn’t stopped at their borders. The tragedy has killed at least 50,000 people and has left millions of survivors homeless in the two nations. But, its impact is felt all over the world. One Lincoln man was personally affected.
3/9/20234 minutes, 33 seconds
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Food may get more pricy in 2023, but not as much as 2022's jump

While food prices won’t rise as sharply in 2023, they could still increase about 8% over last year’s rates, according to forecasts from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
3/9/202345 seconds
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Legislature advances scholarships for private, religious schools

The Nebraska Legislature gave first-round approval to a bill authorizing tax-credit-funded scholarships to private and religious schools.
3/8/20235 minutes, 3 seconds
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Who really benefits from caps on medical malpractice lawsuits?

On Feb. 17, 2017, Joe and Sarah Dudley were getting ready for a late Valentine’s Day celebration when Joe started complaining about feeling sick. He had a bad headache. “So I told him to go lay down, and we’d just celebrate another time,” Sarah said. Shortly after, Joe started running a high fever – 103.6 degrees. He could barely walk, so Sarah brought him to an urgent care clinic in Des Moines, Iowa. The physician’s assistant on duty diagnosed Joe with the flu – despite a negative test – and sent him home. He was too weak to walk out of the clinic. “They brought a guy back with a wheelchair, put a gurney bill down and physically put him in the wheelchair – physically sent him home,” Sarah said. Joe got sicker, and two days later, ended up in the emergency room. At the hospital, doctors told Sarah that Joe didn’t have the flu. It was much worse. He had bacterial meningitis, which by then was on track to cause permanent brain damage. Sarah watched it unfold over the next few weeks. Joe had three strokes – two while hospitalized in the intensive care unit. “When he was actually able to come out of it, he had to relearn to walk, relearn to talk. [He had] permanent nerve damage on his right side, lost his hearing,” she said. Sarah said the illness drastically changed Joe. The man she married was calm and avoided conflict. The one who left the hospital became prone to anger and bouts of paranoia. “You never know what mood he's going to be in, or what's going to set him off, and there's no cure for it,” she said. Shortly after, the Dudleys decided to pursue a medical malpractice case against the clinic. The case took up the next six years of the Dudleys’ lives. The case went to trial in late 2022 after the Dudleys could not reach a settlement with the clinic’s insurance company. A jury last November awarded the Dudleys $27 million in non-economic damages for Joe’s initial misdiagnosis and the lifetime of support he will likely need for his brain injury. The clinic has appealed the case, so the Dudleys have yet to receive any money. When – or if – they do, Sarah said much of the award will go toward Joe’s medical care in the future. “With his brain injury, he's going to go downhill pretty quickly – dementia, it's going to come eventually,” she said. If the Dudleys were to pursue their case now, under a new Iowa law, their outcome would look much different. Iowa joined most Midwestern states, including Missouri, Kansas and Wisconsin, when it passed a law in February putting a hard cap on non-economic damages that can be awarded by a jury for medical malpractice. Iowa’s new law caps non-economic damage jury awards at $1 million when an independent clinic is involved, like in Joe Dudley’s case. For hospitals, the limit is $2 million. Starting in 2028, that cap will increase by 2.1% each year. The law also created a task force to make recommendations to reduce medical errors. https://www.iowapublicradio.org/state-government-news/2023-02-16/iowa-governor-signs-cap-on-medical-malpractice-damages-for-pain-and-suffering https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/BillBook?ga=90&ba=HF%20161 The health care industry has long pushed for these caps on damages awarded for things that can’t be assigned a monetary value — like pain and suffering. They claim the caps help clinics stay open by avoiding sudden high-dollar financial blows while helping to attract much-needed health care providers. But some question whether these caps help – or hurt – Midwesterners seeking justice for medical errors. ‘It sucks to be sued’ The Dudleys case was one of two high-dollar medical malpractice jury awards that grabbed headlines in Iowa last year. The other was a nearly $98 million award to an eastern Iowa couple whose infant sustained extensive brain damage from a botched delivery. About half that award was non-economic damages. It’s believed to be the highest payout in state history. https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/health/2022/03/22/mercy-hospital-iowa-city-medical-malpractice-lawsuit-kromphardt-jill-goodman-97-million-verdict/7129763001/ These cases are one of the reasons the health care industry has sought hard caps on non-economic damages. Andy Conlin, a lobbyist for the Iowa Independent Physician Group, shared his opposition to the bill at a subcommittee hearing on the bill in January. “You never know when you're going to end up…seeing one of these, these judgments come down the pike and really negatively impact your facility, maybe even put your facility out of business,” Conlin said. However, these high-dollar jury awards are exceptionally rare in the U.S. For the past six years, Iowa has averaged 160 medical malpractice case filings a year. They make up a fraction of a percent of the average 666,000 civil cases filed in the state, according to the Iowa Judicial Branch. https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/FN/1368141.pdf The vast majority of medical malpractice cases don’t go to trial because they either get dismissed by a judge or reach a settlement before. From 2018 to 2022, just 48 cases in Iowa ended up before a jury, and of those cases, juries ruled in favor of the plaintiff – people like the Dudleys – seven times. [Source: Iowa Judicial Branch spreadsheet] These big awards aren’t the health care industry’s only concern. They say caps also lower the rate of increasing medical malpractice insurance premiums and help to entice badly-needed doctors to Iowa’s rural areas. Mikayla Brockmeier, a third year medical student at Des Moines University, helped lobby for the caps. Brockmeier said before Iowa passed its law, she and other med students were seriously considering leaving Iowa to practice in neighboring states like South Dakota, which has a non-economic damage cap of $500,000. “If you do not feel like you have the support of the state, then honestly, it makes it really incredibly hard to practice,” she said. But opponents say caps do little, if anything, to help the growing financial and staffing challenges the health care industry is facing. “I think the story here is pretty simple. It sucks to be sued. It's really not fun,” said Charles Silver, a law professor at the University of Texas at Austin who has studied the effects of Texas’ non-economic damage cap extensively. https://law.utexas.edu/faculty/charles-m-silver/ Texas passed a constitutional amendment in 2003 that capped non-economic damages at $250,000 for an individual. https://www.texmed.org/TexasMedicineDetail.aspx?id=58464 The Texas Medical Association claims the move has since brought more licensed physicians into its rural areas. https://app.texmed.org/tma.archive.search/5238.html Silver said his research contradicts this claim. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3309785 “If you have a growing population, you need to control for that,” he said. “And when you control for that, in Texas, what you find is that the physician population actually grew slightly more slowly after tort reform than before.” Federal projections of obstetricians and gynecologists, or OB-GYNs, in the Midwest also paint a conflicting picture of this concern. OB-GYNs have one of the highest rates of medical malpractice claims. https://iid.iowa.gov/documents/med-mal-report-2021 According to federal figures, by 2030, Iowa, Kansas and North Dakota — states with non-economic caps — are projected to have the greatest shortage of OB-GYNs in the Midwest, while Illinois, a state with no caps, is among states projected to have more than enough OB-GYNs. https://bhw.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/bureau-health-workforce/data-research/projections-supply-demand-2018-2030.pdf It’s also unclear how much influence caps have on premium rates for medical malpractice insurance. According to the Medical Liability Monitor, Iowa had the fifth-lowest average premium rate in the country in 2022. [Source: Spreadsheet from Iowa Justice Association] Minnesota, which has no caps, had the lowest average rate in the country. While Illinois, another with no caps, had the second-highest rate. A 2003 Government Accountability Office report studied the reason for a sharp increase in medical malpractice premiums in the early 2000s, which sparked tort reform policies in places like Texas. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-03-702/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-03-702.htm It found several factors played into the increasing premiums, including the fact that insurer losses on malpractice claims had increased overall in the past decade, but other significant factors had nothing to do with the liability system. They included the fact that insurance companies had recently taken a financial hit on their investments and also that the number of companies competing in the medical malpractice marketplace had dropped since the 1990s. There’s no clear consensus from research on how non-economic damage caps affect things like premium rates and physician recruitment, said Robert Leflar, a retired law professor at the University of Arkansas, who’s an expert in tort reform. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0012369213604791 But he said there’s one group that clearly benefits from the caps: “the insurance companies who have smaller payouts and who have less risk of huge payouts.” The Iowa Insurance Institute did not respond to requests for an interview. Leflar said it’s also clear who is hurt by caps. “The seriously disabled people,” he said. “The people who suffer through a lifetime of paralysis or pain and the family members of disabled people who have to give up a lot of their lives to take care of them.” Damage caps can make it harder for such people to sue because medical malpractice lawyers will be less likely to take on their pricey cases with less payout, Leflar said. ‘There’s not much left’ Roxanne Conlin, the Dudleys’ attorney, said it’s likely she wouldn’t have been able to take their case now, as the total payout
3/8/20234 minutes, 39 seconds
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Debate on scholarships to religious schools turns personal

A debate in the Nebraska Legislature over taxpayer funded scholarships to private and religious schools turned personal Tuesday.
3/7/20234 minutes, 47 seconds
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Debate begins on tax-credit scholarships to private schools

The Nebraska Legislature began debate Monday on a proposal to authorized tax-credit-funded scholarships to private and religious schools.
3/7/20235 minutes, 54 seconds
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Nebraska mosque helps with earthquake recovery

A Nebraska mosque is trying to help with recovery from two major earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria in February.
3/6/20231 minute
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Midwest farmers increase cover crops, but it's still a fraction

A new study shows a threefold increase in Midwest farm acres using the offseason crops to help protect the soil and reduce runoff, but it still makes up less than 8% of all farmland.
3/6/20234 minutes, 6 seconds
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Concealed carry bill advanced; term limits extension heard

The Nebraska Legislature advanced a proposal to let people carry concealed guns without a permit, and senators heard a proposal to let them serve three consecutive terms instead of two.
3/3/20235 minutes, 23 seconds
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Gun debate continues, licenses for Ukrainians on fast track

The Nebraska Legislature continued debating loosening concealed carry laws, while a proposal to let Ukrainian who fled the war drive in Nebraska appears poised to move ahead.
3/3/20235 minutes, 59 seconds
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Legislature opens debate on permitless concealed carry bill

The Nebraska Legislature began debate Wednesday on a bill that would permit Nebraskans to carry concealed weapons without a permit.
3/1/20235 minutes, 37 seconds
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Participation in girls basketball is declining, creating challen

Amid statewide low participation, even finishing a full season has become a win. With only eight players, the Nebraska City Lady Pioneers are pushing through.
3/1/20234 minutes, 17 seconds
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Eastern roads proposals heard; Cavanaugh continues filibuster

The Transportation and Telecommunications Committee heard proposals to expand highways in eastern Nebraska, while Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh continued to slow things down over her objections to proposed restrictions on abortion and trangender treatements.
2/28/20235 minutes, 17 seconds
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Rural transit can be a ‘godsend’ for residents who can’t drive

Rural America is not known for its public transportation. But as its residents get older faster than their urban counterparts, the need is increasing. Some communities are finding ways to provide rides.
2/27/20234 minutes, 33 seconds
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Tax credit funding for pregnancy help organizations heard

The Legislature's Revenue Committee heard a proposal to give tax credits to organizations that provide help for pregnant women.
2/24/20235 minutes, 46 seconds
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Panhandle seeks help for nuclear modernization costs

Sen. Brian Hardin of Gering is sponsoring a bill for $26 million in state aid for infrastructure costs around Kimball.
2/24/20235 minutes, 17 seconds
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Pillen endorses bonding to speed up road construction

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen endorsed a bill that would allow the state to borrow up to $450 million to speed up road construction.
2/22/20235 minutes, 14 seconds
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Pillen endorses bonding to speed up road construction

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen endorsed a bill that would allow the state to borrow up to $450 million to speed up road construction.
2/22/20235 minutes, 11 seconds
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Tiny saddles and lil' lassos: Inside youth rodeo in Kansas

As small town populations decline, people in places like western Kansas look for ways to keep their rural farming and ranching lifestyle alive for the next generation. Some families think youth rodeo might be part of the answer.
2/22/20234 minutes, 45 seconds
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Senators consider prisons, prayer

The Nebraska Legislature considered arguments for and against a new prison and an opening prayer in discussions Tuesday.
2/21/20235 minutes, 3 seconds
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Weather networks with key data threatened by lack of funding

Accurate weather information is important for farmers, emergency responders and researchers managing extreme conditions. But many monitoring networks are limited by unstable, patchwork funding.
2/20/20233 minutes, 57 seconds
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Bills on National Guard, pet insurance among measures advanced

The Nebraska Legislature advanced bills Thursday on subjects ranging from National Guard tuition and morale to regulation of pet insurance.
2/16/20235 minutes, 12 seconds
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Prosecutors say Laurel woman pushed husband to quadruple murder

Carrie Jones appeared in court Wednesday as a suspect in the Laurel quadruple murder case. Prosecutors accuse her of encouraging her husband to kill a man whom she said was sexually harassing her, setting off three other killings.
2/16/20231 minute, 48 seconds
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Legislature slogs along, still hasn't debated bills

The Nebraska Legislature spent Wednesday discussing appointments without reaching debate on substantive bills.
2/15/20235 minutes, 29 seconds
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UNO Criminologist Speaks on the State of Policing in America

With the murder of Tyre Nichols last month, the national conversation has once again turned to police brutality and how to best prevent it. Nebraska Public Media's William Padmore speaks with University of Nebraska at Omaha Criminology and Criminal Justice Professor Justin Nix about state of policing in America today.
2/15/20234 minutes, 59 seconds
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Bill bars subsidies to companies using some Chinese equipment

A proposal would deny universal service funds to companies using some Chinese telecommunications equipment.
2/14/20236 minutes, 11 seconds
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Environmental chief's renomination questioned

Some senators resisted the renomination of Jim Macy to head the Department of Environment and Energy over the agency's record on the AltEn ethanol plant.
2/14/20236 minutes, 8 seconds
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Rural towns leave parents without child care options

The child care gap across the country is more than 30%, meaning the need for quality child care far outweighs the supply — and it's worse in rural areas.
2/13/20233 minutes, 58 seconds
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Ban on government contracts with firms boycotting Israel heard

The Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee heard a proposal that would bar state and local governments from making contracts with businesses if they support a boycott of Israel.
2/10/20234 minutes, 25 seconds
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Marijuana proposals aired

The Legislature's Judiciary Committee heard proposals Thursday to legalize marijuana for medical purposes, decriminalize it, and legalize its sales and use.
2/9/20235 minutes, 42 seconds
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Hearings probe gender care, police interrogation of young people

Proposals to ban gender transitioning surgery or medicine for young people, and to prohibit police from deceiving them during questioning, were the subject of public hearings in the Nebraska Legislature Wednesday.
2/8/20235 minutes, 22 seconds
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Geography & jobs largely determines small town growth

Deciding where to live, work and raise a family are some of the most important decisions people make in their lives. Here are the most important factors that draw people to Nebraska’s mid-sized cities.
2/8/20234 minutes, 31 seconds
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Proposals for big increase in school aid get public hearing

The Legislature's Education Committee heard proposals Tuesday to give schools $1500 per pupil, and to significantly increase special eduation aid.
2/8/20235 minutes, 7 seconds
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Owners of North Platte gaming business charged with tax evasion

The operators of a “skill game” casino in North Platte have been accused of failing to pay more than $1.5 Million in taxes over the past three years. Mark and Bridget Haneborg, owners of the River Valley Casino, were charged last week following a year-long investigation by the Nebraska Department of Revenue. Court documents filed by the Nebraska Department of Revenue (NDR) claim their investigators determined the Haneborgs earned income of over a million and a half dollars from 2019-2021. The couple, filing a joint tax return, paid only a fraction of the estimated 170 thousand dollars due in taxes and interest, according to the arrest affidavit.
2/7/202352 seconds
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What impact has GMO food labeling had, after a year in effect?

Genetically modified foods have been on supermarket shelves since the 1990s, but they’ve only required a label for the last year. The USDA says implementation and compliance with the program have been “successful,” while experts suggest consumers aren’t noticing the labels.
2/6/20233 minutes, 24 seconds
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Ag land property tax changes draw mixed reaction

A proposal to value agricultural land by its income producing potential rather than market value got a mixed reaction at a public hearing Friday.
2/3/20235 minutes, 1 second
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Evictions are a growing public health crisis across the Midwest

The trouble for Rolland Carroll started last fall. That’s when the 61-year-old said his apartment complex in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, informed him that his federal housing aid for his one-bedroom apartment had been reduced months ago. He owed more than $2,000 in back rent. “I was in shock,” Carroll said. “Like, how the heck could I owe this amount of money without you guys saying something months ago?” Carroll doesn’t own a car and works odd jobs through a local temp agency. He struggled to pay the back rent and come up with $339 for his portion of the monthly rent. “November and December – there had been hardly any work at all. So I was in a real bind,” he said. A few days after Christmas, his apartment complex filed to evict him. Carroll said he was worried because local shelters were full and he has many chronic health issues that cost money. “I'm diabetic. I have arthritis. I have asthma. I’m just a total mess,” he said. With the help of nonprofit Iowa Legal Aid, Carroll successfully got the case dismissed at his hearing in mid-January because his apartment failed to give him sufficient notice. Now, he said he’s still struggling to pay rent and his apartment continues to send him notices threatening to file another eviction. It’s taking a toll on his health. “I've been so darn stressed out,” Carroll said. “My mental health is really poor at the moment.” Eviction as a health issue With the end of pandemic-era housing support like eviction moratoriums and federal rental assistance, many Midwesterners face housing insecurity. Eviction filings in Iowa have been increasing for the past decade. After a short dip in 2020 and 2021, they hit a record high of more than 18,000 in 2022, according to Iowa Legal Aid data. The eviction moratorium issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ended in mid-2021. And Iowa – like most states – ended its federally-funded emergency rent and utility program last year. “Rent makes up a huge portion of the household expenses,” said Nick Graetz, a postdoctoral research associate with Princeton University’s Eviction Lab. “And it’s just been spiking at unprecedented rates during the pandemic. But rents have been outpacing wages for decades.” Since March 2020, the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment has increased 13% percent in Iowa, nearly 18% percent in Missouri and more than 26% percent in Indiana, according to the U.S. News and World Report. Eviction filings are trending upward in Indiana and Missouri, too. Facing eviction can take a huge toll on someone’s health, Graetz said. “The result is that people go from paying 60% of their income on rent to 70% of their income on rent, and sort of just have to absorb that cost by forgoing things like preventative health care, facing higher food insecurity, you know, things like that,” he said. According to a literature review published in the journal Social Science and Medicine, studies have tied eviction to depression, anxiety, high blood pressure and child maltreatment. A 2021 study published in the journal Pediatrics found women in Georgia who faced eviction during pregnancies were more likely to have children with lower birth weights. Chronic health issues or a health emergency can also put a renter at higher risk for eviction. “It's hard when you're trying to navigate something like that, “Graetz said. “Maybe [you] fall behind on rent, and then you can quickly get into this space where it becomes really difficult to avoid an eviction filing.” Possible legislative help Federal and state lawmakers have proposed a variety of policy solutions to combat evictions, including new tenant protections and expanding emergency rental assistance programs. Iowa lawmakers have allocated more than $300 million for tax credits to incentivize developers to build affordable housing. Minnesota lawmakers are considering a rent voucher program that could help 220,000 households. However, it’s often unclear which policies are most effective, said Katie Moran-McCabe, the lead law and policy analyst at Temple University’s Center for Public Health Law Research. “We often don't see those laws being evaluated,” she said. “So is the law working? Is it doing what it's intended to do? Are there any unintended consequences?” Nonprofit programs step up One growing solution has been eviction diversion programs, like the eviction diversion help desk program run by Iowa Legal Aid. The nonprofit launched the program in spring 2020, which placed an eviction help desk in the courthouse of Polk County, Iowa’s most populous county. Similar programs exist in Illinois and Missouri. The rapid rise in requests for eviction assistance compelled the Iowa Legal Aid to reshuffle its priorities, executive director Nick Smithberg said. “Basically, it's structurally changed our organization,” he said. “Where historically housing work was about a quarter of our caseload, it's risen to half.” Since 2020, the program expanded to five other county courthouses. Smithberg said he would like to see it in more. “I think that we're going to see a very, very disturbing time in the history of this state,” he said. “It's just an all-time record. I don't think people have seen the effects of something like this for a sustained period of time. And I think that it's going to be very eye-opening for a lot of folks when you start seeing people out on the streets.” Eviction is a civil proceeding, which means defendants are not constitutionally guaranteed the right to an attorney the way they are when facing criminal charges. In the Midwest, only a handful of cities in Ohio, Missouri and Minnesota legally guarantee renters facing eviction a right to an attorney. Most renters fighting evictions – who are disproportionately women, people of color and those with disabilities – rely on programs, like Iowa Legal Aid, if they’re available. Jon Biderman, an attorney with Iowa Legal Aid who helps run the eviction help desk at the Linn County courthouse in eastern Iowa, said his job is often to work out a deal with landlords so renters can have more time to come up with a plan. He wants to help tenants avoid adding an eviction to their record, which can make finding housing much more difficult. “Homelessness – being put out – is such a crisis for a person that if you're able to prevent that, or even buy them a week, that can really make a difference in a person's life,” he said. Other programs like the Health and Human Rights Clinic at Indiana University’s Robert H. McKinney School of Law have also shifted their priorities away from other health care-related cases, like access to insurance and affordable prescription drugs, to focus more on housing. “Originally we did mostly access-to-health care type work,” said Fran Quigley, a clinical professor at IU, who directs the clinic. “But during the pandemic, the most critical need we saw in our community was responding to housing.” Quigley said it’s going to take much more than eviction diversion programs like his to tackle this growing public health crisis. He said he’d like to see major policy changes, like stronger tenant protection laws and much more funding behind federal housing vouchers, to keep people in their homes. “We, as a nation, make a mistake of treating housing as a commodity and not a right,” he said. This story comes from a collaboration between Side Effects Public Media, based at WFYI, and the Midwest Newsroom — an investigative journalism collaboration including IPR, KCUR 89.3, Nebraska Public Media News, St. Louis Public Radio and NPR.
2/3/20234 minutes, 39 seconds
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Nebraska defends $44,000 cost for reporter's public records ask

The publishers of the Flatwater Free Press filed a lawsuit asking the court to require the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE) provide internal emails without charging tens of thousands of dollars for staff time to comply with the request.
2/3/20231 minute, 16 seconds
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Lowering taxes to attract and retain residents discussed

The Revenue Committee heard proposals to lower personal and corporate income taxes, and switch community colleges away from using property taxes.
2/2/20233 minutes, 38 seconds
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USDA strengthens rules and enforcement for organic products

The USDA has reinforced oversight on organic certification and enforcement to prevent mislabeled products, in what advocates are calling the biggest update in decades.
2/2/202351 seconds
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Supporters and opponents of abortion restrictions pack Capitol

Supporters and opponents of proposed abortion restrictions pack Capitol hearing.
2/2/20235 minutes, 18 seconds
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Boswell claims mass of crime photos unfair in murder trial

Did showing jurors dozens of gruesome photographs during the trial of Bailey Boswell make it impossible for the woman to get a fair trial? Nebraska’s Supreme Court considered the question during oral arguments challenging the life sentence Boswell is currently serving in a state prison. She was found guilty of conspiring with Aubrey Trial to torture and murder Sydney Loofe of Lincoln in 2017.
2/1/20231 minute, 23 seconds
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Can a state organization charge $44,000 for emails?

The Flatwater Free Press, a Nebraska-based non-profit news organization, is suing the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy over a public records request related to nitrates in Nebraska’s waterways.
2/1/20237 minutes, 8 seconds
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Lincoln convention center boosted; food regs could be eased

Supporters promoted proposals to build a convention center in Lincoln and to alllow more types of foods to be sold in farmers markets.
1/31/20234 minutes, 19 seconds
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Proposals to address teachers' shortage heard.

Nebraska legislative committees heard proposals Monday to deal with the teacher shortage.
1/30/20234 minutes, 14 seconds
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The Supreme Court could end protections for some wetlands

The Environmental Protection Agency recently released new rules regarding the Waters of the United States that decide which bodies of water fall under federal protection. But a case the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule on soon throws those rules into question and could mean less protection for wetlands.
1/30/20233 minutes, 39 seconds
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Bid to change abortion bill handling fails again

An attempt to change which committee will hear a proposal to restrict abortions falied again in the Legislature Friday.
1/27/20234 minutes, 39 seconds
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Senators propose funding $500k bounty on pheasant predators

The Nebraska Pheasant Restoration Act (LB 400), sponsored by Senators Tom Brewer and Steve Erdman, would set aside $500,000 in state funding for a “nest predatory program.” If passed, the bill would allow the state to pay hunters for the carcasses of 50 thousand predators, authorizing payments for ten dollars for every listed predator trapped or killed. Wildlife biologists question the effectiveness of programs linking predator reduction to increasing the number of game birds. They cite research indicating a lack of undisturbed nesting cover limits ring-necked pheasant populations.
1/27/20231 minute, 25 seconds
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Abortion foes win preliminary skirmish; permitless guns aired

Opponents of abortion won a preliminary skirmish in the Legislature Thursday, and the Judiciary Committee held a public hearing on allowing Nebraskans to carry concealed weapons without a permit.
1/26/20235 minutes, 31 seconds
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Rural America grew in the pandemic's early days

Despite a spike in deaths from COVID-19 and fewer births, recent research suggests rural counties saw population growth during the first year of the pandemic. Remote work opportunities could have contributed to more people moving to scenic rural destinations.
1/26/202346 seconds
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Pillen's calls for change spur praise, concern

Gov. Jim Pillen's State of the State speech produced mixed reactions among legislators.
1/25/20235 minutes, 20 seconds
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The push to electrify roadways in rural areas

If you're driving an electric vehicle west on I-76 from Nebraska to Colorado, the first opportunity to get a charge is in Julesburg, Colorado. That's a 130-mile stretch between Ogallala and Julesburg where there are no public, EV fast-charging stations. As KUNC's Rae Solomon reports, there's an increasing need for rural charging stations as the number of electric vehicles on the road rapidly increases.
1/25/20233 minutes, 56 seconds
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Senators stand around, talk -- and form relationships

Nebraska state senators have been doing a lot of just standing around and talking lately. Speaker John Arch says that's a good thing.
1/24/20234 minutes, 48 seconds
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Kansas is 1 of 2 states without a long-COVID clinic

Post-COVID care centers have been popping up across the country as millions of Americans struggle with the aftereffects of the virus. The centers are typically in larger cities and can have months-long wait times.
1/24/20234 minutes, 31 seconds
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Veterans teaching proposal draws mixed reaction

A proposal to grant temporary teaching licenses to veterans got a mixed reaction in an Education Committee hearing.
1/24/20234 minutes, 15 seconds
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Second suspect in Laurel’s quadruple homicide appears in court

Carrie Jones appeared in court ) to face allegations that she was involved in a quadruple murder in Laurel, a northeast Nebraska town of about 1,000. Prosecutors say she acted with her husband to carry out a crime that left four people shot to death in their homes last summer, but she didn't enter a guilty or not guilty plea.
1/23/202355 seconds
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Laurel murder case heads to court: Here's what you should know

A husband and wife accused of murdering four people in a small Nebraska town are scheduled to appear in court Monday. Nebraska Public Media’s Jackie Ourada spoke with reporter Elizabeth Rembert to catch up on the case before the hearing.
1/20/20235 minutes, 4 seconds
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Legislature rejects banning guns from Capitol

The Nebraska Legislature Thursday defeated a proposed rules change that would have banned guns from the Capitol.
1/19/20234 minutes, 55 seconds
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Pillen proposes tax cuts

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen proposed a wide-ranging package of tax cuts Wednesday.
1/18/20235 minutes, 20 seconds
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Small towns finding unique ways to improve fresh grocery access

There are 44 counties in the country with no grocery store at all, according to the USDA. Nebraska has 10 of them. Nebraska Public Media reports on how some towns are providing access to fresh groceries.
1/18/20234 minutes, 42 seconds
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Why the price of eggs has risen so sharply

After the deadly bird flu hit egg-producing flocks, the supply of eggs shrank dramatically. That’s led to historically high prices for consumers.
1/18/20233 minutes, 29 seconds
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Pillen touts school finance changes; gender, photo ID bills drop

Gov. Jim Pillen unveiled his proposed changes to state aid to schools, while bills were introduced on gender and photo IDs.
1/17/20234 minutes, 31 seconds
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Western Kansas farmers push to save the Ogallala Aquifer

After decades of irrigation, the aquifer that makes life possible in dry western Kansas is reaching a critical point. Several counties have already lost more than half of their underground water. But a new plan could save more of what’s left.
1/16/20234 minutes, 9 seconds
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Senators propose banning guns in Capitol; youth at drag shows

Guns would be banned from the Nebraska Capitol and those under 19 would be prohibited from attending drag shows under proposals in the Legislature.
1/13/20233 minutes, 36 seconds
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Pillen appoints Ricketts to Senate; Legislature considers rules

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen says he'll appoint former Gov. Pete Ricketts to the U.S. Senatte, and the Legislature's Rules Committee held a public hearing about proposed rules changes.
1/12/20234 minutes, 49 seconds
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Abortion opponents pursue ban early in pregnancy

Opponents of abortion say they'll introduce a proposal to ban the procedure at about 6 weeks gestation.
1/11/20233 minutes, 57 seconds
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Rural hospital closures put more communities in jeopardy

In many rural towns, local hospitals are community fixtures. When they close, the entire community feels the ripple effects.
1/11/20234 minutes, 29 seconds
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Housing needs highlighted; casinos and prisons subject of bills

Senators hear about the need for a lot more housing, and a bill would allow casinos to be built sooner in western Nebraska.
1/10/20234 minutes, 32 seconds
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After Bovee Fire, Halsey confronts its hand-planted history

Last October, wildfire sparked by an ATV consumed roughly a quarter of this living landmark in the heart of the Nebraska Sandhills. But in a man-made forest, officials say, there’s no roadmap for recovery
1/10/20234 minutes, 52 seconds
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Legislature approves committee assignments, avoids meltdown

The Nebraska Legislature avoided a meltdown and approved committee assignments Monday.
1/9/20234 minutes, 48 seconds
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Midwest states lure huge livestock operations, despite pollution

Legislation and programs in states like Missouri and Nebraska are paving the way to welcome large livestock operations by limiting local control over the facilities. Some rural residents worry about the potential pollution and decreased quality of life that will bring.
1/9/20234 minutes, 18 seconds
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Broadband map holds key to federal funding for internet service

States, local governments and internet providers have until Friday, Jan. 13 to challenge the Federal Communications Commission’s National Broadband Map. The map shows where service is and isn’t across the country.
1/9/202341 seconds
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Partisanship charged in committee assignments; bills introduced

Democrats in the officially nonpartisan Legislature said they were being denied their desired committee assignments as bill introductions continued.
1/6/20235 minutes, 2 seconds
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After 8 years as Attorney General, Peterson reflects on term

Doug Peterson talks about scheduling an execution, the future of the death penalty, and his decision to take on the Biden Administration and Big Tech in the federal courts.
1/6/202310 minutes, 23 seconds
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Jim Pillen sworn in as Nebraska's 41st governor

Jim Pillen has been sworn in as Nebraska's next governor. The former Board of Regents member and pig farmer said in his speech that he plans to embrace limited government and fiscal conservatism.
1/5/202350 seconds
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Pillen innaugurated; bill introductions begin

Jim Pillen was sworn in as governor, and senators began introducing legislative proposals Thursday.
1/5/20234 minutes, 54 seconds
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2023 Legislature opens with talk of unity, hints of battles

The Nebraska Legislature began its 2023 session Wednesday, with talk of unity but hints of battles to come.
1/4/20235 minutes, 35 seconds
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"Get Started, Pursue Ideas" - advice for future innovators

Nebraska innovators and entrepreneurs offer advice, perspective. Part of the Nebraska Public Media "What If..." project.
1/4/20235 minutes, 23 seconds
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Commissioner Blomstedt reflects on his 9 years & looks ahead

Commissioner of Education, Matthew Blomstedt stepped down from his role on Tuesday, January 3rd. Nebraska Public Media spoke with him about his experience as commissioner during a particularly chaotic time and what it all means going forward.
1/3/20234 minutes, 37 seconds
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2023 Legislature: Big opportunities, but potential for gridlock

The 2023 Nebraska Legislature has big opportunities based on the state's fiscal health, but could also be gridlocked by partisan wrangling.
1/2/20235 minutes, 24 seconds
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An exit interview with Gov. Pete Ricketts

Nebraska Public Media News reporter Fred Knapp interviews Gov. Pete Ricketts about his time in office and his future.
12/22/202216 minutes, 20 seconds
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Ballard will replace Hilgers in Legislature

Beau Ballard, a former aide to Sen. Mike Hilgers, will be appointed to replace Hilgers in the Nebraska Legislature.
12/22/20221 minute, 6 seconds
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Iowans confront crisis of Missing and Murdered indigenous women

Last year, more than 5,000 Native women were reported as missing across the country. Murder is the third leading cause of death for Native women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
12/22/20226 minutes, 40 seconds
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Why Lincoln is looking for a second source of water

Lack of rainfall and water restrictions are two early signs of the future that are causing water worries to bubble up in Lincoln. As drought plagues the state, and with climate change promising more of the same, there is a plan to have a second water supply in place by 2048.
12/20/20223 minutes, 56 seconds
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Election officials tell judge vote fraud lawsuit is ‘frivolous”

Attorneys for Nebraska election officials across the state asked a Lancaster County District Court Judge to throw out a lawsuit claiming secretive billionaires and political elites controlled recent state and federal elections. Rick Hill of Lincoln sued Nebraska's Secretary of State, election commissioners in all 93 counties, and a private company, Election Systems & Software of Omaha, claiming they are part of a global plot.
12/20/20221 minute, 25 seconds
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Federal funding for agriculture research continues to decline

Federal funding for agriculture research has fallen by a third over the past two decades, sinking to 1970s-era levels. Researchers worry that could hinder the country’s ability to maintain the domestic food supply in the midst of climate change.
12/19/20223 minutes, 59 seconds
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As Ogallala Aquifer dries, Kansas board votes to cut irrigation

For the first time, the state board voted Wednesday to say that Kansas shouldn’t pump the Ogallala aquifer dry to support crop irrigation. The underground water source has seen dramatic declines in recent decades.
12/16/202247 seconds
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Nebraska schools filling the gaps amid teacher shortage

There is a nationwide educator shortage and Nebraska is no exception. The Nebraska Department of Education reports last year there were 482 unfilled education positions in the state.
12/16/20224 minutes, 45 seconds
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Lincoln South Beltway project opens, helped by creative finance

The South Beltway road project linking Nebraska Highway 2 with U.S. 77 and ultimately Interstate 80 by skirting the south edge of Lincoln opened Wednesday.
12/14/20221 minute, 38 seconds
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Black Americana Is Openly For Sale In Nebraska. Should It Be?

Black Americana” or “Black Memorabilia” are terms used to describe collectibles, usually from the early 1900s with African American themes. Today, such figures have become rarities and are openly for sale in Nebraska antique shops. Nebraska Public Media News explores the ethical value of selling what many would consider offensive relics of the past.
12/14/20224 minutes, 56 seconds
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Defeated legislature candidate asks judge for ballot recount

Russ Barger is demanding state election officials stage a recount by hand.Attorneys for the State of Nebraska dispute state law requires a hand recount. Hearing the case, Lancaster District Court Judge Kevin McManaman raised questions that reflected his skepticism about the unusual request.The judge will review the arguments and issue an opinion, but he did not indicate when that would occur.Russ Barger of Lincoln lost the general election in Legislative District 26 to George Dungan by 224 votes, or a difference of more than 1% of the ballots cast. State law only allows for an automatic recount if the margin falls under the 1% threshold. Barger's race does not meet that thresholdqualify, but he wants to pay for the recount with his own money.
12/14/20221 minute, 3 seconds
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The USDA's Census of Agriculture is now underway

The Census of Agriculture produces the clearest snapshot of agriculture in the U.S. as it exists. The USDA will begin mailing questionnaires to all known agricultural producers this month.
12/13/202246 seconds
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Judge to decide if firefighter discrimination lawsuit advances

A Federal District Court judge in Nebraska will decide whether or not a jury will determine the outcome of a discrimination lawsuit against the Omaha Fire Department. The civil rights lawsuit filed by former Omaha firefighter Jane Crudup described "deeply disparaging treatment" from the fire department. The lawsuit has been blasted by city attorneys who call it "simply a money grab" by a former employee "looking for a windfall from the citizens of this City."
12/13/20224 minutes, 10 seconds
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Nebraska Small Businesses Adapt to Post-Pandemic Holidays

After many grueling months of the COVID pandemic, Nebraska small businesses came back strong this holiday season. But how have local businesses adapted to the new landscape of local shopping?
12/12/202250 seconds
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Work begins to identify cause of Keystone pipeline rupture

TC Energy says it's excavating the section of its Keystone pipeline that broke last week near Washington, Kansas.
12/12/20221 minute, 39 seconds
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Winter Storm Expected To Bring 10-20 Inches of Snow To Panhandle

A winter storm is expected to hit Nebraska Monday night in what is expected to be a significant weather event, especially for the Northwest panhandle. National Weather Service Meteorologist Michael Charnick talks with Nebraska Public Media News about what to expect and how to prepare.
12/12/20224 minutes, 28 seconds
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Scientists are trying harder to understand derecho storms

Midwesterners are becoming more familiar with derechos after two major storms hit the region in as many years. Scientists are grappling with how to define the storms, gather data and predict what the future of derechos will look like.
12/12/20223 minutes, 33 seconds
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Couple reacts to Keystone oil spill on their land

A couple whose family farm was damaged by an oil spill from the Keystone pipeline react to the situation.
12/10/20222 minutes, 3 seconds
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'Parade of trucks' surround area of Keystone Pipeline leak

Nebraska Public Media's Fred Knapp reports from the scene of the Keystone Oil pipeline leak near the Nebraska-Kansas border.
12/9/20222 minutes, 53 seconds
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How new federal help could save rural Midwest hospitals

The new designation calls for cutting rural hospital services down to an emergency department and outpatient clinic only. In turn, Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements would increase.
12/9/20224 minutes, 32 seconds
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Colorado wants more details on Nebraska canal proposal

A top Colorado water official says that state needs more information to see if Nebraska's proposal conforms to an interstate agreement.
12/7/20221 minute, 8 seconds
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Report suggests chicken farm manure has upped water pollutants

Report suggests that litter from chicken farms has upped contamination of water.Official with processing plant says study admits it can’t accurately measure fluctuations of contaminants.
12/7/20221 minute, 6 seconds
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Nebraska hospitals running out of room for pediatric patients

Multiple Nebraska hospitals say they’re shuffling patients to care for all the sick people walking into their emergency departments. Finding appropriate care for pediatric patients is proving to be the biggest challenge facing multiple Midwest hospitals.
12/6/20221 minute, 11 seconds
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Bobcats have made a big comeback, some push back on hunting them

Bobcat hunting and trapping is commonplace throughout much of the United States, with the exception of a handful of holdout states. Despite the abundance of the wildcat nationwide, some conservationists are pushing back on the open season.
12/5/20224 minutes, 1 second
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Consultant says canal from Colorado worthwhile; solons wonder

A consultant says a proposed canal from Colorado would be worth the cost, but questions remain.
12/2/20221 minute, 20 seconds
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Lincoln looking for a second water source

The city of Lincoln is considering where to get more water for its growing population.
12/2/20221 minute, 26 seconds
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All 93 Nebraska counties and Governor sued by election skeptic

Every county election official in Nebraska is being sued by one man. The court filing names county election officials in all 93 counties and asks the judge to require local Sheriffs collect the ballots cast in recent elections and conduct a “forensic audit.” He demands the state legislature require the use of hand-counted paper ballots. Hill also seeks a billion dollars in damages.In response, the Nebraska Attorney General and the state’s largest counties filed motions asking the lawsuit be dropped.
11/30/20221 minute, 28 seconds
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Bird Flu Vaccination

Bird Flu Vaccination
11/30/20221 minute, 2 seconds
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Ricketts leaving as governor after eight eventful years

Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts is leaving office after eight years in which he pursued conservative policies and oversaw challenges including flooding and the pandemic.
11/29/20227 minutes, 5 seconds
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A hotter, drier future could change how we live

Think of this year’s drought as a sort of dress rehearsal to consider the drier, hotter future that scientists predict climate change has in store. Long-lasting droughts could alter how we eat, how we breathe and where we get our water from.
11/29/20223 minutes, 59 seconds
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Here's how this year's drought has battered the Midwest

From deadly wildfires to choking dust storms to decimated crop harvests, this year’s drought has left its mark across the country. For the hardest hit areas, such as the Great Plains, recovering from the far-reaching impacts of this historically dry year won’t be easy.
11/28/20224 minutes, 9 seconds
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Math & Language Scores Drop in Nebraska State Testing

This is the first state testing since the start of the pandemic.
11/23/20221 minute, 3 seconds
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Fake blood. Real drama. Steelworkers practice for mass casualty

To better coordinate an emergency response with local fire departments, the company stages realistic mass casualty scenarios.
11/22/20224 minutes, 39 seconds
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Officials: Omaha school retirement system better, others watched

Officials say the Omaha school retirement system is improving, while others are being watched.
11/22/20221 minute, 5 seconds
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A new, divided Congress will have to take on a new Farm Bill

The Farm Bill, that sets important policy on everything from crop insurance to SNAP benefits, is up for renewal next year. But the results of the midterm elections may not shed much light on how that legislation will end up.
11/21/20223 minutes, 54 seconds
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Indian Center v City of Linc jurisdiction dilemma

Lawyers for a Lincoln Native American prayer camp and a local landowner are asking the Lancaster District Court to allow them to have a hearing with the City Board of Zoning Appeals.
11/18/20221 minute, 11 seconds
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Republican hopes for "filibuster-proof" Unicam appear dashed

It looks like there will be 32 Republicans and 17 Democrats in the officially nonpartisan Nebraska Legislature next year, leaving Republicans one vote short of a "filibuster-proof" majority.
11/18/20221 minute, 23 seconds
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New financing could quicken pace of NioCorp niobium mine project

At a series of town hall meetings, executives with Colorado-based NioCorp once again told neighbors around the proposed Niobium mine to be patient because the wait will be worth it. For almost 20 years, the company has said the development of the billion-dollar mine could advance quickly if only an investor with deep pockets would step forward. CEO Mark Smith says the recent partnership with an investment firm could allow NioCorp to list on the NASDAQ stock exchange and could replace the need for a single large investor.
11/18/20221 minute, 18 seconds
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Cleaning company seeks delay, names in child labor investigation

A company accused of using child labor to clean meatpacking plants is asking for a delay in court proceedings and the names of the children it allegedly employed.
11/17/20221 minute, 29 seconds
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Bird flu, holiday season linked to an egg shortage in Nebraska

During the holidays, eggs are already a hot commodity for baking and other seasonal meals. However, outbreaks of bird flu across the state has impact the population of laying hens and caused a nearly 25% decrease in egg production.
11/16/202255 seconds
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Burst pipe vacates dozens of Lincoln Penitentiary cells for year

Housing for 140 inmates could be out of commission for up to two years after a broken pipe flooded medium and maximum security cells at the Nebraska State Penitentiary.Photos show large hoses draining water out of mud-coated hallways in a section housing medium to maximum-security inmates. Bbased on preliminary estimates, the steps needed to make the building suitable for occupation again could take the entire housing unit offline for the next one to two years.
11/11/202251 seconds
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Cleaning company accused of using child labor in Grand Island

The U.S. Department of Labor accuses Packers Sanitation Services Inc. of using child labor to clean the JBS Swift meatpacking plant in Grand Island.
11/11/20221 minute, 17 seconds
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Court: Aubrey Trail death sentence justified, constitutional

Aubrey Trail’s defense attorneys argued the sentence was unconstitutional. The justices disagreed, noting the using a three-judge panel emphasizes the rule of law over the personal opinions of jurors. The Court also rejected claims the judge should have declared a mistrial.
11/10/202257 seconds
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Smith seeks chairmanship of Ways and Means Committee

Third District Representative Adrian Smith is seeking the chairmanship of the House Ways and Means Committee, which oversees tax legisation.
11/10/20221 minute, 10 seconds
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NE Board of Education overhauled following midterms

Three of the four winners of yesterday's elections were backed by a conservative PAC. Protect Nebraska Children was the PAC supporting conservatives Kirk Penner, Sherry Jones, and Elizabeth Tegtmeier who all won. The PAC was formed to stop comprehensive sex education proposed by the board last year.
11/9/202252 seconds
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"Filibuster-proof" or not? Legislative lineup remains uncertain.

Republican and Democratic officials differ on whether the GOP will have a "filibuster proof" legislative majority next year.
11/9/20221 minute, 13 seconds
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Why can't urban farmers buy land in Midwest cities?

Urban farmers are trying to buy vacant lots for their farms to bring fresh, healthy food and green space to their neighborhoods, but they face challenges in acquiring that land.
11/7/20224 minutes
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Did Cherry Co Board have conflict of interest in wind farm vote?

The Nebraska Supreme Court must decide if a District Judge in Cherry County made the right call when throwing out a lawsuit filed by opponents of a wind farm.The 19 wind turbines required a permit from the County commissioners. A citizen’s group, Preserve the Sandhills, went to court to block that vote, claiming two of the three county commissioners and their families could profit from the project.
11/4/202256 seconds
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Brewer helping Ukrainians prepare for winter

Nebraska state senator Tom Brewer, on his second trip to Ukraine, is delivering supplies and dodging rockets.
11/3/20223 minutes, 50 seconds
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Nebraskans will vote on minimum wage's future this election

When Nebraska voters go to the polls next week, they will decide if the state’s minimum wage will increase from $9 per hour to $15. Nebraska Public Media’s Will Bauer reports ballot initiative 433 revives a long standing debate.
11/3/20224 minutes, 46 seconds
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Hunting communities concerned about drought lasting effects

Pheasant season kicked off in Nebraska last weekend (October 29th). Nebraska Public Media’s Aaron Bonderson reports extreme drought and wildfires are stunting the upcoming season…
11/1/20221 minute, 6 seconds
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This Election, Voter ID Requirements are on the Ballot

When voters go to the polls on Nov. 8, they'll be asked to decide on a constitutional amendment that, if approved, would change the way they vote for the foreseeable future. You currently don’t need a photo ID to cast a ballot, but the passage of Amendment 432 would change that.
11/1/20224 minutes, 12 seconds
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This Election, Voter ID Requirements are on the Ballot

When voters go to the polls on Nov. 8, they'll be asked to decide on a constitutional amendment that, if approved, would change the way they vote for the foreseeable future. You currently don’t need a photo ID to cast a ballot, but the passage of Amendment 432 would change that.
11/1/20224 minutes, 12 seconds
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State health departments battle second year of early RVS surges

After COVID-19 protocols nearly wiped over the 2020-2021 RVS season, health department are battling back against a second year of unusually early surges.
10/31/202251 seconds
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Abortion rights fight goes local as opponents put in town bans

The national battle against abortion has reached small local governments. Towns in Iowa, Nebraska and Texas have banned abortion within their borders, even if they don’t have a clinic. But in one community, that effort could interrupt abortion access for the entire region.
10/31/20224 minutes, 12 seconds
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UNL to Become Decomposition Research Facility for the Midwest

With newly renovated facilities at the Reller Prairie Field Station, forensic anthropology students will use the location to study the decomposition of human bodies
10/28/202254 seconds
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NDEE to hear concerns about its proposed permit for cattle CAFOs

A new general permit would set requirements for large cattle operations like feedyards for five years, beginning April 1, 2023. But first, the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy will get input on the proposed draft in a public hearing on Thursday, Sept. 29.
10/28/202249 seconds
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Candidates fight for Latino support in the second district

Latino voters are the second largest and fastest-growing demographic in Nebraska. They’ve been a politically powerful group. In 2020, the predominantly Latino South Omaha neighborhood helped win Omaha’s electoral vote for Joe Biden. But that same year, Republicans cut into Democrat’s national lead with Latino voters. Nebraska Public Media’s Elizabeth Rembert takes us to South Omaha, to learn how the changing sentiments of Latino voters could impact the election for the second congressional district.
10/27/20224 minutes, 29 seconds
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Party numbers could play big role in nonpartisan Legislature

Although the Nebraska Legislature is officially nonpartisan, recent trends suggest party affiliation could play a major role in outcomes next year.
10/26/20225 minutes, 10 seconds
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Faculty union at Univ. of Florida opposes Ben Sasse as president

U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska continues to face pushback from students and faculty at the University of Florida after he was selected as the school's lone finalist for its presidency.
10/26/20221 minute, 20 seconds
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Nebraska's test scores decline, but not as much as some others'

The National Assessment of Educational Progress showed a nationwide decline in test scores.
10/24/20221 minute, 10 seconds
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Farms with corn mazes, pumpkins make up a $1 billion industry

For many people, fall is marked by taking trips to the pumpkin patch, getting lost in a corn maze or catching a hay ride. These seasonal activities are part of agricultural tourism, and it's a booming industry.
10/24/20223 minutes, 50 seconds
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Individual Donors Bouy 1st District Congressional Candidates

With Election Day weeks away the candidates vying for Nebraska’s 1st District Congressional Seat are seeing support from individual donors as they raise and spend vast amounts of money. Nebraska Public Media’s William Padmore reports what the candidates' fundraising numbers could signal about the financial health of both campaigns in the crucial days before the election.
10/21/20223 minutes, 57 seconds
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Nebraska corrections rejects 8 of 10 watchdog's recommendations

The inspector general for Nebraska prisons wants a new correctional facility in Lincoln for dangerous inmates to open in a slow, controlled manner. The 29-page report made 10 recommendations for the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services – eight of which the department rejected.
10/20/20221 minute, 12 seconds
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Ed Board candidates from left & right on fixing staff shortage

Republicans and Democrats running for the Nebraska State Board of Education differ on how to bolster the teacher workforce in Nebraska. The number of unfilled teacher positions in Nebraska went from 232 in 2016 to 482 last year, according to the Nebraska Department of Education.
10/19/202258 seconds
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O'Donnell retiring as clerk of the Legislature

Patrick O'Donnell, clerk of the Nebraska Legislature since 1978, is stepping down at the end of this year.
10/19/20221 minute, 5 seconds
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Missouri knew of contamination in Springfield’s groundwater

The people of Springfield, Missouri that lived near a company that did work for the Navy had no idea that a toxic solvent, disposed of improperly, had made its way into their drinking water – until a public apology from the state.
10/19/20227 minutes, 32 seconds
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Senators seek probe of Ed Dept. over critical race theory

Some Nebraska state senators want the Legislature to investigate the Department of Education's handling of critical race theory.
10/17/20221 minute, 16 seconds
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Sex ed and staffing issues hinge on NE Board of Educ. election

Four seats on Nebraska’s State Board of Education are up for grabs in November. For the last year and a half, proposed sex education standards from the officially nonpartisan board have some parents up in arms. Issues, like the teacher shortage persist.
10/17/20224 minutes, 59 seconds
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New Segment of Heartland Expressway Completed Near Alliance

The Heartland Expressway will connect Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Colorado. The cities of Scottsbluff and Alliance will be key points along the new highway.
10/17/202253 seconds
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Amid rising costs, hospitals consider cutting some services

Hospitals across the U.S. and in Nebraska may be looking at cutting some of their health care operations as federal COVID-19 funding runs out. Hospital systems are still balancing sky-high wages, inflated equipment pricing and increasing pharmacy costs.
10/17/20221 minute, 26 seconds
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Candidates talk of climate, nukes in final 2nd District Debate

In their final debate before Election Day, candidates in Nebraska's Second Congressional District found some common ground while insisting they had voters' best interests at heart. Incumbent Congressman Don Bacon and his Democratic Party opponent Tony Vargas found much to disagree about when discussing helping the American middle class, the usefulness of federal COVID relief aid, and climate change.
10/17/20222 minutes, 7 seconds
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John Deere says it'll make the future tractor, no driver needed

Farm implement manufacturers, including giant John Deere, are well on their way to deploying autonomous tractors. Prototypes are in the field now, and they could be widely available by the end of the decade.
10/17/20223 minutes, 53 seconds
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Nebraska's Arts Scene Mostly Resurrected Following Pandemic Lows

When the COVID-19 pandemic upended life around the world, artists were particularly hard hit. Now, vaccines are widely available and many arts organizations received federal funding to keep them afloat. Nebraska Public Media’s William Padmore reports on how Nebraska’s arts sector is fairing.
10/14/20224 minutes, 14 seconds
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Pillen leads Blood, but race could be closer than expected

Republican Jim Pillen leads Democrat Carol Blood in funding and polling in the Nebraska governor's race.
10/13/20221 minute, 9 seconds
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Union College wraps up Hurricane Ian relief effort

Students from Union College helped people in Fort Myers Florida who suffered from the damage of Hurricane Ian. Nebraska Public Media’s Isabella Benson reports on the service crew’s journey last week.
10/13/202245 seconds
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A wetter world is changing farm country. Can growers adapt?

Farmers are dealing with more and heavier rainfall events throughout the Upper Midwest. Some farmers install drainage tiles and trenches to handle the water, but that can lead to soil erosion and flooding downstream.
10/13/20224 minutes, 47 seconds
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Tyson to cut Sioux City jobs, mayor calls for political help

Sioux City Mayor Bob Scott called upon the governors of Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota to prevent Tyson Foods from moving more than 500 jobs out of the tri-state area.The food company will be closing its corporate offices in Dakota Dunes, South Dakota – which borders Sioux City. The large community employer will be consolidating all three of its corporate offices to its headquarters in northwest Arkansas.Scott said Tyson's move will have a terrible impact on the area, resulting in the loss of 580 jobs for the area. He asked the tri-state governors – Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem – to step in.“Go see the people at Tyson, write letters, do whatever,” he said at a city council meeting on Monday evening. “But, take the lead on this because they are not going to listen to local communities and it is terribly important that we don’t lose those jobs.”Employees at the Dakota Dunes office will have to opt to relocate to the corporate headquarters or accept a severance package.The company's processing plant in Dakota City will not be impacted.Scott said the Sioux City Chamber of Commerce has been unsuccessful in its attempt to get Tyson to reconsider its decision. In a statement to the Sioux City Journal last week, Chamber president Chris McGowan said the organization would work “tirelessly” to assist the impacted employees find new jobs locally.U.S. Representative Randy Feenstra, who represents the 4th Congressional District, also issued a statement last week, urging the company to reconsider their decision to move the office.“This decision is absolutely contrary to the values I share with the Siouxland community, and represents a complete disregard for the employees and families who have been loyal to Tyson for more than two decades,” part of Feenstra’s statement read.The relocation process will begin in early 2023, according to Tyson Foods announcement.
10/12/202246 seconds
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Offutt AFB influence recognized in 1st Dist Congressional race

Redrawn boundaries in Nebraska's Congressional Districts mean thousands of additional voters with ties to Offutt Air Force Base will cast ballots in the 1st District this November.Residents in central and western Sarpy County will join neighbors in Bellevue in selecting Republican Mike Flood or Democrat Patty Pansing Brooks as their representative in Washington. For the candidates, it's a large and important constituency interested in the base's impact on jobs and daily lives, defense issues, and veterans' affairs.
10/12/20225 minutes, 15 seconds
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Shore makes video endorsing Pansing Brooks

Nebraska's first lady appears in video endorsing the Democratic congressional candidate opposing the Republican candidate favored by her husband.
10/11/20221 minute, 10 seconds
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Can one state regulate hog production in another?

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case this month over whether California overreached with an animal welfare law which regulates housing requirements for pigs if the pork will be sold in the state. Two large pork industry groups say that burdens pork producers outside of California.
10/10/20223 minutes, 58 seconds
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Jim Pillen wants to bring small town sensibility to Nebraska

A Nebraska Democrat hasn’t won a statewide election since 2006. And that’s one of the reasons why Republican Jim Pillen is widely expected to win the governorship when voters go to the polls next month. Nebraska Public Media’s Will Bauer has more on the Columbus-area pig farmer’s vision for the state and what he stands for as a University of Nebraska regent .
10/7/20224 minutes, 56 seconds
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Iowans want more time to report sex assault of children

If a survivor of childhood sexual abuse tells someone what happened to them, studies suggest most don’t do it until they’re well into adulthood. But many Iowans abused as children run out of time to sue their abusers at age 19. Survivors and some lawmakers are working to get rid of the time limit on civil lawsuits related to child sex abuse with the hope that they can protect kids in Iowa.
10/6/20224 minutes, 16 seconds
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North Platte news director fired for helping Curtis abortion ban

A North Platte television news director will clean out her desk Monday night after the station fired her over the weekend for helping collect signatures for a ballot initiative to ban abortions in the neighboring town of Curtis.The vice president and general manager of KNOP in North Platte confirmed Melanie Standiford was fired on Friday – the same day the Flatwater Free Press quoted Standiford about a petition drive in Curtis.
10/3/20221 minute, 27 seconds
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Blood stresses planning, pragmatism in run for governor

State Senator Carol Blood promotes strategic planning and practical solutions in her Democratic candidacy for governor of Nebraska.
10/3/20224 minutes, 38 seconds
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SNAP-Ed pays workers so little, some qualify for food benefits

The Supplemental Nutrition Education Program (SNAP-Ed) is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and helps SNAP recipients learn how to eat healthy food on a budget. Its employees complain of wages so low that they themselves qualify for SNAP.
10/3/20224 minutes, 1 second
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Regent Jim Pillen will vote for alcohol sales, multimedia rights

University of Nebraska regent Jim Pillen will vote in support of two major UNL athletic proposals scheduled for the regents meeting Friday. Nebraska Public Media’s Will Bauer has more on the Republican nominee for governor’s votes on alcohol sales and broadcasting rights.
9/29/20221 minute, 23 seconds
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Legislative elections to determine fate of abortion bills

The outcome of this November's elections to the Nebraska Legislature will determine the prospects of next year's legislation on abortion.
9/28/20225 minutes, 17 seconds
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New programs hope to help farmers with their mental health

Two thirds of farmers said the pandemic affected their mental health, according to an American Farm Bureau poll. The U-S Department of Agriculture has awarded grants to states across the country to help improve mental health outreach among farmers. As Kendall Crawford reports for Harvest Public Media, some Midwestern states are distributing the resources not only to farmers, but also to the business and community members they interact with daily. And a warning for our listeners, this story mentions suicide.
9/27/20224 minutes, 4 seconds
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The impacts of the 5th worst drought on Nebraska ag producers

Historically dry weather across Nebraska is a big factor for farmer this fall as corn and soybean harvest are underway. The state just recorded its driest August in 128-years of record keeping. University of Nebraska-Lincoln broadcasting professor Barney McCoy reports for Nebraska Public Media News.
9/27/20225 minutes, 8 seconds
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Sec. of State will hold three hearings on ballot initiatives

Nebraska’s Secretary of State’s office announced three public hearings on two ballot initiatives Monday ahead of the November 8th election. Nebraska Public Media’s Will Bauer has more on what the initiatives are and when Nebraskans can learn more about them.
9/26/202251 seconds
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Despite Niskíthe camp, city files suit to keep housing project

The City of Lincoln filed a lawsuit that aims to keep a housing development moving forward, despite concerns from local Native American groups. Nebraska Public Media’s Will Bauer has more on the growing rift between the city and the Niskíthe prayer camp.
9/26/202248 seconds
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Commission approves Lincoln casino, first in Nebraska

The Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission approved the Warhorse Casino in Lincoln, the first in the state's history.
9/23/20221 minute, 34 seconds
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Midwest farmers hope their hops can find a place in craft beer

The craft beer industry is driving farmers in the Midwest to grow hops for their local beer makers. But the crop is not easy to grow — it’s labor intensive and expensive.
9/23/202241 seconds
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Mississippi River needs more work to keep invasive species out

Federal and state agencies spend millions of dollars every year to keep destructive invasive carp out of the Great Lakes. Meanwhile, at least 25 destructive species — like water fleas and bloody red shrimp — are inching closer to the Mississippi River Basin.
9/23/20224 minutes, 12 seconds
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Colorado pushes back against Ricketts water claims

Colorado officials say Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts is wrong when he says Colorado is not sending Nebraska enough water.
9/22/20221 minute, 33 seconds
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2022 Governor's Lecture in Humanities Speaker: Candice Millard

New York Times Best Selling Author Candice Millard is this year’s Governor’s Lecture in Humanities Series. Throughout her career, Millard has used her skill as a journalist and author to explore, humanize and contextualize people and events in ways that may be surprising to readers. In her latest book, River of the Gods, Millard explores the ill-begotten journey to discover the source of the Nile River in Egypt. Nebraska Public Media’s William Padmore got the chance to sit with Millard a few days before the lecture and has this preview…
9/22/202217 minutes, 5 seconds
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A grassbank in Missouri shows how cattle can conserve prairie

Dunn Ranch Prairie has the first grassbank in the Midwest, a partnership where The Nature Conservancy allows local ranchers to graze their cattle on its grasslands while the ranchers’ pasture is allowed to rest.
9/22/202242 seconds
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Telehealth abortion services struggle with murky laws

Nebraska law allows telehealth services for a host of medical situations – but not for abortion. It’s part of a patchwork of regulations in states around the Midwest that leaves providers and patients to navigate legal gray areas around the region. For the Midwest Newsroom, Farah Yousry reports.
9/22/20223 minutes, 59 seconds
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Ricketts says Colorado not delivering enough water

Gov. Pete Ricketts says Colorado is not sending the amount of water it's required to have in the South Platte River at the state line.
9/21/20221 minute, 18 seconds
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Family says Chadron State has hidden their daughter's death

Fatima Larios’ family hoped school officials could use her death as a way to help others trapped in abusive relationships seek support. Years later, the family thinks the Nebraska school has quietly tried to distance itself from the tragedy.
9/20/20225 minutes, 27 seconds
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Nebraska Pardon board decides to keep Earnest Jackson in prison

The Nebraska Board of Pardons unanimously voted to deny Earnest Jackson’s commutation request for immediate release on Monday.Jackson’s family, friends, lawyers, volunteer groups – and the victim’s family – all say Jackson did not kill Larry Perry – a crime which Jackson has served 22 years in prison for.“I'm so hurt that I'm speechless,” said Jackson’s sister, Remee Greer. “I came here optimistic, hoping for the best, praying for the best but understanding how things go.”
9/19/20221 minute, 27 seconds
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Frakes looks back on time as Nebraska corrections director

Scott Frakes offers some thoughts on staffing, crime and punishment, and a new prison.
9/19/20225 minutes, 59 seconds
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Giant Kansas solar farm project pits neighbor against neighbor

Johnson and Douglas counties approved regulations allowing the construction of what would be the largest utility-scale solar farm in Kansas. But while residents say they support green energy, there's a vocal contingent pushing back against building 2,000 acres of panels so close to their communities.
9/16/20224 minutes, 10 seconds
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Rail strike averted, but slowdowns still hurting Nebraska ag

A tentative railway union agreement stopped a worker strike this week, but Nebraska farmers have been dealing with railway issues throughout the year. Nebraska Farm Bureau's president talks about how the railway staffing shortage has impacted farmers.
9/16/20221 minute, 16 seconds
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Prison report: progress on crowding, staffing; health concerns

A new report says Nebraska prisons are less overcrowded and understaffed than a year ago, but still short of medical personnel.
9/15/20221 minute, 28 seconds
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Riley: South Platte canal could help in future droughts

Nebraska Director of Natural Resources says a proposed canal to bring water from Colorado could alleviate future droughts.
9/14/20221 minute, 55 seconds
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Mickey Joseph takes over Nebraska football program after Frost

Mickey Joseph made his first public comments as the interim head coach of the Nebraska football program Tuesday. They come after former coach Scott Frost was fired over the weekend. Nebraska Public Media’s Will Bauer reports Joseph talked briefly about his goals.
9/13/20221 minute, 12 seconds
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Getting rural Nebraskans mental health care remains a challenge

Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in Nebraska. Addressing this issue – especially in rural parts of the state – can be difficult. Nebraska Public Media’s Will Bauer reports about the challenges to prevent suicide in rural areas and what officials plan to do about it. We should note: Some people may find this four minute story disturbing.
9/13/20224 minutes, 34 seconds
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Nebraska fires Scott Frost; Mickey Joseph appointed interim

Nebraska’s head football coach is out. On Sunday, University of Nebraska-Lincoln athletic director Trev Alberts fired Scott Frost in his fifth season with the Huskers. Nebraska Public Media reporters Will Bauer and Aaron Bonderson reflect on what led up to Frost’s departure and what’s next for the program.
9/12/20224 minutes, 56 seconds
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Rural areas need more vets, but low pay and debt are challenges

Veterinarian clinics in rural towns have been dramatically declining in numbers for decades. Rural veterinarians often get paid less than urban practitioners, take on more workload and carry thousands of dollars in debt from medical school.
9/9/20223 minutes, 58 seconds
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Ricketts "Windshield Survey" of Canal Dips into Colorado

Gov. Pete Ricketts' toured the route of his proposed canal to bring water from Colorado to Nebraska this week.
9/9/20221 minute, 56 seconds
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This small town Iowa bar is a musical paradise

Long after church bells have stopped chiming, this small northwest Iowa bar holds a different kind of Sunday communion. Folks from across the state pilgrimage to Pomeroy, a town of just under 500 people. All because of one unassuming bar that’s drawing big acts from all over the country and then letting the bands keep the money.
9/9/20226 minutes, 4 seconds
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Abortion bans may harm Black Midwesterners more

Abortion restrictions will likely affect Black women the most. Many are concerned about the impact on Black maternal mortality, and the risk of criminalization.
9/8/20224 minutes, 34 seconds
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Muslims in Lincoln are growing and need a mosque upgrade

Lincoln’s Sunni Muslim population is growing. With the addition of more Afghan refugees in the past few months, their mosque needs an upgrade. Nebraska Public Media’s Will Bauer reports on the Muslim community’s to plan to finish a long standing project.
9/7/20225 minutes, 9 seconds
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Bryan Health's CMO details ongoing challenges in hospitals

There are less COVID-19 patients in hospitals, but staffing remains a challenge. We hear from Bryan Health's chief medical officer on issues sticking around even though COVID-19 surges dwindled months ago.
9/6/20224 minutes, 48 seconds
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Frakes Resigning as Nebraska Prison Chief

Scott Frakes is resigning his position as the director of the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services.
9/1/20221 minute, 41 seconds
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How Midwestern states tempt tourists with unpretentious getaways

Mount Rushmore and the Great Lakes are a couple of the Midwest’s tourism magnets, but some states sometimes have to work against their reputations to attract visitors. They’re getting creative by highlighting amenities that can be a bit off the beaten path.
8/31/20224 minutes, 7 seconds
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Nonprofit Brings Joys of Pottery to Visually Impaired People

For a little over a month, groups of blind and visually impaired Nebraskans have been gathering in Omaha for pottery lessons. The goal of the nonprofit putting on the classes? Provide a chance for students to transcend their disabilities through art.
8/31/20224 minutes, 41 seconds
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Why Migrant Workers Detassel Corn More

For decades, Midwest teenagers have been hired by seed companies to walk fields of corn and help out with the pollination in a process called detasseling. It’s fondly seen as a local rite of passage. But an investigation by the Midwest Newsroom found seed companies have posted jobs to avoid teenagers and opt for migrant workers instead.
8/31/20224 minutes, 58 seconds
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Listen: Winnebago Health CEO Reflects on Her Four Years

As the CEO, Smith oversaw the merging of the reservation’s hospital and public health department, Nebraska Public Media spoke with Smith about her time as CEO of the health system
8/29/20224 minutes, 35 seconds
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GOP Endorses Wilmot over Fellow Republican Williams for Regent

The Nebraska Republican Party has endorsed Kathy Wilmot over fellow Republican Matt Williams for University of Nebraska regent.
8/29/20221 minute, 54 seconds
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Silica mine rekindles fears about Missouri’s Old Lead Belt

Pickle Creek runs two miles through Ste. Genevieve County’s sandstone valleys. It carries some of Missouri’s cleanest water, but residents worry that could change if Nexgen Silica gets full approval to mine sandstone on a 249-acre plot of land along nearby Highway 32.They don’t have to look very far to see the outcome they fear most. Ste. Genevieve sits near Missouri's Old Lead Belt, where mining lasted from the 1700s to 1972 and spanned nearby Washington, Madison and St. Francois counties.The industry produced nine million tons of lead and 250 million tons of hazardous mining waste.Decades later, some residents are still dealing with toxic waste left behind by lead mining.“There is literally a Superfund site sitting in the middle of town that they capped off, but for decades it was just loose, blowing lead everywhere,” said Samantha Danieley, who grew up in Washington County and now lives in St. Francois County. The new mine has nothing to do with lead, but residents fear history could repeat itself. Lead mining and silica mining can both produce invisible dust that can harm a person’s health if swallowed or inhaled once it’s in the air. Brothers Larry and Patrick Kertz are lifelong residents of Ste. Genevieve. They remember riding motorcycles past the hills of mine waste 35 miles from home in the 1970s and 1980s. After living in the shadow of lead mining, Larry Kertz said he wants a better understanding of what will be left when the silica mine is no longer useful. “It could be a big ditch with a huge waste pile of silica sand that could blow out into the area,” he said. “They're not really addressing what's going to be done after the mine is over.”Other residents are worried about how the mine will impact the natural environment. “We want to raise our kids in this beautiful outdoorsy environment with farm life and all these things,” said Jillian Ditch Anslow, a mom to a 14-month-old daughter who started Operation Sand, an organization to oppose the silica mine earlier this year. “And now we have this potential threat to our children's health and development.”Lasting legacyThe fight over Nexgen’s silica mine has rekindled a debate that has played out in communities across the country, where the lasting legacy of lead mining means residents regularly risk contact with the neurotoxin in their daily lives.Lead persists in the environment, including in water and soil where it can pose a threat to the health of people living nearby. After the mining ended in the Old Lead Belt, several large areas of mine waste, called chat dumps, were left behind in the region.A combination of years of blowing winds, runoff from rain and manual transportation by locals of waste materials have supercharged the toxin’s reach. The Big River, a tributary of the Meramec River, also transported toxic mine waste downstream.“I remember growing up in Potosi and we would pick pieces of lead up off the ground,” Danieley said. Some of the piles left behind span upwards of 1,000 acres, said Jason Gunther, a project manager with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) who oversees remediation work in Big River Mine Tailings Superfund site, including St. Francois County. “This material was also set above these towns, some of these piles were 300 feet above the neighboring towns,” Gunther said. “They would blow… Not just gravel-sized materials but also much finer materials.”He estimates the soil on 5,000 properties in St. Francois County has been contaminated by lead, although soil sampling isn’t complete. Even if a sample comes back at 800 parts per million – double the concentration considered safe by the EPA for children to play in – it could be years before the soil is remediated because of the high number of properties testing with high concentrations. “It's not uncommon to see some that are above 2,000 parts per million,” Gunther said. Natural levels of lead in soil typically range from 50 to 400 parts per million, according to the EPA. Gunther expects soil remediation and pile stabilization work to continue beyond 2030.Meanwhile, locals have adapted to life under the toxic circumstances. Danieley said when her teenage children were younger, she worried about letting them play outside. Children can become poisoned from playing in contaminated soil when they get lead dust or paint chips or dust on their fingers then put their hands in their mouths. Danieley also worried about how the contaminated soil could impact local farming. “If you're out doing yard gardening, and you're digging through all this lead contaminated dust, you're getting that dust on your hands, you're possibly ingesting it,” she said. Mining isn’t the only way lead can end up in soil, says Jeff Wenzel, bureau chief for the Bureau of Environmental Epidemiology with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.Soil along busy roads can also be contaminated from before gasoline was unleaded and paint chips from old houses can taint soil in yards. But in Missouri in particular, lead mining contributed significantly to contaminated soil in some areas. “Lead mining has been in Missouri pretty much since since Missouri was a state even before Missouri was a state,” Wenzel said. Once lead makes it into soil, it can pose a major health hazard for people living nearby. Wenzel says that beyond the hand-to-mouth route, lead particles can also be breathed into the mouth then swallowed.Crops planted in tainted soil can also pose a threat. “Your root crops can have dirt or soil left on them, so you want to clean those really well,” Wenzel said. “We see uptake in plants, especially plants like kale. Things like green plants that can live multiple years or come back year after year especially can have a pretty high lead accumulation.”According to the World Health Organization, there is no safe level of lead, and even low levels of exposure has been shown to cause cognitive impairment in children.Research dating back decades has shown that children living near mining areas are more likely to have elevated blood lead levels than children who don’t. Missouri's Old Lead Belt counties aren’t the only former mining regions devastated by the impacts of the industry long after it ended. Galena, Kansas, is part of the Tri-State Mining District that spanned parts of Kansas, Oklahoma and Missouri until the 1970s. The rural town of less than 3,000 people was named after the lead ore known as galena after it was found there in the late 1800s.In the same county in Treece, Kansas, the Picher Lead Company of Joplin, Missouri, discovered lead and zinc underground in 1914, according to a 2012 article published in The New York Times. By the 1920s, the site was the largest producer of zinc and lead in the country and by 1981 the EPA ranked Treece as the most contaminated area in the country. Today, it’s a ghost town, bought out by the federal agency.Waste from zinc and lead mining covered 4,000 acres in Cherokee County when the mining ended.The EPA is still taking remedial action on the site and conducting investigative work on nearby watersheds. Silica health risksIn Ste. Genevieve, Anslow wants to keep her town from becoming a case study for how silica mining impacts human health.Silica mining typically relies on open pit or dredging mining methods. The process can generate dust-sized particles invisible to the naked eye that can be inhaled and reach the lungs. Over time, extended exposure is associated with silicosis, lung cancer or chronic bronchitis. People working directly with silica dust are most at risk for developing medical lung conditions, said Bobby Shah, a pulmonologist with St. Luke’s Hospital in Chesterfield, Missouri. “We definitely have known for decades that silica itself is harmful to the lungs,” Shah said. “Patients across that spectrum of acute, chronic or accelerated [silicosis], can develop scarring in their lungs, the term that is commonly used as fibrosis,” Shah said, “and they can quickly and then from there on, develop even more respiratory symptoms.”Shah said there’s not enough data to know what risk silica particles pose to the general population surrounding a mining site, but people who smoke are more likely to develop medical conditions related to exposure. “I don't want my daughter to be where it's like, okay, ‘Let's come and sample and let's monitor the children's health in Ste. Genevieve County,’” Anslow said. Mitigation processes will help limit the mine’s impact on residents’ health, said Clark Bollinger, Nexgen’s general manager.“Certainly the dust will not be an issue,” he said. “The noise – we've got ideas and things in place to help mitigate some of the noise for the local residents.”Bollinger said the site contains enough reserves for around 50 years of mining and that there’s a plan in place to restore the area and ensure it’s safe after the mining ends by installing a large lake. He also said the mine will have minimal or no impact on nearby Hawn State Park or the local watershed and aquifer. Missouri Parks Association executive director Kendra Varns Wallis said it’s not yet possible to know for sure how the mine could impact local water sources and wildlife and expressed concern about its proximity to Hickory Canyons Natural Area. “There couldn’t be a worse place to put it, honestly,” Wallis said. As Ste. Genevieve residents fight against the mine, Nexgen remains far from breaking ground. Some of Anslow’s work with Operation Sand paid off when county commissioners and the county health department passed an ordinance prohibiting new mines from opening within a half-a-mile of schools, towns, churches and public wells.Nexgen has filed a suit asking a judge to strike down the ordinance. In July, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources Land Reclamation Program granted the company one of three permits required to operate the mine. The company m
8/29/20224 minutes, 22 seconds
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How groups monitor toxic algae in the absence of state testing

Blue-green algae appears in lakes all over the Midwest during the summers and can make both people and animals ill. Few states have routine testing programs to check for the toxic algae, but some local and volunteer groups are stepping in to fill that gap.
8/26/20223 minutes, 48 seconds
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In the halls of a post-Dobbs Planned Parenthood clinic

It’s been 63 days since the Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade. In Nebraska, abortion access remains unchanged, as state law bans abortion 20 weeks after fertilization. Nebraska Public Media’s Will Bauer went to Planned Parenthood’s clinic in Lincoln to get a tour and hear what’s changed since June.
8/26/20224 minutes, 46 seconds
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Congressional Delegation: Improvement Needed in Legal Immigratio

Members of Nebraska's congressional delegation say improvement is needed in the nation's legal immigration system.
8/25/20221 minute, 59 seconds
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Low water levels reveal shipwrecks, abandoned towns

Much of the Great Plains is way behind on moisture. The drought has drained water levels at many rivers and lakes, uncovering historical relics that are typically submerged.
8/25/202246 seconds
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Medical Marijuana Question Will Not Appear on Ballot

Secretary of state's office says supporters of legalizing medical marijuana did not turn in enough valid signatures to put the issue on the November ballot.
8/22/20221 minute, 24 seconds
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After One Month, Nebraska's New 988 Service 6% Above First Goal

DHHS set a goal of resolving 90% of the 988 calls by phone. In the first month, the state’s call center at Boys Town received more than 1,538 calls, and 96% of those were resolved by phone.
8/22/20221 minute, 2 seconds
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Farmland prices soar, making it even harder for young farmers

Across the Midwest, farmland prices have risen sharply from last year, in part because of high commodity prices and a global food shortage. The highly competitive market, which often includes investors, can make it difficult for young farmers to grow their businesses.
8/19/20223 minutes, 54 seconds
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Douglas County Health Dept Addresses Death from Deadly Amoeba

The Douglas County Health Department held a press conference on Thursday morning to address the death of a Douglas County child, suspected to be caused by a deadly infection from water-borne amoeba
8/18/20221 minute, 7 seconds
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North, South Omaha Recovery Ideas Sought

A legislative committee is looking for ideas to revitalize north and south Omaha.
8/18/20221 minute, 47 seconds
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Honeybees are still on the decline, a recent survey found

Recent survey results show commercial honeybees are on track to have another year of colony losses. A decline in these essential pollinators could hinder food production.
8/18/202244 seconds
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Pillen Won't Debate, Says They Are "Political Theater"

Nebraska gubernatorial candidate Jim Pillen will not debate before the election, according to his campaign. Pillen’s decision would make him the first governor since at least the 1970s that didn’t debate.
8/17/20221 minute, 12 seconds
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EPA and Columbus Factory Discuss Risks

The EPA says emissions from a Columbus factory create risks of cancer; Becton Dickinson says the facility is safe and getting safer.
8/16/20222 minutes, 2 seconds
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Housing to Healthcare: New Casinos Could Help Winnebago

Ho-Chunk is the first player to build a comprehensive casino off reservation land in Nebraska. Last year, Ho-Chunk paid about $5 million in reinvestment to the tribe. Of that reinvestment – the tribe budgeted out about $3.7 million for their general fund. That’s used for tribe programs like Ho-Chunk language preservation, the annual homecoming celebration, healthcare and substance abuse services, and more.
8/16/20224 minutes, 26 seconds
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Housing to Healthcare: New Casinos Could Help Winnebago

Ho-Chunk is the first player to build a comprehensive casino off reservation land in Nebraska. Last year, Ho-Chunk paid about $5 million in reinvestment to the tribe. Of that reinvestment – the tribe budgeted out about $3.7 million for their general fund. That’s used for tribe programs like Ho-Chunk language preservation, the annual homecoming celebration, healthcare and substance abuse services, and more.
8/16/20224 minutes, 27 seconds
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Farmers of color: Inflation Reduction Act breaks relief promise

The Inflation Reduction Act repeals and replaces part of the American Rescue Plan Act that earmarked $4 billion in debt relief for farmers of color.
8/16/202252 seconds
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Acre by acre, Iowans try to restore the state’s natural prairie

Before farmland covered more than 90 percent of the state, the vast majority of Iowa was prairie. But, the tall green fields dotted with wildflowers that once dominated the state began to vanish as settlers put it under the plow.Now, only a tiny sliver of Iowa prairie land – less than 0.1 percent – remains untouched by the agriculture and development that surrounds it.
8/16/20224 minutes, 56 seconds
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Former Official Penalized For Illegally Raising Her Pay

A former township official was among those who voted themselves an extra $1,000 a week for a $600 a year job.
8/15/20221 minute, 34 seconds
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Getting cattle in the forest could help the climate, farmers

Silvopasture is the practice of grazing livestock in a forested area instead of an open pasture. It’s a very old practice that might see new life.
8/12/20223 minutes, 56 seconds
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Norfolk Case Highlights Post-Roe Privacy, Abortion Issues

A Norfolk, Nebraska abortion case highlights law enforcement's access to online messages and suggests future litigation over state regulation of abortion medication.
8/11/20222 minutes
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AT&T FirstNet Pitches Communication Service to Winnebago Tribe

At the most recent Winnebago Tribal Council meeting, representatives from AT&T's FirstNet service presented to the council about their wireless 5G network for first responders
8/11/202259 seconds
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Rail unions and carriers are running out of time to avoid strike

Freight rail workers are threatening to strike pending ongoing contract negotiations with the carriers they work with. Nebraska Public Media News reports on what’s at stake for the roughly 116,000 workers and for consumers across the country.
8/11/20224 minutes, 35 seconds
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In a twist, an Omaha utility could keep burning coal

Plans to stop burning coal next year at the North Omaha Station, a chief supplier of electricity to the region, likely won’t happen on schedule.Instead, the Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) wants North Omaha Station, one of the country’s top emitters of nitrogen oxide and sulfur oxide, to keep operating until 2026.OPPD said the delayed closure was unavoidable but disappointed those who expected the utility to make good on a pledge to stop burning coal at North Omaha Station by the end of 2023.
8/11/202246 seconds
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Nebraska Researchers Create Aronia Berry Startup

New startup aims to build a healthy and sustainable industry using Aronia Berries.
8/9/20221 minute, 8 seconds
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Omaha Study Examines Heat Differences in City

A study spearheaded by the University of Nebraska Medical Center is looking at how different areas of Omaha are affected by hot weather.
8/9/20224 minutes, 57 seconds
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Summer nights are heating up — that’s bad for crops and animals

Climate experts say summer nights have gotten warmer. One study found the average minimum temperature in the United States has gotten warmer by 2.5 degrees over the last 50 years. For farmers, this means crops and livestock could suffer.
8/9/202241 seconds
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Nebraska researchers use plants to stymie lead exposure

In parts of the Midwest where lead mining and smelting lasted for over a century, communities are still dealing with toxic waste left behind by the industry.Lead, a dangerous neurotoxin, persists in the environment, including in water and soil, where it can pose a threat to the health of people living nearby. The risk is especially acute for children, who can unintentionally ingest lead by putting their hands in their mouths and whose brains and bodies are still developing.It can be spread to other areas, like yards and schools, by rainfall, and can also taint aquifers or vegetables in gardens, making them harmful to consume.Now researchers are working to limit the impact of lead in the environment on people, and they believe they’ve found a promising solution: Plant life.
8/9/202249 seconds
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Ricketts Won't Call Special Session on Abortion

Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts said he would not call a special legislative session on abortion because there is not enough support to overcome a filibuster.
8/8/20221 minute, 59 seconds
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Nebraska DPAA Office Hosts Colombian Forensic Scientists

9 forensic scientists from Colombia will receive training at the DPAA office at the Offutt Air Force Base. They hope to bring what they learned back to Colombia to assist in their work of identifying human remains
8/8/20221 minute, 9 seconds
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Wheat Harvest Challenged by Nebraska's Dry Conditions

Nebraska's harsh weather conditions have created a large setback in the state's wheat harvest.
8/8/202251 seconds
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Bryan Health Sponsors Training for HS Athletic Trainers

Over 50 high school athletic trainers and emergency personnel attended a heat illness and fall sports safety training session on Friday. The training session went over heat illness procedures and other athletic safety heading into the fall sports season
8/5/202254 seconds
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UNL Not Requiring Masks or COVID-19 Testing for the Fall Semeste

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln releases their COVID-19 plan for the school semester as Lancaster County's risk dial remains at High.
8/5/20221 minute, 8 seconds
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When it comes to chemical fertilizer – less is more, study says

Farmers can use far less chemical fertilizer — which can be expensive and harmful to the environment — and maintain high crop yields, according to a new study.
8/5/202245 seconds
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What a Midwest ‘ghost story’ says about abortion restrictions

Missouri residents may have heard ghoulish tales of “Doc Annie” Smith, a physician who looms large in the state’s mythology for performing illegal abortions in the early 1900s. Today, the truth about her work has largely disappeared.
8/5/20224 minutes, 10 seconds
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Abortion Opponent calls chances of Special Session "Remote"

One opponent of abortion says chances of a special session to restrict the procedure in Nebraska are "remote."
8/4/20222 minutes, 9 seconds
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Omaha FBI Holds Diversity Agent Recruitment Event

The Omaha FBI field office held a Diversity Agent Recruitment event on Wednesday night, aimed at attracting potential new agents from diverse backgrounds. The event had 40 attendees and was a success, according to the Omaha FBI
8/4/202255 seconds
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G.I Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Tawana Grover

Grand Island Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Tawana Grover Speaks to Nebraska Public Media about the challenges of the upcoming school year, including: teacher shortages, trans rights and an ongoing pandemic
8/4/20224 minutes, 25 seconds
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A Major Loss: Family Visits Home Destroyed in Carter Canyon Fire

The Ewing Family lost the home and ranch that had been in the family for generations.
8/3/20224 minutes, 35 seconds
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Great Progress Made in Carter Canyon Firefighting Effort

Firefighters have made great progress in containing the Carter Canyon fire that began from a Saturday evening lightning strike. Public information officer Benjamin Bohall said the effort will soon be turned over to the Gering Fire Department
8/3/202254 seconds
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Fight Continues over Initiative Signature Requirement

The legal fight over Nebraska's signature distribution requirement for initiative petitions is continuing.
8/3/20221 minute, 58 seconds
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On The Frontlines: Battling The Carter Canyon Wildfire

Nebraska Public Media's Bill Kelly reports from Gering on efforts to contain the wildlfire.
8/2/20221 minute, 54 seconds
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ARPA-Funded EduTech Aims to Provide Skills for Entry Tech Jobs

A Lincoln nonprofit kicked off its first ever technology classes on Friday, targeted to help those who are changing careers or who simply need help developing skills to find jobs. Hosted by the Center for People in Need, EduTech is free for its students. It’s funded by the $600,000 share the city of Lincoln received from the American Rescue Plan Act.
8/1/20221 minute, 8 seconds
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Vets Official Criticizes Burn Pit Vote; Senators Expect Passage

The leader of a Nebraska veterans' organization criticized the failure of burn pit legislation in the Senate, but Nebraska's senators expect it will pass.
7/29/20221 minute, 25 seconds
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Once a bipartisan issue, how conservation became controversial

Conservation has been a popular part of agriculture for decades. But it’s become controversial since the Biden administration announced a national conservation goal. Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts has spearheaded a movement that likens conservation to government control.
7/29/20224 minutes, 45 seconds
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Interest Rate Hikes Have Cooled Nebraska Housing Market

Rising interest rates and a falling GDP have cooled the Nebraska housing market, but it's still healthy, says state Realtors president.
7/28/20221 minute, 31 seconds
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Lincoln Police Concerned About Viral "KIA BOYZ" Tik Tok Trend

Two teenagers attempted to steal a 2013 Hyundai Tuesday evening while filming themselves for Tik Tok.
7/28/20221 minute, 18 seconds
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Nebraska-based COVID lab under investigation for deficient tests

Nebraska-based GS Labs failed to deliver COVID-19 tests on time despite advertising a fast and reliable product. According to a Minnesota Public Radio report, the Omaha company is under investigation from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid.
7/28/20221 minute, 7 seconds
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Omaha Casino Breaks Ground; Could Open as Soon as Spring 2023

Ho-Chunk Incorporated officially expanded to Omaha on Wednesday. It broke ground on a similar racetrack - casino or “racino” in Lincoln in early July.CEO Lance Morgan said that the new casino in Omaha will employ more than 1,000 employees and bring in over $100,000 in revenue in the first year.
7/27/20221 minute, 4 seconds
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Vintage goods may look chic, but many are toxic

BYLINE: Niara Savage and Samantha Horton—A vintage military-style trunk she bought at an eastern Michigan flea market when she was a teenager became a staple of Jennifer Poupard's life.Poupard, now 37, originally bought it to store her CDs. Over the years the trunk — styled with leather handles and metal buckles — served as a container for shoes, a coffee table and as a resting place for a record player.When her child, Wallace, was born in 2013, it was put to a new use.“[Wallace] would pull the stand at that trunk and turn around and run to me,” Poupard said. “And that is around when I noticed the numbers going up.”The numbers that went up were Wallace's blood lead levels.Poupard was participating in the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program -in Chicago at that time, which required Wallace to receive regular blood lead tests.In 2014, Wallace’s 18-month lead check came back as 5.3 micrograms per deciliter. At the time, the Centers for Disease Control’s reference level was 5 micrograms per deciliter. The CDC lowered that threshold to 3.5 in October 2021.After consulting with other moms in an online Facebook group, Poupard began to believe her beloved heirloom may have been the culprit.The Missouri Independent and NPR's Midwest Newsroom are collaborating to explore the issue of high levels of lead in children in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska.Vintage products purchased at thrift stores or antique shops were often made decades ago – long before current federal regulations on toxic substances went into effect.Lead paint is regularly found in vintage items more than 40 years old. But the sale of vintage items containing lead paint isn’t regulated, and many buyers aren’t aware of the threat the neurotoxin poses when bringing second-hand finds into their homes.‘No normal level of lead’Lead paint and lead pipes are cited as the top risks of lead exposure to children. Poisoning from consumer goods and antiques is rare. Still, state health department websites for Missouri, Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska warn about the dangers of lead in hand-me-down furniture and old ceramics and antique toys. [Lead product recalls chart]Elevated blood lead levels in children are typically discovered through routine screenings, not because the child showed signs of poisoning, said Dr. Denise Hooks-Anderson, a family physician who previously practiced in St. Louis for 10 years. Symptoms of lead poisoning include abdominal pain, constipation, fatigue, and maybe headaches, Hooks-Anderson said. And even if there are no immediate symptoms to warn parents and doctors, the long-term consequences of lead exposure for children can be severe.“One of the most dangerous misconceptions about lead is that levels have to be really high to cause damage,” Hooks-Anderson said. “There is no normal level of lead. Having any lead in our blood is abnormal.” In a 2010 study researchers with Oregon State University, the State University of New York and the University of California-Berkeley purchased used items from second-hand and antique stores. They found that leaded items could be purchased at each of the stores they visited in Virginia, New York and Oregon, and that 19 of the 28 purchased items violated the 1978 federal standard banning the use of residential paint containing greater than 600 parts per million lead. The most toxic item researchers tested was a salt shaker lid containing 714 times that limit. Researchers agreed, at the time, that it would likely be impossible to regulate the sale of second-hand items at antique stores and flea markets and that children should not be allowed to come into contact with items purchased from an unregulated seller.Concerned about where the lead was coming from, Poupard sought answers online. That's where she found Tamara Rubin, an activist for consumer goods safety with a large online community. Rubin founded Lead Safe Mama LLC in 2016 to formally continue the work she’d started in 2008 educating the public about lead hazards after her own children were poisoned. She estimates she interacts with up to 100 people a day, answering questions and providing resources. About “90% of my readership is moms,” Rubin said, “Moms and grandmas.”In Rubin’s private Facebook group of more than 18,000 members, parents seek support and advice from one another about experiences involving lead poisoning or childrens’ exposure to leaded items. Rubin sent Poupard 3M swabs to test items in her home for lead, as she’s done for countless other families. “And I tested the trunk. And that was positive, like immediately bright red on the swab,” Poupard said. That’s when she recalled the first summer she had the trunk, when her health had taken a temporary turn for the worse around the same time that she was using a metal scraper and wire brush to strip off the green paint on the trunk.It's unlikely the trunk was the only thing contributing to Wallace's lead levels in the older apartment. But Poupard immediately covered it with a sheet to limit Wallace's exposure. But given its size, it took years for her to finally get the trunk out of their lives. And when she was finally able to get rid of it, she wanted to make sure on one else would bring it into their home.“I wrote with permanent marker all over it like in huge letters lead paint on all the sides and inside,” Poupard said. “And I timed it for when the garbage truck should be coming that day or the next day. Building materials like doors, window sashes and decorative items from before 1978 are particularly risky, said Dr. Kandace Fisher-McLean, a professor with the University of Missouri Extension and Coordinator for the National Healthy Homes Partnership. Vintage dishware, ceramic items, silverware, jewelry, toys and furniture are also more likely to contain lead.But there isn’t a reliable way for a person to assess whether an older object is a lead hazard.“You can certainly use that age marker, as a general sort of rule of thumb,” Fisher-McLean said. “But with all of the items that are on the market, and all of the ways that and means that people could obtain these items, from antique stores, to flea markets, to thrift stores to garage sales, there was absolutely absolutely no way to regulate all of the things that are already on the market.” Lead has to get inside the body to be dangerous, and children are most vulnerable, Fisher-McLean said. “Children are naturally curious, and they put their hands in their mouth. They touch lots of things, then they put their hands in their mouth.” As a good rule of thumb, “don't purchase vintage toys for your children to play with,” Fisher-McLean cautions. Vintage dishes can be especially risky as they’re exposed to heat and light over time, leading to the production of lead dust that poses a danger if ingested or inhaled, Fisher-McLean said.When 15 children and adults tested positive for elevated blood lead levels tied to the use of ceramic ware last year, the New York Health Department issued a warning about purchasing or using traditional ceramic ware from flea markets, street vendors or places where it’s difficult to determine the manufacturer or how the product was made.At the Chesterfield Antique Mall in St. Louis County, Missouri, a vintage 1940s dish set is on display and for sale.“A piece like that might be beautiful to hang on your wall or to put in a china cabinet,” Fisher-McLean said. “But certainly, it's not something that you want to be eating off of.” Goodwill of Western Missouri and Eastern Kansas declined to comment on policies regarding the sale of damaged or vintage dishes and toys. Discount store itemsEven new items can pose threats of lead exposure. Discount stores including Dollar General, Family Dollar and Dollar Tree offer thousands of products at low prices, from essential items to kids’ toys. With hundreds of discount stores across Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri, people can come to rely on these retailers — especially when they might be the only options within a short distance from home. Campaign for Healthier Solutions, a nonprofit that works to reduce lead and other toxic elements in items purchased at discount stores, has conducted studies over the years on the lead levels in things like tablecloths, jewelry and toys sold at discount stores. [Bargain stores, poor tracts scatter plot]Its most recent study found that of 226 items tested, the level with toxic chemicals, including lead, dropped from 81% in 2015 to 53% in 2022. While the lead levels were improved, lead soldering in toys and headphones targeted towards children were found to have high levels of the toxic metal.The group wants discount stores to demand manufacturers produce products with no lead, said José Bravo, national coordinator for the Campaign for Healthier Solutions.“Lead is such an easy lift for stores or retailers to go upstream to their suppliers and say, ‘Guess what? No lead is safe lead, right,’” he said.Bravo said the reduction in the number of items being found with toxins is progressing. Along with the report, one of his organization’s efforts is communicating with each company’s executives to update their policies to expand the restricted substance list. But the lists are only being applied to the store labeled products, meaning more work needs to be done so it applies to everything sold. Dollar Tree’s corporate spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment. The federal Consumer Goods Protection Agency sets standards for tolerable amounts of lead in products. So far this year six products have been recalled for exceeding a lead concentration of 90 parts per million in children's products. Bravo said leaving it up to regulators isn't always enough.“Most often enough, people would say, ‘Well, yeah, you know, the EPA, or the Food Drug Administration, or somebody is safeguarding our health when it comes to them.’ That's no
7/27/20224 minutes, 33 seconds
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Omaha City Council Approves $20 Million for New Library Location

Unanimously passed, the $20 million will just provide a chunk of the cost for the new, more centrally located, library at the corner of 72nd and Dodge. The rest of the cash will be covered by a local nonprofit, Heritage Omaha. The new library is scheduled for a 2025 opening.
7/26/202242 seconds
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Brewer says Ukrainians United, Need More Aid

Nebraska State Senator Tom Brewer says Ukrainians are united against the Russian invasion, but need more help from the United States.
7/25/20221 minute, 59 seconds
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18-Year-Old From Stapleton Wins Steer Wrestling Championship

Coy Johnston clocked a cumulative time of 13.79 seconds over his three runs, which was the lowest average time across the 126 contestants. “I felt pretty confident in myself,” he said. “The plan going out there was to win the whole thing."
7/25/20221 minute, 10 seconds
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Rural doctors say more maternal deaths are likely post-Roe

People who are pregnant in rural areas generally have a harder time reaching a doctor. Dr. Anne Banfield saw this firsthand when she worked as an OB-GYN in rural West Virginia.“We have a lot of mothers in our country who are suffering, because potentially in many cases, there are breakdowns in the prenatal care system,” Banfield said.About half of all counties in the U.S. lacked a dedicated OB-GYN in 2019, according to data from the U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration analyzed by Louisville Public Media.Since the Supreme Court ruled to overturn Roe v. Wade in June, states have begun implementing their own laws surrounding abortion and reproducive rights. There’s concern among physicians and public health experts that pending abortion bans in places already lacking maternal health resources could lead to worse outcomes.
7/25/20223 minutes, 22 seconds
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Native Americans across Midwest embrace traditional foods

Native American tribes and communities are creating formal programs that focus on their traditional foods to not only combat systemic food insecurity, but also connect people to their culture.
7/22/20224 minutes, 3 seconds
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Gov. Ricketts Appoints Real Estate President to District 19 Seat

Norfolk area real estate president Rob Dover will serve out the remainder of Mike Flood’s term in the Nebraska Legislature’s 19th District, which covers Madison County and southern part of Pierce County. Rep. Mike Flood vacated the 19th District seat after being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives last month. Voters had elected Flood in 2020 to a four-year term, and Dover will serve through January 2025.
7/22/20221 minute, 11 seconds
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White House Pushing Reduced Internet Cost Program for Nebraskans

The White House is asking Gov. Ricketts to help promote a federal program offering reduced internet costs
7/21/20221 minute, 29 seconds
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World-Renowned Virtual Reality Art Exhibit Opens in Omaha

A new virtual reality art exhibit at KANEKO in Omaha gives viewers a front-row seat to the immigration crisis at the U-S, Mexico border. KANEKO is one of the few places in the world right now where you can see the exhibit after numerous sold-out international tours. Nebraska Public Media’s Jackie Ourada has more on the Oscar award-winning Carne y Arena exhibit that shows what many people endure as they try to find the “American dream.”
7/21/20225 minutes, 49 seconds
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After 13 Years, Nebraskans are Aiming to Hike the Minimum Wage

Thirteen years after the federal government last raised the federal minimum wage, a ballot initiative in Nebraska aims to raise Nebraska’s minimum to $15 per hour by 2026. “I think Nebraska's graduated scale is fairly conservative and will be easy to hit,” said Mike Draper, who owns Raygun, a clothing and design store in Omaha.
7/21/20221 minute, 3 seconds
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Inflation's silver lining -- shoppers choose local food

High input costs have pushed up food prices at grocery stores. But local farmers have been able to keep prices more stable, and that’s attracting new customers.
7/21/202246 seconds
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Omaha FBI Office Announces Diversity Agent Recruitment Event

The Omaha FBI office will be holding a Diversity Agent Recruitment event on August 3 to hire new agents, especially from diverse applicants
7/20/20221 minute, 11 seconds
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Nebraska Hall of Fame nominees include Malcolm X

Every two years the Nebraska Hall of Fame Commission selects a prominent person whose residence in the state contributed to their greatness and place in history. This year nominees, put forward by members of the public, include the controversial civil rights leader Malcolm X, a famed baseball pitcher, a Pulitizer Prize-winning composer, and a pioneer in promoting women’s sports. Public hearings on the candidates begin this evening in Lincoln.
7/18/20221 minute, 32 seconds
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Medical Association Letter Invites Doctors' Comments on Abortion

The Nebraska Medical Association is asking its members for their input on abortion restrictions that may be proposed in the Legislature.
7/15/20221 minute, 56 seconds
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Carbon is ag’s new business, can it also fight climate change?

Agriculture companies are increasingly paying farmers to capture carbon. But some say the newly budding carbon marketplace isn’t enough to fight climate change.
7/15/20223 minutes, 47 seconds
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Can Behavior Indicate a Person May Carry Out Violence?

Can someone’s behavior be an indicator that the person may carry out a mass shooting? That is the focus of a document published by the University of Nebraska’s National Counterterrorism, Innovation, Technology, and Education Center. In it, they connected federally recognized behaviors indicating someone may be planning violence to the shooter behind the mass killing in Buffalo, New York earlier this year. Nebraska Public Media’s William Padmore spoke with the author of the document Clara Braun and Center Director Dr. Gina Ligon.
7/14/20224 minutes, 56 seconds
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Family Worries About Money, As Free School Lunches End

The U.S. Congress passed the “Keep Kids Fed Act,” which returns the school lunch program to an income-based system. The act passed just days before the universal free lunch program was scheduled to end June 30.VanLear was shocked and panicked to hear the news.“Crap, I got to reach out [and] figure out the budget,” she said.Who qualifies?Penny VanLear works two jobs. One at H&R Block where she’s been for 12 years. The other at the City of Lincoln’s Treasury office. VanLear said they didn’t have to worry about paying for lunches before the pandemic.“We were still qualifying for free at that point, with the four kids,” VanLear said. Adam, 19, has since graduated and goes to Southeast Community College in Lincoln. Now with three dependents instead of four, VanLear is put into a different income bracket. She fears her three kids won’t qualify for free lunches.
7/13/20224 minutes, 58 seconds
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Brewer: Living Conditions Near Ukrainian Front "Just Horrible"

Nebraska State Senator described visiting a town near the front where people have been living in basements for months.
7/13/20224 minutes, 20 seconds
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Underwood Wants More Inclusive GOP

Newly-elected Nebraska Republican Party Chairman Eric Underwood says he wants a more locally-centered, less "top-down" approach.
7/11/20223 minutes, 55 seconds
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Pansing Brooks tells VP Harris Abortion Fight Continues

Nebraska State Senator Patty Pansing Brooks told Vice President Kamala Harris the fight to protect abortion rights in Nebraska will continue.
7/8/20221 minute, 28 seconds
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LGBTQ farmers often go unnoticed. But they may help reshape ag

There aren’t any definite numbers about how many farmers belong to the LGBTQ community in the U.S, but many are making a point to become more visible in their rural communities.
7/8/20224 minutes, 17 seconds
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ID, Wage Campaigns Have Extra Signatures; Medical Marijuana Clos

Petition campaigns to put voter ID requirements and a raise in the minimum wage turned in far more signatures than required, while the campaign for medical marijuana was closer to the miniumum number required.
7/7/20221 minute, 59 seconds
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Court Ruling Could Disrupt Ballot Initiative Plans in Nebraska

A U.S, Court of Appeals ruling could throw out at least one ballot initiative aimed for the November elections
7/6/202249 seconds
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Reports Show Spending to Get Questions on Ballot

Reports from campaigns to require voter ID, raise the minium wage, and legalilze medical cannabis detail fundraising and spending.
7/6/20222 minutes, 10 seconds
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Santee Sioux Chair Briefs on Current Abortion Laws

Following the reversal of Roe v. Wade, 24 senators urged President Biden to ensure American’s right to an abortion, according to a letter sent to the president. One part mentioned “using federal property and resources to increase access to abortion.”A separate Supreme Court ruling states that non-natives can be prosecuted for violating state law on Native American land, which is federally owned. That and pushback from Native American spokespeople makes it unlikely for an abortion clinic to open on reservation land.
7/6/20221 minute, 3 seconds
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North Platte-area Rail Park Promises to Bring Change to region

A proposed industrial park with rail access near North Platte brings the promise of change, along with challenges.
7/5/20226 minutes, 12 seconds
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After late planting, July could make or break the 2022 corn crop

Farmers across much of the Corn Belt got a late start planting their corn this year. July could make or break this year’s crop. A poor harvest could fuel inflation and have a ripple effect for consumers.
7/5/202235 seconds
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Judge sides with women accusing ex-CSC student of assault

Former Chadron State college student Caleb Tegtmeier had been on track to represent his school on the state college board. But the governor revoked Tegtmeier's appointment after multiple women accused him of sexual assault in civil court. Last month a judge ruled Tegtmeier must stay away from two of the women making the allegations.
7/4/20222 minutes, 10 seconds
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Rickett Pushes Back on Connecticut Bid for Pro-Choice Businesses

Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts is reacting to Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont's invitation for businesses to relocate after the Supreme Court's abortion ruling.
7/1/20221 minute, 55 seconds
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Permit change at one Missouri CAFO worries environmentalists

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources is in the process of renewing its master general permit for Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations throughout the state. Environmental groups worry the new regulations won’t be stringent enough, pointing to a recent permit change at one facility.
7/1/202245 seconds
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Kansas ranchers try GPS trackers to control cattle, protect land

Prairie wildlife needs a patchy landscape, in which different areas bear the marks of varying degrees of grazing. Scientists have a plan to achieve that.
7/1/20224 minutes, 2 seconds
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Long COVID Affecting Thousands in Nebraska

Thousands of people in Nebraska suffer from Long COVID, suffering long-lasting symptoms.
6/30/20225 minutes, 6 seconds
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First District Result Seen as Signalling 'Horserace' in November

A UNO political science professor expects lots of outside money and ads in November's Flood - Pansing Brooks rematch.
6/29/20221 minute, 45 seconds
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Flood Wins Special Election for NE's 1st Congressional District

The longtime state senator won the special election Tuesday night to fill the vacant seat of Nebraska’s 1st Congressional District for the U.S. House of Representatives, according to the Associated Press, soundly defeating fellow state senator Patty Pansing Brooks.
6/29/20223 minutes, 6 seconds
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Fortenberry sentenced to probation, $25G fine for lying to FBI

A Federal Judge in California sentenced former Nebraska Congressman Jeff Fortenberry to two years probation and over 300 hours of community service after being found guilty of three counts of lying to federal investigators. He must also pay a $25,000 fine. At today’s sentencing hearing, Judge Stanley Blumenfeld said, “what is clear is that Mr. Fortenberry turned a blind eye and a deaf ear to the information that he was clearly provided by Dr. Ayoub in June of 2016.” “The evidence clearly supports the finding by the jury that Mr. Fortenberry was not blind and he was not deaf. He saw, he heard, and he certainly knew by the contributions were, at a minimum, conduit contributions.”
6/28/20221 minute, 53 seconds
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Marlin Briscoe of Omaha, First Black Pro Starter at QB, Dies

In his rookie season, Briscoe became the first black man to start at quarterback professionally. He started five games. He broke the Bronco rookie record with 1,897 yards of total offense and 14 touchdown passes.
6/28/202238 seconds
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Lincoln Restaurant Offers Abortion Help to Employees

A restaurant in Lincoln is, like many businesses, offering financial help to employees who may need to travel to get an abortion.
6/27/20221 minute, 14 seconds
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State Leaders React to Roe Decision; Special Session Uncertain

Nebraska lawmakers split in their reactions to the U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, while the prospects of a special legislative session to change Nebraska's abortion laws remained uncertain.
6/24/20225 minutes, 25 seconds
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2nd District Candidates React to SCOTUS Overturn of Roe v. Wade

Don Bacon said the court’s decision means a successful day for those fighting for decades to overturn Roe v. Wade.Bacon said he believes life starts prior to 15 weeks of conception but encourages anti-abortion state senators to work with those they may not agree with. Tony Vargas is state senator for the 7th District of Nebraska, which is in the Omaha area. The Democrat U.S. congressional candidate for Bacon’s current seat says he stands by women’s reproductive rights.Vargas says there’s a group of senators that will stand up against abortion bans in the state legislature.
6/24/20221 minute
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Study: Nebraska Losing Taxpayers in Domestic Migration

A new report says Nebraska is losing taxpayers to other states due to domestic migration.
6/23/20221 minute, 39 seconds
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NU Regents Pass 2022-2023 Budget, Including Tuition Freeze

The budget, unanimously passed by the regents, will not raise tuition across the system for the second straight year. Thursday’s decision includes operating budgets for all four university campuses.
6/23/20221 minute, 18 seconds
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1,750 Gallons of Gas Sold at $2.38 at Bellevue Gas Station

The lines were long Wednesday morning at Speedy Gas. The Nebraska chapter of Americans for Prosperity covered the Bellevue gas station’s cost, allowing it to drop its prices from $4.65 to $2.38 from 8-10 a.m.
6/22/20221 minute, 20 seconds
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Sen. Tom Brewer Heading to Ukraine

Nebraska state Sen. Tom Brewer is heading to Ukraine to train people there on using a new type of sniper rifle.
6/22/20223 minutes, 57 seconds
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Hispanic Student Experience at UNK

The schools can also be referred to as Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI’s) by the federal Department of Education. Once a school’s enrollment reaches 25% Hispanic students of its full-time undergraduates, it can apply to become a HSI. UNK’s undergraduate census from last fall indicates 13% of its full-time students identifying as Latino or Hispanic. The school enrolls 226 more Hispanic students now than ten years ago. Kelly Bartling, Vice Chancellor for Enrollment, said the school could get HSI recognition in 20-30 years, with more concerted efforts.
6/21/20224 minutes, 30 seconds
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1st District Special Election Preview

A preivew of the candidates running in the 1st District Special Election on June 28th
6/20/20224 minutes, 42 seconds
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Republicans Open Hispanic Community Center in South Omaha

The Republican National Committee opened a community center aimed at attracting Hispanic voters in south Omaha.
6/20/20222 minutes, 14 seconds
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For Sale: One Nuclear Missile Silo in York, NE

A missile silo from the 1960's in York has been converted into an underground home, and it is now on the market for someone looking for a unique place to call home.
6/20/20224 minutes, 58 seconds
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UNL Hosts Inaugural Juneteenth Celebration Monday

Hosted by UNL’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion, a few hundred gathered outside the school’s union on Monday afternoon. Juneteenth, the oldest commemoration of slavery’s end, was celebrated with snow cones, music and educational posters.
6/20/20221 minute, 5 seconds
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Lead pipes are set for removal, yet their locations are unknown

Unleaded is a joint investigation by The Missouri Independent and the Midwest Newsroom exploring the issue of high levels of lead in children in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. Do you have a question for us or a story to share? Email: shorton@missouriindependent.com, nsavage@missouriindependent.com or jstrong@iowacapitaldispatch.com.
6/20/20223 minutes, 49 seconds
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Ethanol producers hope to benefit from record high mandate

Producers will make more than 15 billion gallons of ethanol from corn, complying with the new renewable fuels mandate from the EPA.
6/17/202243 seconds
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The Effects of Bird Flu Ripple Through One Iowa County

Nearly 5.5 million chickens and turkeys have died or had to be destroyed in Buena Vista County, Iowa, during the latest bird flu outbreak — more than in any other county in the nation. That’s impacted producers, as well as workers and their families.
6/17/20224 minutes
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Finance Reports Show Competition in 1st CD Race

Campaign finance reports show competition in raising and spending funds in Nebraska's First Congressional District.
6/17/20222 minutes, 18 seconds
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Ukrainian Refugees Find Refuge in Lincoln

Ukrainian War Refugees are coming to Lincoln, but need rental housing. Two families, a total of 23 people, are currently living in on home owned by a local relative of one of those families.
6/17/20224 minutes, 45 seconds
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Judge advises less politics in Herbster/Slama lawsuit

After a District Court judge met privately with battling attorneys to sort out their grievances, the defamation lawsuit filed against State Senator Julie Slama and her countersuit against Charles Herbster moved forward. Both cases came in response to allegations of sexual assault leveled at Herbster during his unsuccessful campaign for governor.Lawyers representing the two appeared in court for the first time on Tuesday before District Court Judge Rick Schreiner. The case originated in Johnson County. For the convenience of scheduling the first hearing was heard at the Gage County Courthouse in Beatrice.Herbster claims Slama damaged his reputation in the closing weeks of his unsuccessful campaign when she and seven other women accused him of groping them at political events. In a counter-suit, Slama accuses Herbster of sexual battery. Before Judge Schriener were five motions amounting to complaints about how one side or the other responded to the lawsuit.
6/16/20221 minute, 48 seconds
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What led to LNK City Council to rescind 'fairness ordinance'?

The Lincoln City Council voted to withdraw a proposed ordinance that would provide protections for people regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity. The vote highlighted differing thoughts on if Lincoln voters would ultimately support it. Nebraska Public Media's Jackie Ourada spoke with council member Sandra Washington on the now-rescinded ordinance, as well as Nebraska Family Alliance's Executive Director Karen Bowling.
6/16/20227 minutes, 8 seconds
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US Attorney wants prison for Fortenberry; he asks for probation

Jeff Fortenberry would spend six months in prison if federal prosecutors have their say. Fortenberry’s legal team is asking for no jail time and no fine. A jury convicted Fortenberry of lying to F.B.I. agents investigating illegal campaign donations. Documents filed in federal court in Central California reveal a pre-sentence report provided to the Judge by federal probation officers recommends no prison time for Jeff Fortenberry. These reports include interviews with the convicted person, information about the offense, and the range of punishment allowed by federal law.
6/15/20221 minute, 5 seconds
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Fed Rate Hike Means Higher Costs for Farmers

Higher interest rates point to less farm income, ripple effects on Nebraska economy.
6/15/20221 minute, 23 seconds
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York County Farmer – And Others – Hammered By Hail Damage

Nebraska Public Media spoke to one farmer whose crops suffered significant damage during Tuesday night's storm. Becky Stahr said the golf-ball sized hail hit Tuesday night on the way home from the movies. "It sounded like someone was taking a baseball bat to a piece of metal. It was just absolutely scary."
6/15/20221 minute, 28 seconds
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Judge Sides With Medical Marijuana Supporters on Petition Suit

A federal judge ruled Monday a petition drive in Nebraska does not need to obtain signatures from 5% of voters in at least 38 counties, dealing a win for the medical marijuana supporters who challenged the state law.
6/14/20221 minute, 32 seconds
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Agriculture companies have lots of STEM job openings

Agriculture companies are looking for people who are interested in science, and hiring managers are increasingly looking for people who don’t have traditional ag backgrounds.
6/13/20223 minutes, 39 seconds
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Debate

The special election for Nebraska’s 1st District Congressional Seat is June 28th. In an hour-long televised debate, Sunday the Democrat at Republican candidates discussed a variety of issues. Nebraska Public Media News reporter William Padmore monitored the debate
6/13/20224 minutes, 4 seconds
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Tight Wheat Supplies May Push Up Grocery Store Prices

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine cut off wheat exports, while drought conditions in the Great Plains will further reduce grain stocks. Reduced supplies could trickle down into higher prices for grocery list staples, such as bread and pasta.
6/10/202239 seconds
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Former NU Women's Basketball Coach Reflects on Historic Career

Paul Sanderford will be inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Friday in Knoxville, Tennessee. Nebraska Public Media’s Will Bauer caught up with the former NU coach at his home in Kentucky to discuss his career and the evolution of women’s college sports.
6/10/20224 minutes, 48 seconds
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Nebraska's First (And Only) Astronaut Embarks on A New Mission

Nebraska's First (And Only) Astronaut Embarks on A New Mission: Preparing the SAC Aerospace Museum for a New Era
6/8/20224 minutes, 49 seconds
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Midwest states vary in how they handle lead in donated venison

A walk-in freezer about two stories high sits in one corner of a warehouse owned by a food bank called Hawkeye Area Community Action Program Inc. Chris Ackman, the food bank’s communication manager, points to the shelving racks where any donated venison the organization receives is typically stored.Known as the Help Us Stop Hunger, or HUSH, program, the venison is donated by hunters from around the state, and Ackman says the two-pound tubes of ground meat go pretty quickly, lasting only a few months.“It's a pretty critical program, I think, because there are a lot of hunters in Iowa," he said. "And, it's well enjoyed by a lot of families as well."Similar programs around the country have been applauded as a way for hunters to do something they enjoy while also helping feed those in need. Iowa hunters donate around 3,500 deer a year through the program.
6/8/20223 minutes, 46 seconds
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Midwest states vary in how they handle lead in donated venison

A walk-in freezer about two stories high sits in one corner of a warehouse owned by a food bank called Hawkeye Area Community Action Program Inc. Chris Ackman, the food bank’s communication manager, points to the shelving racks where any donated venison the organization receives is typically stored.Known as the Help Us Stop Hunger, or HUSH, program, the venison is donated by hunters from around the state, and Ackman says the two-pound tubes of ground meat go pretty quickly, lasting only a few months.“It's a pretty critical program, I think, because there are a lot of hunters in Iowa," he said. "And, it's well enjoyed by a lot of families as well."Similar programs around the country have been applauded as a way for hunters to do something they enjoy while also helping feed those in need. Iowa hunters donate around 3,500 deer a year through the program.
6/8/20229 seconds
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Afghan Refugees May Not Have Access to Services in Sioux City

Sioux City refugee organizations have resettled about 50 Afghan refugees into the community since their arrival in August, after their country fell to the Taliban. But, an even larger group of refugees has moved to western Iowa to work for Tyson Fresh Meats at the Dakota City plant just across the border in Nebraska. For many, that means living hours away from their caseworkers and the resources they need to start anew.
6/7/20224 minutes, 50 seconds
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Farmers get aid to plant cover crops, as demand outpaces supply

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation has awarded nearly $3 million dollars in grants to plant cover crops in six Midwestern states The funding comes as demand for state and federal incentive programs for cover crops often outpaces available funding.
6/6/202244 seconds
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Beefalo: The Cattle/Bison Cross Some Say Is The Best Of Both

The crossbreed gained some attention in the 1970s. Supporters today say there is big potential to provide better, healthier meat by combining the best qualities of the two animals, in just the right amount.
6/3/20224 minutes, 2 seconds
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CD1: Pansing Brooks Talks Abortion Possibilities If She Wins

If Patty Pansing Brooks wins the first district’s congressional race, Gov. Pete Ricketts would appoint a replacement, and that replacement could be a potential vote for an abortion ban in the Nebraska Legislature.
6/3/20221 minute, 24 seconds
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Sen Fischer: Emphasize mental health in gun violence debate

On the day President Joe Biden said, "too many schools have become killing fields in America" during a nationally-televised address, Nebraska Senator Deb Fischer reaffirmed her stand that guns are not the root cause behind mass shootings in America. Her comments to Nebraska Public Media came prior to Biden calling for age limits on sales of assault weapons, changes to the system of background checks, incentives for states to pass so-called 'red-flag' laws, and upgrading school safety protocols.Fischer, in her second term representing Nebraska in the U.S. Senate, said she hopes there can be a responsible debate on the issue and how those conversations influence violence in America.
6/3/20221 minute, 49 seconds
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Dir. Scott Frakes Talks Ending State Pen's Staffing Emergency

The Nebraska State Penitentiary will resume normal staffing operations next month after more than two and half years in an emergency state. Nebraska Public Media's Will Bauer spoke Scott Frakes, the director of the Nebraska's Department of Corrections.
6/2/20225 minutes
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Triple AAA: The 100 Deadlist Days for Teen Drivers Has Begun

According to Triple AAA, 20 people die every year in Nebraska in teen-driver-related crashes. Nearly a third of those deaths occur during the roughly 100-day stretch from Memorial Day to Labor Day.Brian Ortner is the Public Affairs Specialist for triple-A Nebraska. He says with Memorial Day weekend signaling the unofficial start of summer more people will be on the roads. That includes inexperienced, younger driver
6/1/202255 seconds
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New Nebraska License Plates Feature Capitol Mosaic

Officials unveiled a new design for Nebraska license plates Tuesday based on a mosaic that's embedded in the state Capitol.
5/31/20221 minute, 38 seconds
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How the lead industry kept lead poisoning info under the rug

The lead industry characterized lead poisoning as a problem of poor people and minorities to protect its sales during the 20th century.
5/31/20223 minutes, 52 seconds
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High Fertilizer Prices Produce Uncertainty, Higher Meat Costs

The rising cost of fertilizer, spurred by manufacturing decisions and Russia's invasion of Ukraine, is producing uncertainty for farmers and higher costs for consumers.
5/27/20223 minutes, 44 seconds
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After 11 Years, Nebraska Multisport Complex Slated for Fall Open

There will be several more turf sports fields in the Omaha area starting this fall. La Vista officials and project organizers say the multisport complex in the Omaha suburb will not only serve the area’s children but also fuel economic development.
5/27/20222 minutes, 5 seconds
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EPA, Army Corps of Engineers Hear Feedback on Waters of U.S.

The US Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers are listening to feedback on how they implement clean water rules. But there are differing opinions that may not change much.
5/27/202243 seconds
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How Some Midwest Farmers Prioritize Carbon Sequestration

Agriculture is a big emitter of greenhouse gasses– which are the biggest driver of climate change. But some farmers are taking on the issue by trying to sink the air’s carbon – in the ground.
5/27/20224 minutes, 16 seconds
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Days From Retirement, Lincoln's Superintendent Reflects on Chall

Lincoln Public Schools' Superintendent is retiring after more than two decades of service to Nebraska's public schools. Nebraska Public Media News reporter William Padmore spoke with Dr. Steve Joel about school safety, the politicization of the education industry, future of teaching in America.
5/27/202222 minutes, 49 seconds
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Killer of Lincoln police officer sentenced to decades in prison

A Lancaster County District Court sentenced the man who, in 2020, murdered a Lincoln police investigator to a minimum of 70 years in prison, with the potential for a lifetime in prison. In addition to the time for first-degree murder, Felipe Vazquez could remain jailed for a maximum 96 years for six other charges.
5/26/20221 minute, 52 seconds
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LPD Chief, LPS Superintendent Say City's Schools Are Safe

Tuesday’s mass shooting at a Texas school prompted the Lincoln Police Department to station more police officers around Lincoln schools Wednesday morning. LPD Chief Teresa Ewins said it was more a move for support rather than safety concerns.
5/25/20223 minutes, 14 seconds
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Teacher Retention

Nebraska teacher retention.
5/25/20225 minutes, 24 seconds
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Arapahoe Creates Non-Profit to Replace Former Nursing Home

Community members from Arapahoe, a town of 1,200 in southwest Nebraska's Furnas County, announced the creation of the Republican Valley Golden Years Foundation on Monday. The non-profit will work to replace the Good Samaritan Society that served the community for 60 years.
5/24/20221 minute, 13 seconds
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Nebraska National Forest Wildfire Now 80% Contained

District ranger Julie Bain said the Nebraska National Forest near Halsey is now open to the public in some capacity, but fire crews will continue to put out what’s left of the 201 East Fire, which is 80% contained as of Monday evening.
5/23/20221 minute, 14 seconds
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LPD Chief Says Recent Violent Acts Are Not Related

Six people were shot – and three died – at separate incidents in Lincoln over the weekend. Lincoln’s police chief says the killings are not connected in any way – it's common to see a rise in violence when the weather gets better.
5/23/20221 minute, 21 seconds
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Mural Depicts Standing Bear in Renamed State Building

Artist Sarah Harris is painting a mural with scene from the life of famed Ponca Chief Standing Bear in a state building being renamed for him.
5/20/20222 minutes, 15 seconds
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In the Latest Wildfire, 4,100 Acres Burn in Neb. National Forest

The wildfire – dubbed the 201 East Fire – started Tuesday in rural Thomas County. Fire officials in the area said high temperatures, winds and extreme dry conditions fueled the blazes spread to the east and south.
5/20/20221 minute, 14 seconds
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Farmers Brace for Another Pipeline Fight

Farmers in the Midwest are gearing up for a fight over whether pipelines can cut through their land. Three companies are proposing piping carbon dioxide emissions from ethanol plants out of state. Many look to the experience other farmers had with the Dakota Access Pipeline a few years ago.
5/20/20224 minutes, 9 seconds
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Flatwater Free Press Reporter On Nebraskan Effort To Harbor Ukra

As the war in Ukraine continues, it has created a humanitarian crisis the likes of which haven’t been seen in Europe since WW II. For two weeks Flatwater Free Press reporter Natalia Alamdari lived alongside refugees and volunteers as they lived out of a hotel in Warsaw, - their rooms and food paid for as part of Safe Harbor Ukraine, a Nebraska-based humanitarian effort. Nebraska Public Media News Reporter William Padmore talked with Alamdari about her experience and Safe Harbor Ukraine.
5/20/20226 minutes, 28 seconds
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Black farmers have lost hundreds of billions in farmland

Black farmers in the U.S. lost more than 300 billion dollars worth of land in the 20th century, according to a new study.
5/19/202239 seconds
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Farmers’ mental health is an issue more than ever

Preserving mental health through farming challenges is a real concern; one study shows farmers die by suicide at a higher rate than other professions.
5/19/202250 seconds
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It’s a Team Effort On and Off the Court for UNK Women’s Basketba

University of Nebraska at Kearney women's head basketball coach Carrie Eighmey is married to her assistant coach Devin Eighmey. The two talk about working together on and off the court, as well as the impact of Title IX legislation on women's athletics.
5/18/20225 minutes, 26 seconds
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Niskíthe Prayer Camp Takes Protest to City Hall, State Capitol

The Niskíthe Prayer Camp – the group who protested the city’s sale of the area for redevelopment, which sits next to their prayer grounds and sweat lodges – marched from Wilderness Park to Lincoln City Hall on Wednesday.
5/18/20221 minute, 34 seconds
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Abortion, Inflation, Ballot Issues Seen as Important in November

Issues including abortion, inflation and ballot issues are likely to influence voter turnout and behavior in November, according to Creighton University Political Science Professor Rick Witmer.
5/16/20224 minutes, 23 seconds
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Crop Insurance Blocks Adaption to Climate Change, Study Says

A new analysis from the Environmental Working Group finds that taxpayers fronted nearly $40 billion in crop insurance premiums over a 20-year period. The advocacy group expects that number to increase as climate change worsens.
5/13/202243 seconds
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Kernza -- The Obscure Grain That Could Revolutionize Farming

Corn, soy, and wheat make up about 70% of Midwestern farmland. But as the planet heats up, scientists are developing new crops to replace them. Plants that can survive – and thrive – in a changing climate. There's one crop that some scientists and farmers think could be the grain of the future.
5/13/20224 minutes, 6 seconds
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Water Projects: Great Opportunity, but Bottlenecks Possible

A long list of water projects along with limited supplies and labor poses inflationary pressures.
5/12/20221 minute, 56 seconds
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Analysis: '22 Gov. Race Has Echoes To '14 Contest

Now that the primary election is in the rear view mirror, we can answer a question that Nebraska Public Media News asked a few weeks ago: How many votes does it take to win the governor’s seat?
5/12/20223 minutes, 30 seconds
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Analysis: Breaking Down the Nebraska Gubernatorial Primary With

Now that the primary election are over and the dust has settled, Nebraska Public Media News speaks with University of Nebraska Political Science Professor John Hobbing about how the gubernatorial contest ended and what it could mean for the future of Nebraska politics.
5/11/20225 minutes, 33 seconds
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Legislative Primaries Narrrow Field

Primaries for the Nebraska Legislature narrowed the field for the November general election.
5/11/202259 seconds
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Nebraskans Celebrate National Hospital and Nursing Week

National hospital week kicked off on May 8. The celebration aligns with National Nursing week, which started May 6. The theme for this year is “We Are Healthcare.” Nebraska’s hospitals are celebrating with different acts of appreciation for healthcare staff.
5/9/20221 minute, 31 seconds
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Outgoing Board of Education Member Reflects on Time Served

Maureen Nickels is the only member of the State Board of Education who's not running again for her seat. She spoke with Nebraska Public Media's Jackie Ourada on how things on the Board have changed and offers advice for her successor.
5/9/20224 minutes, 35 seconds
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Drought Conditions Worry Farmers, Ranchers

Much of the Great Plains are in a drought. Wildfires have swept across the grasslands and farmers are worried about how they’ll make it through the growing season. Even with a few recent downpours, the region needs rain.
5/9/20224 minutes, 13 seconds
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BBQ Restaurant in Valentine, NE, Talks Small Business Week

There are more than 180,000 small businesses in Nebraska. Courtney and Heath Bristol own and operate one of them - Bulldoggers BBQ in Valentine, Nebraska.
5/6/20221 minute, 45 seconds
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Gubernatorial Candidates Make Their Final Pitches Before Primary

The candidates were asked to answer questions about what they’ve learned on the campaign trail and why they should be the next governor. The field of five was supposed to be six. One of the front runners, Jim Pillen, was scheduled to speak virtually, but, because of technical difficulties, Pillen was unable to address the bankers.
5/6/20225 minutes, 19 seconds
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Lincoln Housing Near Native American Sweat Lodges Will Continue

Lincoln’s Mayor announced the City will move ahead with plans to build more than 500 homes across the street from the only two native American sweat lodges in town.
5/5/20222 minutes, 1 second
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After Nearly 5 Decades, Baseball Card Collection Is Returned to

A Lincoln, Nebraska man who gave away his baseball card collection as a youth got it back after nearly five decades. Tom Stephens says he never expected to see it again.
5/4/20225 minutes
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Opioid Settlement Expected to Arrive this June in Nebraska

The money came from settlements made by opioid manufacturers and distributors with the federal government.It will allocate part of the funds to Nebraska counties and cities. A larger portion - almost half of the money - will be sent to the six mental health regions in Nebraska.
5/4/20221 minute, 22 seconds
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UNMC Monitoring Rise in New COVID-19 Variants in South Africa

Doctors at the University of Nebraska Medical Center say the US could see a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases within the next few months. In a weekly update from UNMC's Dr. James Lawler, the global health researcher said he's monitoring a quick rise in omicron cases in South Africa.
5/4/20221 minute, 31 seconds
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Native Americans in Lincoln Set Up A Prayer Camp in Protest

Lincoln City Council approved a housing development for about 500 homes near Wilderness Park in Lincoln, across from the only two Native American sweat lodges within the city. Now, a group of Native American community members set up a prayer camp on the approved land in protest.
5/3/20222 minutes, 20 seconds
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Most farmers are climate skeptics but some fight climate change

Two Illinois farmers set out to improve soil health in the Midwest. The program they founded also has a myriad of climate benefits.
5/3/20223 minutes, 53 seconds
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In Lincoln, 200 New Refugee Families Celebrate Eid al-Fitr

Hundreds of Muslims in Lincoln, including refugees recently arrived from Afghanistan, gathered Monday to celebrate the end of Ramadan, their month-long fast. The celebration is called Eid al-Fitr.
5/2/20221 minute, 50 seconds
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Frost Suspension, Minor Penalties from NCAA Rules Violation

One Husker assistant already sat out for two days of practice this spring. The school’s forced to pay a $10,000 fine to the NCAA, too.Penalties were handed down due to an off-the-field analyst illegally coaching special teams during practices in 2020.
5/2/20221 minute, 12 seconds
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State Senators React to Lobbying in 2021 Report

The University of Nebraska spent the most money of any organization lobbying the state government last year– more than 180-thousand dollars, according to a recent report released by government watchdog group Common Cause Nebraska. Hear more from state senators on their thoughts of the report.
5/2/20221 minute, 57 seconds
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Pork Farmers Opt to Spend Money on Lobbying Over Advertising

Looking for ways to fund lobbying and legal efforts to preserve their way of business, pork producers are turning down guaranteed money that could go to advertising and marketing.
5/2/20224 minutes, 8 seconds
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Trump Defends Herbster Over Groping Allegations at Sunday Rally

Former President Donald Trump came to Nebraska to rally support for Charles Herbster in the governor’s race. When talking about Herbster, the former president spent a majority of it pushing back on allegations Herbster groped eight women.
5/2/20223 minutes, 57 seconds
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Union Protests Before Berkshire Meeting

A union representing railroad engineers and trainmen is protesting in advance of Berkshire Hathaway's annual meeting Saturday.
4/29/20221 minute, 44 seconds
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70 MPH Winds, Hail, Tornadoes Possible Friday Night

Southeast and south-central Nebraska will likely get hit with hail, damaging winds, and 1 inch to 2 inches of rain.
4/29/20221 minute
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In their own words: Tales from the Road 702 wildfire

The wildfire in Southwest Nebraska scorched more than 43,000 acres across Furnas and Red Willow counties this past week. It also destroyed at least six homes in the area, countless pieces of farm equipment and so much more. Nebraska Public Media News tells the stories of two families who were in the thick of the blaze.
4/29/20224 minutes, 22 seconds
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Ricketts Hails North Omaha Revitalization Bill

Gov. Pete Ricketts hailed legislation designed to revitalize impoverished North Omaha at a ceremony Thursday.
4/28/20222 minutes, 4 seconds
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Legislative Primaries to Narrow Field, Regardless of Party

Nebraska's nonpartisan elections for Legislature mean the top two candidates in each race advance, regardless of their party affiliation.
4/28/20225 minutes, 8 seconds
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2nd Dist Congressional candidates reflect on key issues

The candidates competing in the May primary for the 2nd Congressional District nomination talk about the economy, war, voter rights, and immigration. Republicans: Don Bacon and Steve Kuehl.Democrats: Tony Vargas and Alisha Shelton
4/28/202211 minutes, 58 seconds
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NDEE Considers Renewing Permit to Allow AltEn to Discharge Water

Nebraska’s Department of Environment and Energy plans to renew a permit for AltEn, the troubled ethanol plant in southeast Nebraska, to release cleaned wastewater onto nearby land. The department heard the public's thoughts in a meeting at Mead High School gym.
4/28/20221 minute, 31 seconds
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AARP of Nebraska Warns of Elder Fraud and Scams Signs

Elderly populations are more likely to report financial losses from fraud. That’s why Nebraska’s AARP invited the FTC’s Todd Kossow to discuss scam prevention Wednesday on a teleconference for Nebraska seniors.
4/27/20221 minute, 58 seconds
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Lobbying Nebraska Officials Topped $20 Million in 2021

A new reports says the cost of lobbying Nebraska state officials topped $20 million last year.
4/27/20221 minute, 4 seconds
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Foundation Looks to Accelerate Tree Planting After 50 Years

Friday, April 29th, marks the 150th Arbor Day. It started in Nebraska City, Nebraska, in 1872.In 50 years, the Arbor Day Foundation has planted approximately 500 million trees. The Lincoln-based organization said it intends to plant another 500 million trees in the next five years alone, to celebrate 50 years of service.
4/27/20221 minute, 7 seconds
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State Senator Rich Pahls Dies

State Sen. Rich Pahls, who represented his west Omaha district for 10 years in the Legislature, has died.
4/27/20221 minute, 35 seconds
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Rd. 702 Wildfire in Southwest Nebraska Now 74% Contained

Despite critical fire weather Tuesday, firefighters continued to make progress on the Road 702 Fire in southwest Nebraska. Nebraska Emergency Management says the fire is now 74% contained.
4/27/20221 minute, 6 seconds
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The City of Lincoln Will Pay An Injured BLM Protester $497,500

The city of Lincoln will pay $497,500 to a protester who was injured in the Black Lives Matter protest in May 2020.
4/26/20221 minute, 39 seconds
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Lindstrom, Thibodeau, Herbster Debate in Holdrege

Republican gubernatorial hopefuls Brett Lindstrom, Theresa Thibodeau and Charles Herbster debated Monday in Holdrege.
4/26/20222 minutes, 26 seconds
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Meet the Candidates Running for State Auditor and Treasurer

Get to know the Republican candidates ahead of May’s primary: Larry Anderson and Lieutenant Governor Mike Foley for state auditor. Paul Anderson and Incumbent John Murante for state treasurer.
4/26/20224 minutes, 16 seconds
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Meet the Attorney General and Secretary of State Candidates

Get to know the Republican candidates ahead of May’s primary: Jennifer Hicks and State Senator Mike Hilgers for Attorney General; Rex Schroder, Robert Borer, and Incumbent Bob Evnen for Secretary of State.
4/25/20224 minutes, 43 seconds
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It's Possible to Win a Statewide Primary With Just 60K Votes

An analysis of gubernatorial primary voter turnout reveals that tight races mean low thresholds for victory.
4/25/20224 minutes, 41 seconds
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GOP Candidate Herbster Files Slander Lawsuit Against Sen. Slama

Republican candidate for governor Charles Herbster filed a lawsuit Friday against State Sen. Julie Slama. This comes a week after the Nebraska Examiner reported accusations that Herbster groped and inappropriately touched Slama and seven other women.
4/22/20221 minute, 7 seconds
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Survey: Regional Economy Good, But Tougher Times Expected

The latest Rural Mainstreet Index shows many positives, but lower expectations.
4/22/20221 minute, 34 seconds
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SUIT UP program

A program to help students get jobs
4/22/202250 seconds
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Nebraska Getting Thunderstorms, Hail, Strong Winds this Weekend

Scattered thunderstorms and possible tornado conditions will pass through west-central Nebraska this evening around 6:00 p.m. CT. The storm will move toward the northeast.
4/22/20221 minute, 2 seconds
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Governor drops Chadron student appointment on court proceedings

Governor Ricketts rescinded his appointment of a student trustee at Chadron State College after learning the appointee faces protection orders stemming from sexual assault allegations from other female students.
4/21/20221 minute, 28 seconds
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Meet the Democrats and Libertarian Running for Governor

We asked nearly all the candidates about their one issue – something they wanted to get done by the time their four years are up. In this issue of Nebraska Public Media's Campaign Connection 2022 coverage, we introduce you to the Democrats and the Libertarian.
4/21/20223 minutes, 41 seconds
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2022 Legislature: Action on Fiscal Issues, Stalemate on Others

The 2022 Nebraska Legislature cut taxes and invested in water and urban projects, while deadlocking on criminal justice reform, prisons, and other issues.
4/21/20225 minutes, 51 seconds
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Farmers turn to old-fashioned manure as fertilizer prices soar

Fertilizer prices have doubled from a year ago, but farmers still need to get nutrients into the ground. Some are finding relief from costly synthetic fertilizers in manure.
4/21/202238 seconds
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Groups sue EPA on air quality laws in Nebraska, other states

A group of national nonprofits is suing the Environmental Protection Agency for failing to enforce federal air quality laws in national parks and wilderness areas. Nebraska is among dozens of states that have not sent federally mandated plans to the EPA.
4/21/202246 seconds
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Legislature Ends Session with Humor, Humanity

The Nebraska Legislature ended its 2022 session Wednesday with a speech by Gov. Pete Ricketts and reminiscences from departing senators.
4/20/20225 minutes, 8 seconds
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Herbster and Legal Team Preparing Legal After Groping Reports

Charles Herbster said he’s sent Gov. Pete Ricketts, Jim Pillen, Julie Slama and others litigation holds. Basically, Herbster’s legal team has sent notice to those people and others instructing them not to delete any potential evidence.
4/20/20221 minute
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So Far in 2022, More People Turning to Food Banks in Lincoln

Since the end of last year, more and more households are relying on food donations in southeast Nebraska, according to the Food Bank of Lincoln. The organization said it's caused by a lack of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or food stamps.
4/20/20221 minute, 20 seconds
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At Lincoln Airport, Travelers Are Happy To Not Wear A Mask

Passengers on public transportation won't need to wear a face mask in Nebraska, following a new announcement from the TSA after a ruling that overturned the CDC’s mask mandate extension. Hear from travelers arriving at Lincoln Airport.
4/19/20221 minute, 5 seconds
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Ashford Remembered as Statesman, Friend

Former congressman and state senator Brad Ashford, who died Tuesday, is being remembered for his kindness and political independence.
4/19/20222 minutes, 9 seconds
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Proposed Lincoln Development Could Interfere with Native Ritual

The city planning commission voted in favor of the new development that would add 575 new houses and 30,000 square-feet for commercial use near the intersection of Highway 77 and West Pioneers Boulevard.
4/18/20222 minutes, 15 seconds
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Ricketts Signs Canal, Lake Legislation

Gov. Pete Ricketts on Monday signed legislation authorizing building a canal from Colorado and a lake between Lincoln and Omaha.
4/18/20221 minute, 44 seconds
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People of color don’t feel welcome at many farmers markets.

A new anti-racist toolkit from the Farmers Market Coalition is designed to help managers of farmers markets think about messaging, vendor support and product availability.
4/18/20223 minutes, 25 seconds
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For students in juvenile detention, school doesn’t stop.

Every year, hundreds of teens move through Nebraska's four juvenile detention centers. But school doesn't stop for teens awaiting court dates. Against sometimes long odds, teachers in these centers try to keep students learning.
4/15/20224 minutes, 41 seconds
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UNL Study Shows Barriers to Healthcare for Yazidi Refugees

The English Language: most lifelong Americans take it for granted. For Yazidi refugees seeking a new life in middle-America, language hurdles can prevent access to physical and mental healthcare resources, as well as other necessities.A UNL study finds Yazidi refugees in Nebraska face challenges in accessing healthcare resources. The Yazidi are an ethnic group that have faced persecution in Eastern Asia.
4/15/20221 minute, 46 seconds
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1st Distrct Congressional Race Voter Guide: Republicans

Republicans will have five candidates to choose from this May for the 1st District Congressional primary election. William Padmore of Nebraska Public Media News spoke with three of those candidates as part of our Campaign Connection 2022 election coverage…
4/15/20224 minutes, 32 seconds
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Harvard Law Program Joins Cody Kilgore Hair Cutting Lawsuit

A Harvard Law program will join the ACLU of Nebraska in a lawsuit against Cody Kilgore Unified Schools – a suit that stems from cutting Native American children’s hair. The family of the children, members of the Lakota tribe, believe hair is a sacred symbol. A year later, the Nebraska chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union filed suit on behalf of the family – alleging first amendment violations.
4/15/202254 seconds
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Groene: I Did Nothing Wrong

Former Sen. Mike Groene defends his conduct after a report calls his behavior "boorish, brainless and bizarre" but not illegal.
4/14/20225 minutes, 31 seconds
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About 2,000 Voters Switched Parties Ahead of 2022 Primaries

Ahead of the 2022 primaries, Nebraska's Republican Party gained nearly 2,000 voters within the last month. Nebraska Public Media spoke to one Democrat-turned-Republican who says he made the jump to cast a ballot for Brett Lindstrom.
4/14/20223 minutes, 19 seconds
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Tax Cuts Signed; Gambling, Ed Bills Pass; Groene Report Released

Gov. Pete Ricketts signed tax cutting bills while the Legislature passed measures on gambling and education and released a report on a workplace harassment complaint against former Sen. Mike Groene.
4/13/20225 minutes, 59 seconds
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1.7 Million Bird Flock Will Be Killed After Confirmed Avian Flu

State officials confirmed a sixth case of bird flu and will kill a massive flock of laying hens to curb the spread of the highly contagious disease. More than 2.5 million Nebraska birds have been killed since the start of the year.
4/13/202236 seconds
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Elwood Honors Fire Chief Who Died Fighting Fires Last Week

Hundreds packed into Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Elwood Wednesday for the funeral of Darren Krull – the fire chief who died while fighting a massive fire in southwest Nebraska last week.
4/13/20221 minute, 19 seconds
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Canal, Lake, Urban Revitalization Among Nearly 100 Bills Passed

The Nebraska Legislature passed nearly 100 bills Tuesday, on subjects ranging from water projects to urban revitalization and improved contracting procedures, while leaving other subjects hanging.
4/12/20225 minutes, 51 seconds
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Staffing, Funding Trouble Close Another Nebraska Nursing Home

Short staffing and a lack of funding is plaguing nursing homes across the state. Nebraska Public Media’s Jackie Ourada takes us to southeastern Nebraska to hear the story of the latest nursing facility to shut its doors.
4/12/20225 minutes, 20 seconds
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Permitless Concealed Carry Bill Blocked by Filibuster

A proposal to allow Nebraskans to carry concealed guns without the currently-required permit was blocked Monday in the Legislature.
4/11/20225 minutes, 34 seconds
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Arapahoe Couple Still Adjusting to Nursing Home Shutdown

Heidi Thomas is pouring thousands of dollars into her narrow-halled home in Arapahoe. The renovations will hopefully make living here easier for her husband, Alan, who was recently kicked out of the only nursing facility in the 1,000-person town.
4/11/20224 minutes, 13 seconds
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Known to be Toxic for a Century, Lead Still Poisons Kids

Researchers say even a small amount of the toxin can harm kids’ development. One 2021 study found Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri had some of the highest rates of elevated blood lead levels in children.
4/11/20224 minutes, 46 seconds
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Bird flu endangers beloved backyard flocks

Bird flu is spreading across the country. So far, tens of millions of commercial and backyard birds have died from illness or have been killed to stop the spread. Most of the affected flocks are commercial, but backyard flocks aren’t any less susceptible.
4/11/20223 minutes, 47 seconds
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Health Measures for People in Jails and Prisons Advanced

The Nebraska Legislature on Friday advanced measures intended to help people in jails and prisons with health care needs.
4/8/20225 minutes, 27 seconds
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Female Veterans Conference Helps Women After Service

The conference will help women connect with volunteers, mental health professionals, or other women veterans for support and guidance. Taylor Ullom is the event organizer and said the “Bombshell Patriots” organization helps female veterans through unique challenges that many face.
4/8/20221 minute, 33 seconds
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Volunteer Fire Chief Killed Responding to Wildfire

A volunteer fire chief died Thursday evening while responding to a fire in southwest Nebraska.
4/8/202251 seconds
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In Ukraine, A War Diary is Written. In Lincoln, It's Translated

For the past 40 days, Alyona Bychkovska has been sleeping in a Kyiv subway station. On the first day of war, she started writing a war diary and posted her entries online. One of her friends, Viktor Khanzhyn, a Lincoln-based economics professor who grew up in Ukraine, translates it to English.
4/8/20224 minutes, 57 seconds
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Tax Cuts, ARPA Spending, Veto Overrides Approved

The Nebraska Legislature gave final approval Thursday to tax cuts, ARPA spending, and veto overrides.
4/7/20225 minutes, 20 seconds
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DEA Warns Fentanyl Overdoses Could Be Deadly For Nebraskans

The Drug Enforcement Administration sent a letter earlier this week to law enforcement at all levels, warning them of the rise in fentanyl mass overdoses. One of those overdoses happened in Omaha.
4/7/20221 minute, 16 seconds
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Abortion Advocates & Opponents React to Legislature's Vote

Abortion advocates Thursday celebrated the state legislature’s failure to pass an abortion ban Wednesday night. The bill would have outlawed abortions in Nebraska if the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade this summer. The legislature's decision comes as similar bills have been passed into law in other southern and midwestern states.
4/7/20221 minute, 34 seconds
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Legislature Debates Abortion Ban; Criminal Justice Reform Falls

The Nebraska Legislature debated a ban on abortion if Roe v. Wade is overturned, and a criminal justice reform proposal was blocked by a filibuster.
4/6/20225 minutes, 30 seconds
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Herbster, Lindstrom and Thibodeau Discuss St. Francis Contract

Three of the top Republicans running for governor shared the stage again Wednesday at a Omaha Chamber forum. Many of the topics discussed weren’t new: taxes, brain drain, prison overcrowding and immigration. There were, however, a few new ones – like the state’s failed contract with St. Francis Ministries.
4/6/20221 minute, 37 seconds
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Omaha Man Coaches Hitters To See What He Can't

Mark Wetzel coaches baseball and softball hitters how to see the ball better, even though he's been blind most of his life. Mark has macular degeneration. It started affecting his eyesight when he was about 11.
4/6/20224 minutes, 23 seconds
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Council Changes Prompt AG to Drop Suit Over Pandemic Authority

In February, the Nebraska Attorney General sued the City of Omaha for enacting a mask mandate. He’s now dropping that suit because of a decision the city council made Tuesday night. The council voted 5-2, adding two layers of approval for the mandates from the Douglas County health director. The ordinance requires the mayor and city council to sign off on decisions – like a mask mandate.
4/6/20221 minute, 29 seconds
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National Library Week: Omaha Public Library

National Library Week: Omaha Public Library
4/6/20226 minutes, 47 seconds
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National Library Week: Lincoln Public Libraries

Nebraska Public Media's Jackie Ourada speaks to Lincoln Public Library Director Pat Leach for National Library Week.
4/6/20225 minutes, 53 seconds
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Midwest Loses Soil, No-Till Farming Could Help

A vast amount of soil has eroded from farm fields in the Midwest. A new University of Massachusetts Amherst- led study that found topsoil in the Midwest is eroding on average nearly 2 millimeters per year.
4/6/202244 seconds
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Senator Advance Tax Cuts; Reject Expanding Middle-Income Breaks

Nebraska legislators advanced a proposal to cut a series of taxes, after rejecting a bid to expand tax breaks for middle-income earners.
4/5/20225 minutes, 41 seconds
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CD1: Dems Tab Pansing Brooks; Farm Bureau Endorses Flood

The race to replace Jeff Fortenberry in Nebraska’s first congressional district got a little clearer Tuesday. The Democrats picked Patty Pansing Brooks to represent their party for the June special elections. Mike Flood is hoping he’s the GOP pick. The vacancy in the 1st Congressional District follows Jeff Fortenberry’s resignation last month.
4/5/20221 minute, 30 seconds
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EPA Allows Farmers to Use Enlist Herbicide

Farmers in ten states (including Missouri, Nebraska, Arkansas, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, and South Dakota) are now free to use a herbicide that had been restricted in January.
4/4/202244 seconds
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Ford’s new electric F-150 could bring EVs to the Midwest

Ford is electrifying its best-selling F-150 pickup. The F-150 Lightning is a pitch to rural drivers that you don’t need to be an early adopter or environmentalist for an electric vehicle to make sense.
4/1/20223 minutes, 31 seconds
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North Omaha, AltEn Proposals Advance; Criminal Reform Deadlocked

The Nebraska Legislature advanced proposals Thursday to revitalize north Omaha and research effects of pollution from the AltEn plant in Mead, while appearing deadlocked over criminal justice reform.
3/31/20226 minutes, 6 seconds
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Local Kellogg's Workers React to wage raises in Kansas Contract

Kellogg's workers in Kansas won a new contract that raises their wages by more than 15 percent over three years and improves benefits. Nebraska Public Media News spoke with Kellogg's workers in Nebraska for their reaction.
3/31/20221 minute, 19 seconds
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Grand Island's Fonner Park Will Drop Horse Quarantine Friday

Grand Island’s Fonner Park will drop the horse quarantine for its stable area starting Friday.Two confirmed cases of equine herpes in mid-March led to the Nebraska Department of Agriculture issuing the quarantine. Since then, there have been no reported cases in the stables at the popular central Nebraska racetrack.
3/31/202237 seconds
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Legislature Looks to Advance Tax Cuts in Delicate Balancing Act

The Nebraska Legislature looked to advance a package of income, corporate, Social Security and property tax cuts, linked in a delicate political balancing act with other proposals.
3/30/20225 minutes, 39 seconds
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Lincoln Company Fundraising for its Ukrainian Employees

Sprious has 19 employees in Ukraine. They are all men, which means they are required to stay in the country. Some have moved to the west, but at least one person has stayed in Kyiv to fight. Most of the employees’ families have left the country. Stateside, the data collection firm has raised $43,000 for its employees to help pay for food and housing.
3/30/20221 minute, 47 seconds
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City Council Hears Revision to Strip Health Dir. of Authority

The Omaha City Council heard public testimony Tuesday night about an amended proposal to strip the county’s health director of their epidemic authority. This revision doesn’t remove the health director of her complete authority – like the first proposed ordinance did. But it will give veto powers to the mayor and the city council.
3/30/20221 minute, 50 seconds
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Nebraska healthcare leaders propose deeper staffing solutions

In our third part of our healthcare staffing series, we sit down with healthcare leaders on solutions they have to address the system's staffing shortfall — that go deeper than just using cash to put out the fire.
3/30/20224 minutes, 25 seconds
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Legislature Approves Budget; Lake, Canal Projects Advance

The Nebraska Legislature gave final approval to budget bills Tuesday and advanced proposals for a lake between Lincoln and Omaha, and a canal from Colorado.
3/29/20225 minutes, 57 seconds
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Local Nursing Home Provider Advocates For Elder Care in DC

Nebraska’s older adults struggle to get the care they need. Nursing homes are closing or turning down patients because they don’t have enough staff. This week, one local nursing home provider is in Washington, DC to advocate for them.
3/29/20221 minute, 29 seconds
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Nursing Centers are Still Struggling with Hiring Workers

While hospitals hit their capacities during the COVID-19 omicron surge, they had to hold onto patients who couldn't get released to nursing care centers. Those facilities say their slim staffing levels aren't seeing relief and, therefore, couldn't help hospitals juggling longer-term patients. This is the second part of our series on Nebraska's healthcare staffing crisis.
3/29/20224 minutes, 13 seconds
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Staffing Shortage Left Hundreds of Nebraskans Without Care

New numbers show staffing shortages were the prominent reason hundreds of patients couldn’t get the care they needed during the COVID-19 omicron surge. In at least one case, a Nebraska hospital says a patient died waiting for a staffed hospital bed. Nebraska Public Media’s Jackie Ourada leads our series that takes a closer look at the crisis.
3/29/20225 minutes, 34 seconds
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Prison Reform, Taxes, Budget Remain Tangled in Legislature

Proposals to cut taxes, approve budget spending, and reform the criminal justice system remain tangled up in the Nebraska Legislature.
3/28/20225 minutes, 6 seconds
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Often-Absent Parole Board Members Not Helping Crowded NE Prisons

Parole is granted in 62-percent of hearings when five board members are there, compared to just 56-percent of cases when less than the full board votes. Just 37-percent of Nebraska palore hearings had a full board, from May 2018-to-December 2021.
3/28/20221 minute, 45 seconds
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The Potential Opportunity for Black Farmers in Hemp

The hemp industry is worth more than $800 million, according to a recent report. The same report showed just 6% of hemp growers are Black. Cannabis has been a hard market for people of color to break into, but some hope hemp could offer a new way in.
3/28/20223 minutes, 53 seconds
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Lynch, Nebraska's Remote Community Opens A New Grocery Store

The remote village of Lynch, Nebraska up near the South Dakota border lost their only grocery store and became a food desert in spring 2020. The community opened a new cooperative grocery store on March 26.
3/25/20222 minutes
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Tax Cuts Fall Short; Abortion Ban to be Debated in Legislature

Proposed cuts to income and property taxes fell short in the Nebraska Legislature Friday, while senators decided to consider an abortion ban later this session.
3/25/20225 minutes, 25 seconds
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Nebraska Youth with Tourette's Becomes Youth Ambassador

Brody was diagnosed with a tic disorder in fourth grade. He was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome in sixth grade, which is a type of tic disorder. Brody said he sometimes gets short and quick muscle or vocal impulses.
3/25/202258 seconds
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Creighton Women's Basketball Plays Iowa St. Tonight in NCAA's

Creighton Head Coach Jim Flanery said Iowa State will be prepared. However, he said his team is familiar with high-pressure situations and can easily adapt.
3/25/202258 seconds
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Criminal Justice Reform Discussion Slows Budget Action

The Nebraska Legislature moved ahead on the state budget, but only after a long discussion on criminal justice reform.
3/24/20225 minutes, 33 seconds
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Daylight Saving Time's Link (or Lack of) to Farmers

Agriculture often gets cited as the reason daylight saving time was put in place in the U.S. more than 100 years ago. Yet it turns out the time change has few benefits for farmers.
3/24/202248 seconds
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York, Nebraska Man Takes KISS to the Extreme

A York, Nebraska man leaves no doubt about his favorite rock band. Dennis Michalski has been all-in for the hard-driving rock band KISS since he first saw them in concert when he was 12 years old. His KISS memorabilia collection fills the basement of his home, and it's still growing.
3/24/20224 minutes, 22 seconds
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Nebraska High School Students Advocate For STEM Education

At the state capitol, fourteen high school students wore their best dress and spoke to Nebraska state legislators about the importance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (or STEM) education in Nebraska.
3/23/20221 minute, 42 seconds
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Legislature Moves Toward Approving ARPA Spending

The Nebraska Legislature moved Wednesday toward approving $1 billion in ARPA fund spending.
3/23/20225 minutes, 35 seconds
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NSP Searches for Missing Linda Dillard near Table Rock

Eric Jones is the lead investigator in Dillard’s case. He said the patrol will search the area she was last seen.
3/23/20221 minute, 32 seconds
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Help for Poor Areas of Omaha Advanced Despite Cost Questions

The Nebraska Legislature on Tuesday advanced a bill aimed at helping poor areas in Omaha despite questions about the cost of it and other proposals.
3/22/20225 minutes, 30 seconds
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Bird Flu Found in Butler County Flock of 570,000 Chickens

Bird flu was detected in a flock of more than half a million chickens in Butler County. It’s Nebraska’s first case of the disease in a large commercial chicken flock.
3/22/20221 minute, 3 seconds
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Eastern European Lincolnites Shed Tears Over Ukraine

Since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, some Nebraskans with Ukrainian ties have continued to work and live in the state, while worrying about the fate of Ukraine and loved ones who still live there.
3/22/20224 minutes, 46 seconds
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AltEn May Get Renewed Permit to Release Treated Wastewater

AltEn could get a renewed permit to release its treated wastewater onto nearby agricultural lands.
3/21/20221 minute, 3 seconds
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FED Hikes Interest Rates, What Nebraskans Should Know

The U.S. central bank decided to raise interest rates for the first time since 2018. The quarter-percent hike could be followed by six additional increases throughout the year. In total, the federal bank eyes a 1.9% interest rate by the end of 2022, with three more increases in 2023.
3/21/20221 minute, 40 seconds
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There's Untapped Potential for Maple Syrup in the Midwest

When most people think of maple syrup production, Vermont comes to mind. In the Midwest, Wisconsin and Michigan are the biggest producers. But there’s a lot of untapped potential for maple syrup in the lower Midwest.
3/21/20223 minutes, 16 seconds
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Nebraska Startup Offers Advice, Mentoring to Girls in Sports

With a few taps on their phone, any high school girl can ask female college athletes advice about sports, mental health, or civic engagement.
3/17/20222 minutes, 3 seconds
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Senators Discuss Causes of Prison Overcrowding

Senators variously blamed tough-on-crime measures, legislative inaction, culture, schooling, and poverty for overcrowded prisons in debate Thursday.
3/17/20225 minutes, 56 seconds
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"I Cry Every Day"

Lincoln Resident Matthew Wegener touched down in Budapest, Hungary last week and describes his journey into Easter-Europe as an intense one. Wegener is Europe to escort Oksana Iziumova to a host home in Munich, Germany that agreed to shelter her while the war in Ukraine continues. Oksana is from the west-Ukrainian port city of Odessa.
3/17/20221 minute, 54 seconds
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The Different Ideas on Cleaning Up AltEn

Everyone wants to clean up AltEn, the ethanol plant in southeast Nebraska that used pesticide-coated seed corn and produced tons of toxic waste. But there are different ideas of how to get there.
3/17/20223 minutes, 23 seconds
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The Different Ideas on Cleaning Up AltEn

Everyone wants to clean up AltEn, the ethanol plant in southeast Nebraska that used pesticide-coated seed corn and produced tons of toxic waste. But there are different ideas of how to get there.
3/17/20223 minutes, 20 seconds
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New Prison, Criminal Justice Reform Dominate Budget Debate

Questions about building a new prison and reforming criminal justice dominated the Nebraska Legislature's budget debate Wednesday.
3/16/20225 minutes, 47 seconds
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Douglas Co. Board of Health Opposes Proposed Authority Changes

The Douglas County Board of Health opposed Omaha mayor Jean Stothert and city council member Vinny Palermo's proposal to strip away the county health director’s pandemic authority.
3/16/20221 minute, 50 seconds
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Nebraska Lt. Gov. Heading to Israel for Trade Mission Thursday

Nebraska is the only state currently selling Kosher beef to Israel. The Jewish state cut off imported American beef back in 2003. Now, Lieutenant Governor Mike Foley said shipping beef to the Middle-Eastern country has slowed again.
3/16/202259 seconds
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Nebraska Organist Adds Musical Flare to College World Series

Jerry Pawlak has been playing music on the organ at College World Series games in Omaha for a decade. His musical skills are a fan favorite and often brings them to their feet.
3/16/20224 minutes, 14 seconds
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Online Farmers Markets May Continue After Pandemic

Just as consumers turned to online shopping during the pandemic, many farmers started selling their products online over the past two years.
3/16/202241 seconds
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Farmers Get Billions in Crop Insurance Payments

Farmers in the Midwest have received billions of dollars in crop insurance payments. Some say that's a problem.
3/16/202245 seconds
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Jury Selections Begins Wednesday in Rep. Fortenberry's Trial

Jury selections begins this morning in the trial of Nebraska Congressman Jeff Fortenberry. The U.S. attorney in California charged the Republican lawmaker with three counts of lying to federal investigators during a corruption investigation.
3/16/20221 minute, 3 seconds
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Budget Debate Opens; Abortion Bills Remain in Committee

The Nebraska Legislature began debate on the state budget Tuesday, while the Judiciary Committee voted not to advance three bills restricting or banning abortion.
3/15/20226 minutes, 18 seconds
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UNO Professor Says Volodymyr Zelenskyy Understands Emotions

UNO’s Gina Ligon says Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s leadership is like no leader that she’s seen to date. Ligon, the director of the National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology and Education Center, made the comments Tuesday morning on NPR’s "On Point."
3/15/20221 minute, 33 seconds
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Ukrainian Man’s Family Waits Out the War

A Ukrainian man is watching the war in his home country from Lincoln. His wife and parents are hunkered down together as their neighbors take on the fight against Russia. Nebraska Public Media's Jackie Ourada spoke to Yuriy Fomin on what it's like watching the war from half a world away.
3/15/20224 minutes, 24 seconds
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Yearlong Daylight Savings Advanced; Sentencing, ARPA Bills Move

The Legislature gave first-round approval to yearlong Daylight Savings Time, and committees advanced proposals on sentencing reform and ARPA spending Monday.
3/14/20225 minutes, 11 seconds
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How Cong. Jeff Fortenberry landed in federal court this week.

Nebraska Congressman Jeff Fortenberry goes on trial this week, accused to lying about accepting illegal campaign donations. After nine terms in Washington he’s fighting for his political life in the middle of a primary election. Before the jury is seated in the federal courtroom in Los Angeles, Bill Kelly with Nebraska Public Media News reviews how the case came to be.
3/14/20225 minutes, 13 seconds
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State Supreme Court: Adam Morfeld Eligible for County Attorney

Despite the Republican party’s attempt to keep him off the ballot, the Lincoln state legislator can run for Lancaster County attorney, the Nebraska Supreme Court ruled. The state Republican party felt Morfeld, a Democrat, did not qualify as a practicing attorney and had challenged his campaign multiple times.
3/14/202246 seconds
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Russia's Invasion of Ukraine Impacts Midwestern Farmers

The economic effects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are being felt all over the world, including in Midwestern farm fields. Sanctions against Russia have led to skyrocketing prices for several different kinds of fertilizers critical to growing crops.
3/14/20223 minutes, 36 seconds
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Permitless Concealed Carry Advances; Budget Debates Loom

The Nebarska Legislature gave first round approval to dropping requirements for a permit to carry concealed guns, and senators prepared to debate budget spending.
3/11/20225 minutes, 28 seconds
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Nebraska Man Travels To Europe To Escort Ukranian Woman to Germa

As the war rages on in Ukraine, a Nebraskan is traveling to war-stricken Europe to escort a Ukrainian woman to Germany. Nebraska Public Media News reporter William Padmore has more why that Lincoln man is helping in today’s Signature Story.
3/11/20223 minutes, 41 seconds
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Legislature Debates Allowing Concealed Guns Without a Permit

The Nebraska Legislature Thursday debated allowing people to carry concealed guns without the permit that's currently required.
3/10/20224 minutes, 39 seconds
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World-Herald, Journal Star Shareholders Reject Board Shakeup

The owner of several large newspapers in the Midwest on Thursday rebuffed the latest attempt at a takeover by a hedge fund known for gutting the news outlets it buys.Lee Enterprises shareholders voted to re-elect three board of director nominees at its annual shareholder meeting. That fended off a campaign by Alden Global Capital that aimed to unseat the incumbent directors after a judge denied its request to put forth its own board of director nominees.In a statement, Lee said shareholders re-elected chairman Mary Junck, chief executive Kevin Mowbray and lead independent director Herbert Moloney with each getting more than 70% votes cast in their favor.
3/10/202243 seconds
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Is there a cheap way to reduce lead in soil?

A new study by Kansas State University researchers is looking at ways to reduce the risk of exposure to lead in soil in the hope of finding affordable methods that could be replicated around the country.Ganga Hettiarachchi, a professor of soil and environmental chemistry, is leading the research with her team through a $700,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).Hettiarachchi said conversations with officials from the health department and Brownfields program in Kansas City, Missouri, made her realize the scope of the issue.“I came to know that the elevated blood lead levels in children in [the] urban core in Kansas City is about nine times higher than the national average," Hettiarachchi said. "And then nearly 50% of the parcels they tested, tested soil lead concentrations greater than 400 parts per million.”
3/10/202244 seconds
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Sen. Deb Fischer Criticizes Biden's Handling of Inflation

Inflation is up nearly 8% in the Midwest region. Fischer and her colleagues believe more should be done about everyday prices like Gas – which is approaching $4 in Nebraska. A part of the solution to that problem, Fischer says, is weaning America off its reliance on Russian oil.
3/10/20221 minute, 12 seconds
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Legislature advances water projects despite some skepticism

The Nebraska Legislature gave first-round approval to four big water projects, despite some senators' skepticism about a couple of them.
3/9/20225 minutes, 33 seconds
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Concealed guns without permit to be debated; casino bill moves

Nebraskans could carry concealed guns without the permit and training that's currently required under a bill to be debated Thursday; another bill says casinos in counties without a current racetrack would have to wait for a market analysis.
3/9/20224 minutes, 59 seconds
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UNL Professor Offers Fellowships to Ukrainian Biochemists

After over a week since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, one local Ukrainian biochemist is offering a sort of academic asylum in Lincoln for Ukraine refugees.
3/8/20221 minute, 22 seconds
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Toxic Algae

Midwestern lakes have become a hotbed of toxic algae blooms, largely caused by agricultural runoff. Without regular testing, visitors to lakes in many states have no idea what they're getting into.
3/7/20224 minutes, 6 seconds
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Nebraska Takes on Michigan Tonight in Big Ten Quarterfinals

Behind a record-setting performance from guard Jazz Shelley, Nebraska out-shot Illinois Thursday night in Indianapolis, on their way to a 18-point win. Shelley’s nine three-pointers set the Nebraska all-time record for threes in a game.
3/4/202235 seconds
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Nebraska Capitol Shines in Support of Ukraine

The blue and yellow glow of Nebraska’s Capitol is designed to show support toward Ukraine’s independence from Russia. Ukraine’s colors will be on display until Sunday, March 13th.
3/4/202249 seconds
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Ukrainian Student In Lincoln Forced To Watch As Russia Attacks

A Junior at Wesleyan University in Lincoln, she’s double majoring in Communications and Integrative Data Science and minoring in German. Under normal circumstances her schedule keeps her busy, but since her home country of Ukraine came under attack by Russian forces, finding the energy to keep up has been difficult
3/4/20223 minutes, 48 seconds
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Kansas Burns Can Lead to Poor Nebraska Air

Coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and possibly long-term lung issues are some of the effects for people with pre-existing conditions who are outside too long during poor air quality alerts.
3/4/20221 minute, 7 seconds
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Gun Proposal Could be Debated; $10M AltEn Pollution Study Heard

The Nebraska Legislature could debate allowing carrying concealed guns without a permit, and a proposal for a $10 million study of pollution effects from the AltEn ethanol plant in Mead got a hearing.
3/3/20225 minutes, 43 seconds
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Ricketts: New Tax Figures Support Prison, Water, Tax Proposals.

Gov. Pete Ricketts says higher tax projections support his proposals for a new prison, water projects and tax cuts.
3/2/20225 minutes, 45 seconds
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Contract for Deed: A practice that can backfire on home buyers

Most Americans who want to own a house – and can afford it – follow a fairly straightforward path to their dreams.They start with a loan from a bank or mortgage company, institutions that are subject to state and federal regulations. When buyers close on the home they want, the agreement is registered with the government, usually at county offices.Americans who do not qualify for a conventional mortgage but still want a house to call their own sometimes opt for a thinly regulated financial arrangement called a contract for deed. In these deals, the sellers function like lenders. They collect an initial down payment and then monthly payments.The buyers in contract for deed agreements usually pay for taxes and insurance and they often pick up the tab for improvements and repairs on the property, even before they have title to it.Often it’s only when the buyer makes the final payment that the title of the property shifts from the seller to the buyer.Real estate experts, lawyers and consumer watchdog groups say these arrangements – as well as similarly structured rent-to-own contracts – rarely end with the buyer owning the home. What tends to happen instead is the buyer loses out through a process called forfeiture – often for falling behind on payments – while recouping none of the equity they would have built up in a traditional mortgage.For example, when the Pennsylvania Attorney General sued a company that did hundreds of rent-to-own contracts in that state, it discovered that only 2% of buyers succeeded in obtaining the deed for the property – signifying that they were now homeowners.“(Contracts) can be drawn up in a way that makes it almost impossible to succeed,” said Alex Kornya, general counsel for Iowa Legal Aid. “You lose every dollar that you’ve put into that house and the contract seller walks away with a total windfall.”In Iowa, there have been nearly 3,700 contracts for deed recorded at county offices since 2008, according to figures furnished to the Midwest Newsroom by ATTOM, a provider of mortgage data.The numbers were lower in Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri, but figures likely underreport how many of the deals happen in those states because they have few to no laws requiring that these deals be registered at county offices.Lance Lowenstein, an attorney in Kansas City, Missouri, says he sees cases involving these contracts about once a week.“Contracts for deed are kind of like the ‘buy here, pay here’ car lots of the real estate business,” he said in an interview in his office in northeast Kansas City, home to many immigrants and economically struggling communities.Contracts for deed – also known as land contracts, installment sales or bond for deed – proliferated nationally and particularly in the Midwest in the wake of the 2008 subprime mortgage crisis. Rent-to-own – sometimes called leases with an option to purchase – have similar characteristics that often shift the advantage of such transactions to sellers.Investors, ranging from small-time buyers with just a few houses to Wall Street hedge funds, swooped in after the housing crisis and bought properties in bulk out of foreclosure or from government-sponsored mortgage buyers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The houses, often uninhabitable or in poor condition and in low-income communities, are typically marketed at those most at risk for exploitation: Black, Latino or immigrant residents.And while attorneys general in states in the Northeast and Great Lakes region have gone after large-scale contract for deed or rent-to-own sellers who use deceptive tactics, attorneys general in the Midwest do not often take enforcement action.Tiffany MartinoAll Tiffany Martino wanted was to buy a home.“Something my grandkids could come in that was always the same house,” she said.About seven years ago, she moved from Gold Beach, Oregon, where she said housing prices were “outlandish” to North Platte, Nebraska. She spotted a house she could buy for $78,000.Martino could see the place needed some work.The bathroom needed an overhaul. The floor was mostly missing in one room and had to be replaced. The paint was in bad shape. And she would have to do some landscaping.But Martino needed a place to live.“At the time when you’re in need and you don’t got a lot of down payment and somebody is willing to work with you, you’re just like, ‘Yeah, that sounds good, let’s do that,’” she said.Martino made a $1,400 down payment to the owner. He agreed she would make $500 monthly payments until the house was paid off. She understood that she was renting to own. When repairs came up, she would call the owner.“He says, ‘You’re buying this place, you’re responsible for any repairs that occur, you’re responsible for any of that,’” Martino said.Martino said she put some $10,000 into the property, which included removing trees and doing landscape work. And she made about $30,000 in rent payments over those five years.But she fell behind – she says about $3,000 in arrears – and her landlord took her to court to have Martino evicted.She eventually got in touch with Jeff Eastman, the managing attorney for Legal Aid of Nebraska, who represented her.Eastman told Martino that she risked having a judge order her to pay the owner if the case went to trial. So they settled: Martino walked away from the house and the owner did not pursue her back rent.“When they (buyers) leave, they left their investment in the property and they don’t have anything to show for it,” Eastman said. “Of course, they’re quite angry about it.”Including Martino, who thought she was building toward home ownership.“It was actually pretty much a letdown, you know?” Martino said. “It wasn’t a good feeling to know that wasn’t the case and all the money I dumped in there, I don’t get that back. It pretty much devastated me, really.”‘Equity stripping’A 2019 study by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University outlines an earlier era of contracts for deed in Chicago, where blockbusting and redlining depressed home prices in the 1960s and 1970s. Investors used contract sales to sell properties at inflated prices with high interest rates to people who could not get a conventional mortgage.“These contracts were designed to fail,” the Harvard study said, “Allowing the seller to reclaim the property, a form of equity stripping.”Taz George, a senior research analyst at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, said that access to mortgages is an important way for families to build wealth. George, who co-authored the Harvard study, said lenders rarely underwrite loans in low-income communities where homes are priced at less than $100,000 and often need repairs. So contracts for deed sometimes fill the void.“Really what we found is that communities that have a high number of land contract sales, have a host of other housing and economic challenges,” George said.Contracts for deed are marketed as a way for people who can’t get a conventional mortgage to realize the dream of owning a home.To Kornya, the Iowa Legal Aid lawyer, such a pitch echoes that of another enterprise that targets low-income borrowers.“That’s the exact same argument that payday lenders use.It’s nothing new: ‘We need to exploit low-income people because otherwise their lives would be worse,’” Kornya said.While never ideal, lawyers and experts say contracts for deed can be one of few options for some real estate transactions. Buyers who lack credit history, have damaged credit or who cannot make a down payment often do not qualify for a loan from banks or mortgage companies.Echoing the Harvard findings, the Joint Center for Housing Studies says traditional mortgage companies are reluctant to make loans in distressed neighborhoods, leaving seller-financed loans or a contract for deed, the instrument of last resort.“We find that the ratio of new mortgage originations to households is one of the strongest predictors of contract for deed activity,” the study says.A lack of financial services in low income communities and – increasingly – in rural communities influences the demand for non-traditional lending agreements.Michael Duffy, a semi-retired attorney who has handled dozens of cases involving abuses of real estate contracts, said in spite of the risks, contracts for deed can be useful with responsible sellers.“I don’t think (contracts for deed) should be illegal,” Duffy said. “They just need to be more tightly regulated. It’s kind of a wild west out there.”Enforcement effortsIowa tightened some of its land contract laws after a 2003 scandal involving the Wolford Group, a family enterprise accused by the Iowa Attorney General of committing fraud when it bought and sold homes under risky land contracts.Iowa sellers cannot enforce a land contract that is not recorded at a county office. And sellers who don’t record land contracts after 90 days are subject to daily fines.Ashlee Kieler, a spokeswoman for the Iowa Attorney General, said the office still receives complaints about land contracts since the Wolford scandal and the office handles them as they arise.“We have not had any recent litigation,” Kieler said in an email.A spokesperson for the Nebraska Attorney General declined to say if the office has brought any enforcement action on contract for deed or rent-to-own sellers.Asked if the Missouri Attorney General has pursued such sellers, a spokesman pointed to a 2014 case in Jackson County where it sued Tri-State Holdings for a contract for deed scam in Kansas City’s predominantly Black communities.The Kansas Attorney General did not respond to a request for comment.Attorneys general in other states have pursued large-scale contract for deed operators that have done business in Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska and Missouri.Vision Property Management, a hedge-fund backed enterprise in South Carolina, at one point owned 10,000 properties nationally, including the Midwest, according to a court filing.In 2019, the
3/2/20224 minutes, 13 seconds
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Holocaust Education Requirement Advances

The Nebraska Legislature gave first-round approval to requiring schools to teach about the Holocaust, and senators moved ahead on subjects ranging from the budget to sexual harassment complaints.
3/1/20224 minutes, 50 seconds
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Lincoln's Fairness Ordinance Will be Put to the Voters

A new fairness ordinance in Lincoln will be decided by the city’s voters and not the city council. The conservative lobbying group, Nebraska Family Alliance, announced Tuesday it had gathered more than 18-thousand signatures to rescind a recent decision. The fairness ordinance will now be placed on an upcoming ballot.
3/1/20221 minute, 34 seconds
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AltEn one year later

One year ago today, the state of Nebraska sued AltEn, an ethanol plant in southeast Nebraska. It had been producing tons of toxic waste that contaminated the nearby area. Here's what’s happened since.
3/1/20224 minutes, 55 seconds
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State Revenue Projections Raised as Tax, Spending Decisions Loom

The Economic Forecasting Advisory Board raised state revenue projections as tax and spending decisions loom.
2/28/20224 minutes, 13 seconds
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Congressman Fortenberry on the Situation in Ukraine

Nebraska Congressman Jeff Fortenberry gives his insights on the situation in Ukraine. Nebraska Public Media News Reporter William Padmore spoke with him.
2/28/202210 minutes, 58 seconds
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Former Refugees Gather Hundreds to Welcome New Afghans in LNK

Filled with city council members, representatives from Lincoln Public Schools, the city’s police chief – and Afghan refugees, the main ballroom at Embassy suites was packed Saturday. More than 200 people gathered in downtown Lincoln over the weekend to welcome some of the state’s newest Nebraskans. The message from organizers was clear: We’re sorry you’re in this situation, but we’re here to help.
2/28/20221 minute, 54 seconds
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Future of Farm Shows

The pandemic introduced virtual options for the farm show. On the heels of declining numbers of farmers and technology improvements, some predict an eventual end to the in-person gatherings.
2/28/20223 minutes, 33 seconds
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New LPS Superintendent Talks Goals, Staffing, & Diversity

Gausman said he’ll have an open mind for how LPS operates, when he starts as superintendent
2/25/20222 minutes, 10 seconds
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Water Projects, Preparations for Livestock Disease Move Ahead

The Nebraska Legislature advanced a bill to prepare for livestock disease outbreaks, and a whittled-down canal proposal is headed for debate
2/25/20223 minutes, 47 seconds
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Nebraska Receiving $100 Million in Opioid Settlement

The money is part of a $26 billion nationwide settlement reached between lawyers and drug companies.
2/25/202247 seconds
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Income Tax Cuts Advance; Abortion Proposals Heard

The Nebraska Legislature gave first-round approval Thursday to income tax cuts and heard proposals to restrict or ban abortion.
2/25/20224 minutes, 2 seconds
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How Russia's Invasion Could Affect Nebraska's Economy

Inflation, labor shortages, and supply chain issues have already impacted Nebraska businesses and households. But would Russia’s invasion of Ukraine affect the state’s economy too?
2/24/20221 minute, 22 seconds
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Seed Companies Sue AltEn

Five seed corn producers are suing AltEn, alleging the company violated contracts and left them with the bill to clean up its mess.
2/24/20222 minutes, 2 seconds
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What It Means For UNK to Lose Its Philosophy Major

The Board of Regents recently voted to cut the philosophy major at University of Nebraska at Kearney. Only about 2 students on average graduate with a philosophy major per year, but proponents say it’s worth saving. But cutting the major is a national trend. Other colleges like Liberty University have made a similar decision.
2/24/20225 minutes, 52 seconds
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Income Tax "Right-Sizing" Discussed; Ricketts Appoints Jacobson

Nebraska legislators discussed "right-sizing" a proposed income tax cut, and Gov. Pete Ricketts appointed North Platte banker Mike Jacobson to replace former Sen. Mike Groene.
2/23/20224 minutes, 47 seconds
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UNL Innovation Campus Firm Could Get Upgrade from ARPA Funds

The estimated $50 million building would house 60 scientists to research issues in agriculture on UNL’s Innovation Campus. Half of the cost would come from the state’s COVID budget, while the other half would come from private investments.
2/23/20221 minute, 11 seconds
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USDA Hemp Survey

For the first time, the USDA reported nation-wide numbers on hemp production. Industry experts hope it will bring new investments into processing centers to support Midwestern farmers.
2/23/202243 seconds
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Senators discuss harassment following Groene's resignation

Women senators in the Nebraska Legislature discussed harassment and the need for change following former Sen. Mike Groene's resignation for taking pictures of an aide without her knowledge.
2/22/20226 minutes, 9 seconds
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This Week's Cold Weather May Affect The Sandhill Crane Migration

The sandhill crane migration season has started, but does this week’s cold snap change that?
2/22/20221 minute, 16 seconds
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After Cutbacks, State Gambling Addiction Agency May Need Casinos

One of the main objections of those opposed to casinos in Nebraska has been the potential increase in the number of people becoming addicted to gambling. In today’s Nebraska Public Media News Signature Story, William Padmore examines the link between casinos and gambling addiction resources in the state
2/22/20225 minutes, 52 seconds
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After Cutbacks, State Gambling Addiction Agency May Need Casinos

One of the main objections of those opposed to casinos in Nebraska has been the potential increase in the number of people becoming addicted to gambling. In today’s Nebraska Public Media News Signature Story, William Padmore examines the link between casinos and gambling addiction resources in the state
2/22/20225 minutes, 51 seconds
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Income Tax Cuts Criticized; Closed Meeting Held on Canal Idea

Senators criticized the effect of proposed income tax cuts, and the Natural Resources Committee held a closed meeting about a proposed canal from Colorado.
2/18/20225 minutes, 51 seconds
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Nebraska's Argument for Canal Might Not Hold Water

Governor Pete Ricketts’ proposal for the southwestern Perkins County Canal is facing a new round of questions – this time, if it could hold up in court.
2/18/20225 minutes, 43 seconds
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Wrestlers proud to compete in historic girls' state championship

It’s a historic week for sports in Nebraska. For sixty-three years, high school boys have competed in the state wrestling championships. For the first time ever, girls will compete in wrestling at the same level. Even advocates of the sport under-estimated the demand. More than 700 young women joined teams all over the state. There is excitement and even emotion among wrestlers and coaches competing to be the first to reach the victor’s podium.
2/17/20225 minutes, 25 seconds
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Swine Fever

A highly contagious pig disease has been found in the Caribbean. If African Swine Fever spreads to the Midwest it could have a devastating impact on pork producers.
2/17/202241 seconds
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Vaccine Exemption Bill Advances; Income Tax Debate Starts

The Nebraska Legislature advanced a bill making it easier to apply for vaccine exemptions, and opened debate on cutting income taxes.
2/16/20224 minutes, 48 seconds
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Omaha Mask Mandate Ends

Hospitalization numbers were at a satisfactory level to lift the city-wide requirement. The department previously said the mandate would end once hospital capacity dips below 85 percent for seven straight days.
2/16/202238 seconds
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Mask, Testing Mandates Survive; Canal Questions Raised

The Nebraska Legislature reject an attempt to say employers could not require unvaccinated employees to be tested for COVID-19 and wear masks; questions about municipal water supplies and Denver's rights were raised on the Perkins Canal proposal.
2/15/20224 minutes, 48 seconds
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AltEn Rally

Protestors gather in the Capitol on the day that a cover is scheduled to be installed over the waste piles at the AltEn ethanol plant site.
2/15/20221 minute, 46 seconds
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Ricketts promotes income tax cuts; Colorado Officials Talk Canal

Gov. Pete Ricketts promoted income tax cuts Monday, and Colorado officials reacted to his proposed canal from that state.
2/15/20226 minutes, 28 seconds
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Attorneys, Recovered Addict Searching for Solutions to Meth Use

Meth has affected numerous people in Nebraska, such as law enforcement personnel and those associated with using or selling the drug. On January 26th, in Kearney, Nebraska, a five-agency collaboration was announced to address the methamphetamine problem in Nebraska. Attorney General Doug Peterson called meth Nebraska’s number one drug threat.
2/14/20223 minutes, 55 seconds
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Attorneys, Recovered Addict Searching for Solutions to Meth Use

Meth has affected numerous people in Nebraska, such as law enforcement personnel and those associated with using or selling the drug. On January 26th, in Kearney, Nebraska, a five-agency collaboration was announced to address the methamphetamine problem in Nebraska. Attorney General Doug Peterson called meth Nebraska’s number one drug threat.
2/14/20223 minutes, 48 seconds
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Vaccine Mandate Brings Constructions Delays, Says Hospital CEOs

Monday, Feb. 14 is the federal mandate deadline for unvaccinated Nebraska healthcare workers to get their first shot or apply for a medical or religious exemption. Nebraska Public Media News has more on what that means for some employers.
2/12/20221 minute, 39 seconds
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School Aid Increase Put on Hold in Legislature

A proposed increase in school aid in an attempt to lower property taxes was put on hold Friday in the Nebraska Legislature.
2/11/20224 minutes, 1 second
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U of NE President & Chancellors Have Say in Alcohol Sales

University of Nebraska Board of Regents voted unanimously to allow university chancellors and university system president Ted Carter to decide which athletic venues, if any, will sell alcohol. President Carter said there’s no answer yet to whether alcohol will be sold in the future at Memorial Stadium.
2/11/20221 minute, 38 seconds
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School Funding/Tax Stalemate Continues; Police Shortage Heard

Nebraska senators continued their stalemate over school funiding and property taxes, and heard about a shortage of law enforcement officers.
2/11/20223 minutes, 48 seconds
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Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack Talks Trade, Meatpacking & Fertilizer

Trade, meatpacking, climate change and fertilizer prices. These are all topics U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack thinks about regularly. In this interview with Nebraska Public Media News, we ask Sec. Vilsack about all of those and how his Department of Agriculture plans to approach them.
2/10/20225 minutes, 23 seconds
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Here's How Bad Auto Thefts and Other Crimes Are in Lincoln

Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird and Police Chief Teresa Ewins reported the city's crime statistics for 2021 Thursday.
2/10/20221 minute, 7 seconds
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Ricketts Canal Proposal Questioned; Vaccine Bill Advances

Gov. Pete Ricketts proposal for a canal to bring water from Colorado into Nebraska ran into questions, and the Legislature advanced a proposal to make requesting vaccine exemptions easier.
2/9/20225 minutes, 14 seconds
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Nebraska Couple Works to Save San Clemente Island Goats

A Nebraska couple is working to save the San Clemente Island goats from extinction. They have a herd of more than 250 of them on their farm near Gretna, Nebraska. It's believed to be the largest herd of this breed of goats in the world.
2/9/20225 minutes, 46 seconds
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Here's How Local Hospitals Aim to Keep Their Nurses

There’s a high demand for nurses right now, and short-staffed hospitals are meeting patient needs with traveling nurses. But those nurses cost two to three times more than local staff. Nebraska Public Media News reports some of the ways hospitals recruit and keep their nurses from going to travel agencies.
2/9/20225 minutes, 57 seconds
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School Property Tax Cap Blocked; Ban on Breaks for Casinos Heard

A proposed cap on school property tax increases was blocked by a filibuster, while a legislative committee heard arguments for and against property tax breaks for casinos.
2/9/20225 minutes, 56 seconds
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Coloradans still have “a lot of confusion” on proposed canal

Nebraska Public Media's Jackie Ourada spoke to NPR member station KUNC's Alex Hager about what people in Colorado are saying on Nebraska's proposed canal.
2/8/20225 minutes, 17 seconds
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An Iowa family lost ownership of their house thanks to this law

Maria Kendall took a break from her job as a cafe manager in 2020 when she decided to do some house hunting on the real estate website Zillow. She looked for a new home in Marshalltown, a city of about 28,000 in Iowa between Des Moines and Cedar Rapids.It’s where she lived for more than 20 years and where her own children grew up. Maria was ready for a new house with her boyfriend and the three children with special needs she fosters. As Maria swiped through real estate, she spotted her mom’s house for sale.She immediately called her sister Socorro “Coco” Ontiveros in California, who waswith their mom, Natalia Esteban. Maria asked in Spanish when their mom decided to sell the house. After a pause, Coco answered. “What are you talking about?” Coco said.Natalia had not decided to sell the house. Yet, there it was, listed for sale on a real estate website.“And if she wouldn't have seen it on Zillow, who knows?” says Larry Colton, Maria’s boyfriend.It turned out someone else took control of Natalia’s house through an unfamiliar property law that’s on the books in Iowa as well as throughout the Midwest.It’s called a quiet title action. In most instances, it’s used to settle questions over who owns a piece of property.People may file quiet title actions to resolve boundary disputes or to resolve who owns property after someone dies. But some worry that problems in the law can result in the exploitation of homeowners, particularly in communities like Marshalltown where many residents are immigrants or don’t speak fluent English.Experts tell the Midwest Newsroom that shortcomings in the way Iowa’s quiet title law is written include vague language that defines how someone can argue that the property belongs to them. Another is the way people are notified – or, as in Natalia’s case, are not notified – that there’s a dispute involving ownership of their property.“We would never have found out the house was sold,” Maria says, shaking her head. “My mother would have come back to Iowa in the summer and she would have [found] out she doesn't have a house.”Natalia and her then-husband bought the Marshalltown house in 2001. When the couple divorced, Natalia became the sole owner of the house. In 2018, Natalia moved to California but returned to her home in Marshalltown every summer.Maria raises her voice in disbelief as she recounts how someone could have tried to sell her mother’s house, which had been filled with memories and family photos from their life in Mexico, without anyone knowing.“It was very frustrating,” Maria said. “Like Larry said, scary thinking that [my mom] was going to lose the only thing that she has left.”Maria goes on: “My mother is retired, but because she did not work so long in the United States, her retirement is very small. So losing the only thing that can help her to make [a] better quality of life… It was very devastating for her.”‘Something nefarious’When someone goes to court for a quiet title petition, they must prove they have an interest in the property. One problem is, the law doesn’t define exactly what a person’s interest has to look like, and real estate experts are worried the law may be exploited.“It just seems like there is something nefarious going on,” Drake University law professor Natalie Lynner says about the Marshalltown case.The quiet title law requires a petitioner – the person arguing they have an interestin the property in question – to notify the most recent owner of the house of what’s happening. But if the petitioner says the most recent owner can’t be found, then their next route is publishing a notice of the quiet title in a newspaper of record. A person named Catherine Gooding petitioned for Natalia Esteban’s house claiming it was abandoned. In the court documents, she said that the house had been abandoned, she had a tax sale certificate and that she had been in ownership of the house since 2018. That was the interest Gooding showed. (The Esteban family disputed each of these assertions, including that Gooding had only applied for a tax sale certificate, not been granted one. The city did not have any abandonment claims documented.) Gooding told the court she could not find Esteban to notify her of the action.So, as the law requires, she published her notice on three different dates in the Marshalltown Times-Republican: Oct. 7, 14 and 21, 2020. It’s a skinny article with small print addressing Natalia as “you,” and letting her know she has been named as a defendant in the Iowa District court for Marshall County.Since Natalia wasn’t in Iowa at the time nor does she speak English, she didn’t know to attend the court hearing. Which meant Gooding won the case by default, and therefore, ownership of the house.Lynner thinks the quiet title law could be enhanced to put a greater burden on petitioners to notify property owners.“But we wouldn't just allow quiet title actions to be decided on default without a more robust showing that the parties certainly cannot be found,” Lynner said.A Midwest Newsroom investigation found that Gooding has acquired more than 40 properties in and around Marshalltown, about a third of them through quiet title petitions. Many of those properties she acquired after a 2018 tornado and the derecho in August 2020.Phone calls to a listed number for Catherine Gooding went unanswered, although a text message response referred the Midwest Newsroom to Marshalltown City Hall. Gooding’s attorney said neither he nor Gooding wished to comment on this report.And although Gooding is following the proper legal procedure to file a quiet title petition, city officials are concerned that the diverse population of Marshalltown may be taken advantage of. Residents have a wide range of language skills, education levels and immigration statuses and not all of them read an English-language newspaper, let alone the public notice section. Michelle Spohnheimer, the director of Marshalltown housing and community development, says she’s worried about the uptick in quiet title petitions, particularly after 2018 tornados and a derecho damaged a stretch of Marshalltown housing. “When you take kind of all those different aspects together, you've got a lot of population that has that potential to be in a position where, you know, they just don't have what they need as resources behind them to know, ‘Oh, this is something that I can fight or I can challenge? Or how to go about getting somebody to help me in the right way,’” she says.Spohnheimer says at least three other families have reached out to the city recently with claims similar to the Esteban family’s. In those cases, she recommended hiring private attorneys.Spohnheimer says she believes what’s happening in Marshalltown could be happening in other areas.She says she and other officials within the housing department try to make sure the diverse populations settling in Marshalltown are educated about homeownership. On top of making sure homeowners understand their rights, Spohnheimer says she has also consulted with the police department by letting them know some signs of suspicious activities, including if people are trespassing on property that isn’t their own.The Estebans aren’t aloneIt’s challenging for Iowa to keep track of how many times house titles have been changed using the same methods as what happened to Natalia Esteban. According to the Iowa Judicial Branch, there is no code in its system that specifically indicates petitions for quiet title. It can only keep track if the clerk’s docketing comments include “quiet title” or a variation of the procedure’s language. Therefore, it is possible there are more quiet title cases in Marshalltown than what the Midwest Newsroom received in a records request.From 2018 to mid-2021, the Iowa Judicial Branch noted Marshalltown’s county, Marshall, had about 55 quiet title petitions filed. Muscatine County, which has a similar population size, had 28 in the same time period.With similar quiet title laws in the books in Missouri, Nebraska and Kansas, homeowners from marginalized communities in the Midwest may be at risk of being targeted,[18] according to Mike White, a real estate attorney based in Kansas City. He says that over the course of 50 years, he has encountered multiple quiet title cases. While not involved in the Esteban case, White does say the process can be confusing.“I'd say the average person knows absolutely nothing about quieting titles or even what the title is,” he says. ”So yeah, they're at a tremendous disadvantage.”White adds there’s not much in quiet title laws throughout the Midwest to specifically protect non-English speakers or people who don’t know the system that well. All states’ quiet title laws have relatively short descriptions.White recommends all homebuyers receive legal advice to make sure they can avoid situations like the Estebans.On her own termsMaria Kendall and Larry Colton ended up going to court for Natalia Esteban and eventually won the title back. They find themselves fortunate to have been able to hire a lawyer and have the time to win the house back in court. After the previous default judgment was set aside, the Estebans’ attorney filed to dismiss the case.The Estebans and Gooding eventually reached a settlement and the judge dismissed the case with prejudice – meaning Gooding cannot file the same claim again in court.When Natalia asked about her Marshalltown home, Maria says she was sad her family heirlooms from Mexico were gone. She asked for pictures of her grandchildren she had framed in the house, but Maria reminded her they didn’t have them anymore.“I think sentimental stuff is worth more than money. So for her, it was like, she was going more through like, ‘What about the picture of this, this and that?’ Well, nothing you can do mom. Be grateful that you got your house back,” Maria says.It was hard for Natalia to let go of the house, but she eventually decided to sell t
2/8/20224 minutes, 13 seconds
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Animal Rights Group Calls For Investigation of Local USDA Center

An animal rights group is calling for staff terminations and a federal investigation in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Meat Animal Research Center in Clay Center near Hastings.
2/7/20221 minute, 29 seconds
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Vertical Farming

Vertical farms stack rows of plants on top of each other. These indoor farms control the lighting, water and temperature to create ideal conditions to grow fresh produce year-round close to customers. But the industry relies on artificial lighting and has a large carbon footprint.
2/7/20223 minutes, 53 seconds
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Nebraska Medicine Halts Crisis Standard of Care

Nebraska Medicine has been postponing elective surgeries since the start of January’s omicron surge. Corey Shaw is the chief operating officer at the hospital. Shaw said more staff availability and a decreasing number of COVID patients in the hospital is allowing them to free up doctors and nurses for more elective and specialty surgeries.
2/4/20221 minute, 8 seconds
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Small towns and ARPA money

COVID relief money was supposed to be a lifeline for small towns recovering from the pandemic. Some found it a challenge to accept. Communities in Nebraska collectively turned down more than half a million dollars.
2/4/20223 minutes, 56 seconds
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New Prison, Partisanship Focus of Hearings

Nebraska legislative committees held hearings Thursday on building a new prison and listing party affiliations of legislative candidates on the ballot.
2/4/20226 minutes, 14 seconds
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Nebraska Governor Candidates Talk How To Expand State Workforce

Six candidates running for state governor spoke on stage at the Lincoln Cornhusker Marriott Hotel to talk about their business priorities in the Nebraska Chamber Gubernatorial Candidates Forum.
2/4/20221 minute, 57 seconds
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Recall of Governors and Legislators heard; School Taxes Debated

A legislative committee heard a proposal to allow voters to recall governors and state senators, and debate continued on limiting school property tax increases.
2/2/20225 minutes, 9 seconds
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Covid Cases in Lancaster County Down, But Risk Dial Still Red

Lincoln-Lancaster County Health department reports a dip in Covid-19 cases and local positivity rate, but the risk dial will remain in red this week.
2/2/20221 minute, 28 seconds
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Nebraska Homeowners Impacted By Pandemic Receive Assistance Fund

Nebraska homeowners impacted by the coronavirus pandemic can now apply for assistance. Gov. Pete Ricketts announced Tuesday the Nebraska Homeowner Assistance Fund, using nearly 50 million dollars in funds provided by the federal government.
2/2/20221 minute, 43 seconds
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77 LPS Students Already Applied to Bay High, Creative Courses

It has 77 students already signed up for its creative arts courses. 52 seniors and 25 juniors for the next school year have applied for the two-hour per day early career opportunity. LPS said it will choose 50 names at random for each grade.
1/31/20221 minute, 22 seconds
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Juvenile diversion bill stopped; halt to teacher testing heard

Effort at requiring county attorneys to try diversion before sending truant students to juvenile court falls short; proposal to abolish certain teacher testing requirements gets a public hearing.
1/31/20225 minutes, 11 seconds
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US Attorney recognizes UNL Law's effort to protect tenants

A University of Nebraska College of Law program earned the attention of US Attorney General Merrick Garland during a White House sponsored event . UNL’s Tenant Assistance Program (TAP) was one of a number of projects launched by law schools around the country to keep renters from being evicted during the pandemic. As people lost jobs and income during the COVID pandemic, the US Attorney General asked law schools to help provide legal services to the thousands of people facing eviction from rental homes. The law college at the University of Nebraska decided to take part, offering legal advice to Nebraskans at no cost.
1/28/20222 minutes, 1 second
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Nebraska Calls for Convention of States to Propose Amendments

The Nebraska Legislature voted Friday to call for a convention of states to propose amendments to the U.S. Constitution.
1/28/20225 minutes, 42 seconds
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First Reading Today for Lincoln LGTBQ Anti-Discriminatory Code

If the proposal were to pass in the coming weeks, discrimination against LGBTQ people would be prohibited under city code. Councilwoman Sandra Washington wrote the changes and said the bill is meant to align with federal rules following a court decision from 2020.
1/28/20221 minute, 11 seconds
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Has Nebraska's COVID Peaked? The Location Matters

Is it possible that COVID-19 cases in Nebraska have peaked? According to CDC data, COVID cases for the whole state are down nearly 12% since mid-January. UNMC’s Dr. James Lawler said that depends on what part of the state you’re asking about.
1/28/20221 minute, 12 seconds
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Senators Debate Treatment of Students Who Miss Too Much School

The Nebraska Legislature is debating a bill that tries to use diversion before sending students who miss too much school to juvenile court.
1/28/20224 minutes, 44 seconds
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Why Nebraska Hospitals Are Paying Double For Traveling Nurses

Health leaders say Nebraska could be short more than 5,000 nurses three years from now. Hospitals now depend on traveling nurses to fill in the gaps. The high demand from the Omicron surge, but low supply of nurses make hospitals spend two to three times more money to hire traveling nurses.
1/27/20225 minutes, 23 seconds
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NPPD to pay $2.5 Mil to Family of Dam Collapse Victim

The Nebraska Public Power District agreed to pay $2.5 Million to the family of Kenny Angel. He died when Spencer Dam on the Niobrara River collapsed and flooded the family's property in March 2019. In their lawsuit, filed in Holt County District Court, the family blamed his death on the negligence of NPPD and the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources in failing to maintain the 93-year-old structure and failing to warn the public about the risk the dam posed the community.
1/27/20221 minute, 58 seconds
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New Program Expects Less Stress for Nebraska Hospitals

The Lincoln program has already started reviewing patient transfers through the Department of Health and Human Services. Omaha and Grand Island are in the process of hiring nurses for its locations.
1/27/20221 minute, 10 seconds
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Five Agencies Combine Insights on Meth Issues in Nebraska

In Kearney Wednesday, Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson’s office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Nebraska, Omaha’s Drug Enforcement Agency, the FBI, and the Nebraska State Patrol announced a partnership focused on fighting meth. Peterson said the coalition was formed to better understand large drug organizations and their distribution channels.
1/27/20221 minute, 17 seconds
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Criminal Justice Reform Heard; School Tax Credit Advances

The Judiciary Committee heard proposals for criminal justice reform, and the Legislature advanced a bill to maintain an income tax credit for school property taxes.
1/26/20224 minutes, 52 seconds
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Social Security Tax Cuts Advance; School Aid, Canal Discussed

The Nebraska Legislature advanced Social Security tax cuts, and discussed changes to school aid and a proposed canal from Colorado.
1/25/20226 minutes
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Are Politics Making Your Life Miserable? A Conversation with a U

In 2017, University of Nebraska Lincoln Political Science Professor Kevin Smith co-authored a study that asked a random sample of 800 people whether politics was a significant stressor in their lives. Categories covered physical health, mental health, regretted behavior, and social and lifestyle costs. For about 40% of respondents, the answer was yes. Last year, Smith issued the survey again to a different group of people, two weeks before and two weeks after the 2020 election, to see how things have changed. And he found, for the most part, people are as stressed out as ever about politics. Professor Smith joins me now to talk more about the study.
1/25/20228 minutes, 25 seconds
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Slowly but Surely, Pickleball is Making a Racket in Nebraska

It’s not quite the emerald ash borer, but a certain sport with a funny name is making itself known in parks…and sports complexes across the state. But is it taking over? Nebraska Public Media News Reporter has more.
1/25/20225 minutes, 37 seconds
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Slowly but Surely, Pickleball is Making a Racket in Nebraska

It’s not quite the emerald ash borer, but a certain sport with a funny name is making itself known in parks…and sports complexes across the state. But is it taking over? Nebraska Public Media News Reporter has more.
1/25/20225 minutes, 37 seconds
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Social Security, Abortion, Casino Proposals Discussed

Proposals to change Social Security taxes, restrict or ban abortions, and regulate the number of casinos were discussed in the Capitol Monday.
1/24/20226 minutes, 7 seconds
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Nebraska Builders, Farmers May be Affected by Court Case

Anthony Schutz is a professor of law at the University of Nebraska College of Law. He said the Supreme Court case, Sackett vs. the Environmental Protection Agency, will examine The Clean Water Act’s definitions.
1/24/20221 minute, 37 seconds
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Outlook for Nebraska Hospitals May Be Grim After COVID Peak

Nebraska hospitals are feeling the brunt of omicron right now, and the situation may look grim even after the state’s peak. "We're still in for a long haul here in terms of caring for Nebraskans in our hospitals," said Jeremy Nordquist, the president of the Nebraska Hospital Association. COVID hospitalizations tend to lag behind the cases. Whenever cases start to slow down, hospitals will remain busier in the weeks after.
1/24/20221 minute, 29 seconds
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Coyote Hunting

Coyote populations in the U.S. have risen to all-time highs. Around ranches, farms and homes, they’re largely unwelcome. One response? Hunting them. Sometimes competitively. Nebraska towns like Gothenburg and Oxford host such challenges. But the resilient canine keeps finding ways to survive, no matter what humans throw at it.
1/24/20224 minutes, 16 seconds
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Catholic Church, Insurance Companies Oppose Sex Abuse Proposal

The Catholic Church and insurance companies oppose ending time limits on when lawsuits charging child sexual abuse can be filed.
1/22/20224 minutes, 40 seconds
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Chapel Asks for Celebration of Lincoln Veteran at His Funeral

Irvin Joseph Brown, 89, doesn’t have any known relatives or family. He was deployed in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and the Philippines. Later in life, he worked as a postman for 15 years before retiring in 1987.
1/21/202255 seconds
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Nebraska on Verge of Endorsing Convention of States

The Nebraska Legislature is on the verge of endorsing a convention of states to propose amendments to U.S. Constitution, and lawmakers heard proposals to limit school property tax increases.
1/20/20225 minutes, 36 seconds
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100-year Questions Still Simmer Around Proposed Perkins Co Canal

100-year Questions Still Simmer Around Proposed Perkins Co. Canal
1/20/20225 minutes, 17 seconds
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Nebraska Reaches New COVID High: 7-Day Average Stands at 4,400

The 7-day average of 4,400 has never been higher at any point of the pandemic as omicron continues it’s spread. According to CDC data, cases are up 108% in the last two weeks. As the latest variant arrived in Nebraska later than more populous areas of the country, it will take longer for Nebraska to reach its peak level of spread.
1/20/20221 minute, 1 second
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Covid Briefing

Lancaster County health officials say the county remains in its highest pandemic risk category as cases continue to rise.
1/20/20221 minute, 5 seconds
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AltEn Sale halted

The troubled AltEn ethanol plant planned to sell contaminated byproduct to a Kansas ranching and farming group. Then state regulators stepped in, and found the Kansas company didn’t have the full picture.
1/20/20222 minutes, 6 seconds
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DNA Testing Advances in Legislature

A proposal to require DNA testing of people when they're charged, but not convicted, advanced in the Nebraska Legislature.
1/19/20225 minutes, 49 seconds
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Lincoln Movie Theatre Offers Vaccinated-Only Showings

The Grand Theatre in Downtown Lincoln will run two shows in theatres reserved for people who have been vaccinated. Showing a vaccination card and a photo I.D. will be required to enter.
1/19/20221 minute, 14 seconds
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Boosted Nebraskans 46 Times Less Likely to be Hospitalized

The new report by state epidemiologist Matt Donahue and his team also concluded that boosted Nebraskans were 46 times less likely to be hospitalized compared to those unvaccinated. Those fully vaccinated – without a booster – were 11 times less likely to find themselves in a packed medical center.
1/19/20221 minute, 11 seconds
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Anthony's Steakhouse in Omaha closes

Anthony's Steakhouse in Omaha is closing its doors, marking another tally for the steakhouses in the city that have shuttered.
1/19/20221 minute, 54 seconds
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Some Nebraska Schools Are Cancelling Classes Because of Omicron

Schools all over the state are reacting to the Omicron surge. Some districts chose to close schools on some days or switch to remote learning.
1/19/20221 minute, 45 seconds
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Proposal to Collect DNA Samples Sparks Opposition

A bill to require DNA samples from people charged with certain crimes, before they are convicted, ran into opposition Tuesday in the Legislature.
1/18/20225 minutes, 17 seconds
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Dipping COVID Cases Doesn't Mean Nebraska Omicron Peak is Past

The latest COVID data shows a slight dip in Nebraska cases and hospitalizations, but that doesn’t mean Nebraska has seen its peak quite yet. As of last Friday, the statewide 7-day average still stands at nearly 3,400 cases per day, according to the CDC. That’s down from a high of nearly 4,000 a day earlier.The state’s dashboard shows that, over the weekend, hospitalizations dropped by 32, to just above 640. And, across the state, hospital capacity remains between 20 and 30% free.
1/18/20221 minute, 20 seconds
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Defining Rural

Small towns far from big cities rely upon federal grants to help them, but numerous definitions of what the government considers rural make that complicated.
1/18/20223 minutes, 57 seconds
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5G technology continues to roll out, leaving 3G users behind

Millions of American consumers still rely on 3G devices and technology, and its phase-out is underway as 5G services expands across the country.
1/18/202246 seconds
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Flood running to replace Fortenberry in Congress

State Senator Mike Flood is challenging Congressman Jeff Fortenberry in the Republican First Congressional District primary.
1/17/20222 minutes, 4 seconds
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Frakes: Prison employees must resist manipulation by inmates

Earlier this week the Nebraska State Patrol arrested an assistant warden accused of a sexual relationship with an inmate at the facility she supervised. The Department of Corrections faces a nagging problem with staff providing illegal contraband and having forbidden contact with prisoners. Recently Bill Kelly with Nebraska Public Media spoke with Director of Corrections Scott Frakes about the case and the challenges of preventing such incidents.
1/14/20225 minutes, 43 seconds
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Lincoln Public Schools Temporarily Cancels Friday Classes

One of Nebraska’s largest school districts is cancelling in-person classes for the next three Fridays because of the rise of COVID-19 cases in the community.
1/14/20221 minute, 42 seconds
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Lincoln Brings Back Mask Mandate Amid Omicron Surge

Citing a rise in cases and stress on the local healthcare system, Lincoln-Lancaster Co. Health Director Pat Lopez announced the city would reinstate the directed health measure. Mayor Leiron Gaylor Baird says it’s a critical time during the pandemic.
1/14/20221 minute, 35 seconds
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Nebraska Schools Face Staffing Shortages Due To Omicron Surge

The latest Omicron surge is creating a staff shortage in Nebraska schools. School districts are even desperate to find substitute teachers.
1/13/20221 minute, 55 seconds
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Hastings Bigfoot Museum Will Be Featured In Library of Congress

The Bigfoot Crossroads of America Museum and Research Center in Hastings will be featured in the U.S. Library of Congress Archives.
1/13/20221 minute, 44 seconds
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Ricketts' Priorities Lauded and Challenged

Legislators had mixed reactions to the budget proposals underneath Gov. Pete Ricketts State of the State speech.
1/13/20224 minutes, 51 seconds
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Crisis Care Plans for Large Nebraska Hospital

Nebraska Medicine patients are going to experience changes during the hospital’s crisis standard of care alert. Harris Frankel is Chief Medical Officer at Nebraska Medicine. He said, among other measures, appointments and surgeries will be delayed.“You may also see medical students or other learners along with other support staff used as support personnel that might not otherwise commonly be involved in activities of this type,” Frankel said.
1/13/20221 minute, 13 seconds
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Nebraska Announces Perkins County Canal Project

On Monday, Governor Pete Ricketts said recent projects proposed in the neighboring state would dramatically cut South Platte River water flow into Nebraska. Attorney General Doug Peterson said that was the ‘first shot’ in a potential legal battle between the states. Nebraska’s response won’t necessarily be a lawsuit – yet, but a revival of a canal that has a checkered past in Nebraska’s history.
1/13/20224 minutes, 45 seconds
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Private School Scholarship Proposal Blocked in Legislature

Opponents of a bill creating scholarships for children to attend private schools blocked it in the Legislature Wednesday.
1/13/20223 minutes, 46 seconds
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One Omaha Restaurant Requires Proof of Vaccination From Diners

The recent surge of COVID-19 cases has caused one Omaha restaurant to make a change. Modern Love restaurant has decided to open its doors, but only fully vaccinated guests can dine in.
1/12/20222 minutes, 26 seconds
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Nebraska AG Plans to File Suit Against Douglas Co

In a letter from Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson to Health Director Huse, Peterson wrote the board doesn’t have the authority to enforce a mask mandate in Omaha. He wrote the department doesn’t have the required approval from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.
1/12/202242 seconds
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Pandemic Effects on Meatpacking 3

Nationwide, COVID-19 disproportionately affected communities of color — in part because the U.S. relies on immigrant workers in food and agriculture.
1/12/20223 minutes, 40 seconds
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Some Public Health Advocates Want More Liquor Law Enforcement

Some public health experts and advocates in Nebraska are asking state senators to allocate money for more liquor law enforcement.
1/11/20222 minutes, 5 seconds
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Inheritance tax cuts advance; private school scholarships debate

The Nebraska Legislature advanced inheritance tax cuts and debated private school scholarships.
1/11/20225 minutes, 25 seconds
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Dick Carson, Director & Norfolk Native Dies at 92

Richard Charles Carson was 92 years old when he passed away on December 19th in Studio City, California. Carson was born the youngest of three children in Clarinda, Iowa in 1929. Later, his family settled in Norfolk, Nebraska where he graduated high school in 1947. Drew DeCamp is a registrar at the Elkhorn Valley Museum in Norfolk which features galleries of the Carson family. DeCamp said Dick Carson had a laid back personality, much like his older brother Johnny.
1/11/20221 minute, 10 seconds
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Fortenberry attempts to block fed's corruption case evidence

Congressman Jeff Fortenberry’s attempts to create some legal roadblocks in the government’s corruption case against him got a chilly reception from the federal judge hearing the matter. In a California courtroom Tuesday, his attorneys attempted to undermine the charge that Fortenberry lied to FBI agents investigating illegal campaign contributions.
1/11/20221 minute, 55 seconds
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Bolz USDA

Former Nebraska state senator Kate Bolz started her new position last week as Nebraska’s Director of Rural Development for the United States Department of Agriculture. Bolz was appointed by President Biden to direct Nebraska’s USDA grants and loans.Kate Bolz said her experiences growing up in rural southeast Nebraska have prepared her for the state director role at the United State Department of Agriculture.
1/11/20221 minute, 23 seconds
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Midwest is home to some of the most polluting power plants

The Midwest is home to power plants that are some of the country’s highest emitters of pollutants.According to EPA data, four of the top 10 coal-burning power plants with the highest sulfur dioxide emissions in the country are located in the four-state region.What’s more, the data shows two of the power generators that contribute the largest amount of nitrogen oxide emissions in the country are located in Missouri.
1/11/202246 seconds
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Pandemic Effects on Meatpacking 2

Immigrants make up an estimated 40% of the U.S. meat processing workforce. Last year’s wave of COVID outbreaks at meatpacking plants revealed how protections are lacking for many of these workers.
1/11/20223 minutes, 53 seconds
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O’Neill Hospital CEO Worries for Staff

Methodist Hospital in Omaha reports nearly 180 healthcare workers out sick, which includes more than 50 nurses. Elective surgeries are being postponed or canceled currently at Methodist. Todd Consbruck is the president and CEO at Avera St. Anthony's Hospital in the northern Nebraska town of O’Neill. Consbruck says nurses and doctors in O’Neill are growing weary emotionally and physically due to pressure from the omicron variant.
1/11/20221 minute, 6 seconds
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Big Water Projects Proposed; Convention of States Advanced

Gov. Pete Ricketts and Speaker Mike Hilgers proposed big water projects, and the Legislature advanced a proposal for a convention to propose amendments to the U.S. Constitution.
1/11/20226 minutes, 3 seconds
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Infectious Disease Physician Answers Questions About Omicron

There’s a lot of questions about the latest COVID-19 Omicron variant. University of Nebraska Medical Center infectious disease physician Dr. Mark Rupp has some answers.
1/10/20221 minute, 30 seconds
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Pandemic Effects on Meatpacking 1

The coronavirus has killed hundreds of meat plant workers – and sickened thousands more. Nearly two years into the pandemic, many are still searching for answers – and calling for change.
1/10/20223 minutes, 28 seconds
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Prisons, Abortion, Presidency among Topics Addressed by Ricketts

Gov. Pete Ricketts was asked questions about the coming year and beyond in an interview with Nebraska Public Media News.
1/9/20225 minutes, 55 seconds
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COVID in Nebraska: Cases at an All-Time High

According to the updated data from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, there were more than 3700 cases of COVID-19 from Monday’s seven-day rolling average. Michele Bever is the South Heartland Health Director and said the district's seven-day average jumped from 398 cases per 100,000 people last week to nearly 500 this week. Bever said the first omicron variant case was detected in her district on Monday evening.
1/7/20221 minute, 39 seconds
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Prisons, Teachers, Redistricting, School Aid in Legislative Mix

The Nebraska Legislature is dealing with reports and proposals affecting prisons, teachers, redistricting and school aid.
1/7/20225 minutes, 4 seconds
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Doe v. UNL Update

A Title IX lawsuit against the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is moving forward in federal court. An anonymous woman is suing the school for not protecting her after a professor harassed her. Nebraska Public Media’s Elizabeth Rembert has more on the update.
1/7/20221 minute, 38 seconds
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Lyons Water Treatment Plant Filters Working

Over one month ago, Lyons, Nebraska had brown tap water with high levels of iron and manganese. In the process of replacing filter beds at its treatment plant, a temporary filter system was put in place. That filter broke down and Lyons was forced to issue a boil water order. Now, Lyons is running water through its new filters at the treatment plant and the water passed a partial test by the state.
1/7/202248 seconds
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Sex-Ed. Mega-Sites Among Targets of Legislation

Legislation stemming from the controversy over sex education in proposed health standards, and getting the state have a "mega-site" ready for future industrial projects, are among ideas being introduced in the Nebraska Legislature.
1/6/20224 minutes, 30 seconds
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Douglas County Has a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer

Douglas County's first Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer started working this week.
1/6/20221 minute, 47 seconds
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Omaha, Ralston Hosting Candlelight Vigils Tonight

Omaha’s January 6th Vigil will be located at the College of Saint Mary’s fieldhouse and online. The event will start with a speech from the college’s president Maryanne Stevens, then a prayer and three songs to be performed by the Omaha Justice Choir. There will be three additional speakers after the music, each from Black Votes Matter, Civic Nebraska, and the Women’s Fund of Omaha.
1/6/202258 seconds
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Rep. Bacon Remains Critical of Last Year's Insurrection

Last January Republican Josh Hawley had been in the Senate for barely two years. Elected at 39, after serving briefly as Missouri’s Attorney General, he was seen by many in the party as a politician on the rise. But that seemed to be at risk for Hawley after the January 6 events and his vote against certifying election results. Some of the biggest companies in Missouri and elsewhere stopped supporting him. The two largest newspapers in the state openly called on him to resign. His mentor, former Republican Senator John Danforth, repudiated his actions. But now, a year later, it appears Hawley has paid hardly any political price in a state that’s taken a hard swing to the political right in recent years. Terry Smith teaches political science at Columbia College in Missouri.
1/6/20223 minutes, 55 seconds
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COVID in Nebraska: Numbers Better Than Last Winter, Still Rising

Long description: In the last two weeks, COVID-19 cases are up 26 percent in Nebraska, according to CDC data. The seven-day rolling average indicates nearly 14-hundred cases. For comparison, though, last winter, the seven-day average nearly hit 24-hundred positives.
1/5/20221 minute, 37 seconds
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Some Nebraska Schools Require Indoor Mask Mandates Again

The COVID-19 Omicron variant has brought a surge of cases throughout the state and some schools are bringing back extra precautions.
1/5/20221 minute, 3 seconds
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Legislature Begins Session with roposals on Abortion, Guns

The Nebraska Legislature began its 2022 session with proposals on abortion, guns, and other topics.
1/5/20224 minutes, 46 seconds
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Two Large Nebraska Hospitals Announce Partnership

Bryan Health based in Lincoln will become owners of Kearney Regional Medical Center. According to Bryan Health, Kearney Regional Medical Center was in good financial standing before the partnership but saw this as a growth opportunity.
1/5/202257 seconds
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Abortion Rights Supporters Vow to Resist Bans

Supporters of abortion rights say they'll resist any attempts to further restrict the procedure in Nebraska.
1/4/20221 minute, 54 seconds
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Tribal Development Organization Has Big Hopes for Whiteclay Land

Thunder Valley Development Corporation Director Tatewin Means says transitional and supportive housing could serve 800-1,000 people at a time.
1/4/20221 minute, 26 seconds
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Challenges for Nebraska’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem

A new report produced by the UNO Center for Public Affairs Research looks at challenges facing Nebraska entrepreneurs.
1/4/20224 minutes, 51 seconds
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Judge rejects Fortenberry motions to block corruption trial

A US Federal District Judge threw out four requests to set aside a grand jury indictment accusing him of lying to the FBI. Also rejected was Congressman Fortenberry's demand that the US Attorney handling the case be barred from proceeding with his involment.
1/4/20221 minute, 12 seconds
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Legislature Begins 2022 Session with Big Issues, Lots of Money

The Nebraska Legislature begins its 2022 session Wednesday facing big issues, and with lots of money.
1/3/20225 minutes, 53 seconds
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Report: Rural Nebraska Needs More Mental Health Providers

A recent report shows that despite a 33.5 percent increase in the behavioral health workforce in the last 10 years, Nebraska is still not reaching demand, especially in rural areas.
1/3/20221 minute, 35 seconds
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Omicron Spreading Quickly in Nebraska

The Nebraska Public Health Lab reported 77 percent of COVID-19 cases are omicron in the state, according to its sequencing on Monday. They anticipate that number approaches 90 percent in the coming weeks.
1/3/202258 seconds
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Lincoln Expecting Bike Trail Additions & Upgrades in the Future

“I’m excited to see more trails and more options for people,” Lincoln cyclist Lorenz Taylor said, “especially you know if they can get something on the outskirts of town. I live in west Lincoln so if they can get something out there, I’d be super excited about that even more, instead of having to pack my bike up and go to the center part of town or the south side of town to hit a trail head.”
1/3/202239 seconds
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Omaha start-up helps companies, products learn how shoppers shop

How Omaha tech start-up Retail Aware helps companies and products learn how shoppers shop. This story is part of Nebraska Public Media's "What If..." series on innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship.
1/3/20225 minutes, 34 seconds
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Tribal Economic Development Organization Buys Land in Whiteclay

Thunder Valley Development Corporation has purchased 48 acres in Whiteclay, Nebraska.
12/23/20211 minute, 23 seconds
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'Being Tough' the Reason for 12-0 Start for Husker Women's BB

The Huskers women’s basketball team’s undefeated start includes seven wins against top-100 teams, according to the NCAA rankings. Assistant Head Coach Chuck Love said his team’s attitude has sparked the fast start.
12/23/202144 seconds
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Many Nursing Homes Can't Make Ends Meet in Nebraska

Jalene Carpenter is CEO of the Nebraska Healthcare Association and says closures occurred, in part, due to a lack of funding.Governor Ricketts reinstated an extra $20 per day payment to assisted living facilities starting early next year. But it’s too late for Arapahoe's assisted living facility, where Alan Thomas stays. His wife, Heidi is a teacher and works part-time as a registered nurse at Good Samaritan Society in Arapahoe.
12/23/20211 minute, 24 seconds
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State Fair Looking for Campus Overhaul in Grand Island

The Nebraska State Fair and its stakeholders formed ‘The 1868 Foundation’ to deliver a remodeling proposal. In the plan released Wednesday, the foundation asked for $25 million from the state’s infrastructure fund to revamp its campus at Grand Island’s Fonner Park.
12/23/202147 seconds
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Alert System Mistakenly Used Late at Night on Cell Phones

The alarm blared around 11:07 CT Tuesday evening – the same alert many Nebraskans hear for severe weather events or AMBER alerts.
12/22/202140 seconds
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Ahead of Holidays, Nebraska COVID Cases, Hospitalizations Drop

Heading into the holiday week, COVID-19 cases dropped 2% over the last two weeks. Hospitalizations are also down. The Nebraska Public Health Lab Right reports on average that omicron makes up less than 10% of COVID cases. However, the lab notes that could change dramatically in the coming days.
12/22/20211 minute, 20 seconds
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Lancaster County Allowing Mask Mandate to Expire

Linccoln-Lancaster County Health Director Pat Lopez says the mask mandate will not be extended.
12/21/20211 minute, 33 seconds
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About 500 Exotic Animals Found In Papillion Home

Nebraska Humane Society rescued about 500 exotic animals found in a Papillion home this week.
12/21/20211 minute, 32 seconds
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Last Week's Tornado Count Shatters December Record in Nebraska

That changed, when the National Weather Service confirmed 22 tornadoes touched down in Nebraska from December 15th storms.The storms were a part of a ‘serial derecho,’ or a large band of hurricane-like thunderstorms. Forecasters say the storm’s destructive path began in central Nebraska, then moved northeast.
12/21/20211 minute, 30 seconds
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'We've been in Crisis for a Long Time': Bryan CMO on COVID-19

Bryan Health Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Trapp says Lincoln hospital system is operating at capacity while monitoring omicron threat.
12/21/20216 minutes, 31 seconds
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What's Happening With Nebraska Students 'Devious' Behavior

Nebraska public schools have seen some class disruptions, acting out, disrespecting teachers and refusals to do the work. But there are some improvements as the school year continues.
12/21/20216 minutes, 9 seconds
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COVID Hospitalizations Down; Precautions Urged

State officials say hospitalizations for COVID have declined from last week, but Nebraskans still need to take precautions.
12/20/20212 minutes, 2 seconds
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Byproducts

Even as tax dollars increasingly subsidize small meat processors, they struggle to make a profit while bearing the expenses of getting rid of the byproducts.
12/20/20214 minutes, 26 seconds
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Nebraska Casinos Move One Step Closer to Reality

The Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission approves rules for casinos at the state's racetracks.
12/17/20212 minutes, 11 seconds
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Lyons' Water Clears up After Repairing Temporary Filter

After an extended period of time with brown water, Lyons repaired its temporary, mobile filter. Terry Uding is the utilities manager for Lyons and said the amount of manganese in the town’s water has improved in the last week after mending its provisional filter.
12/17/20211 minute, 4 seconds
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Tyson Automation

Meatpacking giant Tyson Foods plans to spend $1.3 billion dollars over the next three years to automate parts of its processing lines. Nebraska Public Media’s Elizabeth Rembert reports on agriculture’s approaching robot workforce.
12/17/202135 seconds
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Failed bug of prison worker led to dropped drug smuggling charge

Last year the Department of Corrections sent out a press release announcing the arrest of an employee accused of smuggling drugs and other contraband into the state penitentiary. A few weeks later the charges against her were dropped. Bill Kelly with Nebraska Public Media News explorrf why the case never made it to trial.
12/17/20215 minutes, 41 seconds
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Latest COVID-19 Hospitalizations Alarming to Healthcare

The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services issued the latest COVID-19 hospitalization numbers Thursday. More than 600 hospitalizations and nearly 200 intensive care COVID-19 cases currently exist in the state.Nebraska Medicine is being forced to reallocate specialized care resources, according to chair of health security Dr. Angela Hewlett.
12/16/20211 minute, 10 seconds
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Prosecutors Deny Fortenberry's Defense Claim of FBI Bias

Federal prosecutors deny Rep. Jeff Fortenberry's defense lawyers' claim that an FBI investigator was biased.
12/16/20211 minute, 18 seconds
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Investigative Report Faults Nebraska's Contracting /system

A report by a special legislative committee says the Saint Francis Ministries contract is just the latest in a series of failed procurements.
12/15/20211 minute, 38 seconds
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State Canceling Contract with Saint Francis

The State of Nebraska is cancelling its controversial contract with Saint Francis Ministries for child welfare case management services.
12/14/20211 minute, 57 seconds
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"Start doing right now" and other advice from innovators

Nebraska innovators offer advice and perspective as part of the Nebraska Public Media "What If..." series
12/14/20215 minutes, 48 seconds
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Nebraska Supreme Court equation: 2 marriage licenses = bigamy

It’s a crime to be married to more than one person in Nebraska. It’s called bigamy. Such cases are rare. It’s even more unusual to have one make it all the way to the Nebraska Supreme Court. The case was State V. Johnson.Charlie R. Johnson had his name on two different marriage licenses naming two different wives. Charlie went all the way to the Supreme Court claiming only one was the real deal.
12/10/20211 minute, 17 seconds
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Lyons Hanging on While Water Filter Parts Linger in Supply Chain

Nebraska’s Department of Environment and Energy is discovering more information about the damaging effects of high levels of manganese in drinking water and asks municipalities to test for the toxin. Uding said fixing that issue and the like can be problematic.
12/10/20211 minute, 15 seconds
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Nebraska Cyclist is World Champion and World Record Holder

Nebraska-native track cyclist Ashton Lambie talks about winning a world championship and breaking a world record
12/10/20214 minutes, 25 seconds
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Husker Bowling Team Wins Championships, But Wants More Fans

While many Nebraska fans obsess over football and volleyball, the lesser-known women’s bowling team has racked up championship after championship. The team just keeps winning, and the bowlers hope more people will start to notice.
12/10/20215 minutes, 39 seconds
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Chadron State loss in Title IX jury trial surprised observers

In a rare federal court Title IX case, the jury in the Nebraska Federal District Court unanimously found Chadron State College failed in its responsibility to support a student who was raped on its campus in 2016. The court ordered Chadron State to pay $300,000 in damages to the victim. Morning news host Jackie Ourada spoke with Elizabeth Rembert and Bill Kelly, the Nebraska Public Media reporters who covered the case from the beginning.
12/9/20215 minutes, 37 seconds
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School Personnel Stressed, Seek Support

The Nebraska State Education Association says school personnel are stressed and leaving because of the strains of coping wth COVID and shortages.
12/9/20211 minute, 38 seconds
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World-Herald, Journal Star owner rejects takeover bid

Lee Enterprises, a major media company based in Iowa, rejected an unsolicited buyout offer from Alden Global Capital, a hedge fund known for drastically downsizing the newspapers it owns.
12/9/202151 seconds
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Mothers' Room Returning to Capitol

The Nebraska Legislature's Exec Board voted to reinstate a room for nursing mothers, but irestrict it to legislators and their staff.
12/8/20212 minutes, 22 seconds
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COVID-19 Rising to Levels Seen Before and After Pandemic Peak

COVID-19 cases statewide are rising to levels seen just before and after the state’s biggest peak last year. According to CDC data, more than 1,000 Nebraskans test positive each day. The last time Nebraska saw a 7-day average above 1,000: late October 2020 and early January 2021.
12/8/20211 minute, 14 seconds
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'The Quality is Very Good': Ricketts Defends Nebraska Roads

Governor Pete Ricketts responded to comments made Sunday in a gubernatorial candidate forum over infrastructure spending and the condition of the state's roads. He says roadways and bridges will be priorities when it comes to dishing out the newly passed infrastructure package passed by Congress in November.
12/7/20212 minutes, 15 seconds
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Kellogg Union Rejects Contract, Company Will Hire New Workers

Union workers at cereal maker Kellogg have “overwhelmingly” rejected a tentative deal on a five-year contract. The company says they now have no choice but to hire new workers.
12/7/20211 minute
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Senators Who No Longer Live in Their District, Praise Process

Two Nebraska state senators reflected on the state’s redistricting process on Tuesday at a University of Nebraska-Lincoln webinar, and they say it was the most partisan process they’ve seen in the legislature. As Will Bauer of Nebraska Public Media News reports, Senators Wendy DeBoer and Matt Williams are still happy with how it turned out.
12/7/20211 minute, 45 seconds
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Nebraska's Offutt AFB Helps Identify Unknown Crew Members as U.S

On the 80th anniversary of the surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the unidentified remains of 33 U.S. service members are being reinterred in a solemn military ceremony in Honolulu, Hawaii. It signals the wind down for a team of forensic anthropologists at Offutt Air Force Base whose work has helped positively identify more than 90-percent of the previously unknown crew who died on the U.S.S. Oklahoma.
12/6/20215 minutes, 27 seconds
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Recap: Farm Bureau's Republican Gubernatorial Forum

A few hundred people packed into a Kearney conference center on Sunday to listen. What they heard was, for the most part, standard conservative answers on policy issues – ranging from rural broadband to reworking the state’s tax system.
12/6/20214 minutes, 10 seconds
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Gering & North Platte Casino Developers Expect Decision Soon

Global Gaming Nebraska is an affiliate of the Chickasaw Nation. They expect decisions on its applications for two casinos to be handed down in approximately six months and could complete construction as soon as late 2023.
12/6/20211 minute, 11 seconds
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Nebraska Advances, Creighton Falls in Volleyball Tournament

Kansas knocked off 14-seeded Creighton on Friday. Nebraska defeated Campbell and Florida State last weekend in Lincoln. Thursday night, the Huskers will face off against the Illinois Fighting Illini, which upset the seven-seed Kentucky to advance.
12/6/202142 seconds
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UNL Anti-racism Plan gets Mixed Reactions

The University of Nebraska Lincoln's anti-racism plan was praised at a regents meeting but criticized by three regents later.
12/3/20214 minutes, 15 seconds
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Local Health Department Reports Six Cases of New Omicron Variant

According to the health department, only one of the six people were vaccinated. The Nebraska Public Health Lab later confirmed the variant. Nebraska’s acting state epidemiologist Matt Donahue said the identification of omicron reinforces the urgency for Nebraskans to get vaccinated.
12/3/20211 minute, 24 seconds
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Nebraska High School Sports Experiencing Referee Shortage

Jon Doliver is an assistant director responsible for basketball and supervisor of officials at NSAA. Last season officials were sparse, and this past fall and upcoming winter seasons haven’t been any different. Doliver said he’s concerned how schools will plan out officiating.
12/3/20211 minute, 23 seconds
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Lee Enterprises Blocks Play by Hedge Fund for Board Control

A fight for control of 77 newspapers, 24 of which are located in the Midwest, continued as a hedge fund known for slashing newspapers hit a speed bump in its plans to acquire Lee Enterprises Inc.On Friday, Lee rejected a trio of nominees Alden Global Capital nominated to its board of directors, claiming the nominations are invalid due to an error Alden made in the filing process that violated the board’s by-laws.Lee, which owns the St. Louis Post Dispatch, the Omaha World-Herald and many other daily newspapers throughout the region, is staving off a takeover attempt by Alden Global Capital, a New-York based hedge fund.
12/3/202132 seconds
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Firm behind Nebraska Niobium project quiet during annual meeting

NioCorp, the company hoping to dig a Niobium mine in southeast Nebraska held its annual stockholders meeting outside Denver on Thursday, but could reveal nothing about the status of the project. Management recently invoked a temporary news blackout, leaving investors without the type of status report provided in previous years.The brief news release on the company’s website only noted the company had re-elected its board of directors.For over a decade, Colorado-based NioCorp advanced proposals to extract the minerals Niobium, titanium, and scandium found below the farmland near Elk Creek, Nebraska. Manufacturers use the elements to create strong metal alloys. Attracting billion-dollar investors to bankroll the massive project proved to be a painstaking process.
12/3/20211 minute, 23 seconds
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Robots in the Workforce

Now, more than ever, robots are making their way into people’s lives and not just in urban coastal cities like New York and California. Right here in Nebraska, there are robots that can bust tables, check inventory and more. As labor shortages continue and robots become more advanced, are we at the beginning of a robotic revolution? Nebraska Public Media’s William Padmore has the story
12/3/20215 minutes
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Kellogg's Company Reaches Tentative Deal With Its Union Members

Striking workers at cereal maker Kellogg's factories in Nebraska and other states have reached a tentative deal with the company.
12/2/202155 seconds
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Sickest COVID Patients on Ventilators are Getting Younger

As of Tuesday, 555 Nebraskans were hospitalized with COVID-19. That’s an increase of 42 from one week ago. These numbers are similar to those seen one year ago – right before the pandemic reached its peak in the state.The difference between now and then is what else is going on in these hospitals. One year ago, elective surgeries weren’t happening and most were just focused on COVID. But, now, regular activities have resumed, and that’s strained hospitals..
12/1/20213 minutes, 38 seconds
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Nebraska's Fire Season Is Still Going In December

Nebraska's wildfire season was both longer and more intense than usual. The Nebraska Emergency Management Agency said the season is not over yet.
12/1/20211 minute, 34 seconds
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Consultants scouting new prison sites; final decision pending

Consultants will look at possible sites for a new Nebraska prison, while lawmakers decide how to proceed
12/1/20216 minutes, 12 seconds
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Small Nebraska Town Experiencing Water Filtering Issues

Terry Uding works in utilities for Lyons, a town of about 800 people roughly 75 miles north of Omaha. Its tap water has recently turned a dark brown color at times. Uding said it's because of an old filtration system that needs replacing. Lyons is experiencing the pitfalls of supply chain delays and is working with a contractor to replace its filtration system.
12/1/20211 minute, 47 seconds
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How Supply Chain Issues Could Affect Nebraska Christmas Stores

Christmas season is here and local businesses are gearing up for the season, but supply chain issues may have affected some stores.
12/1/20211 minute, 44 seconds
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Two State Senators Call on UNL Chancellor to Resign

Two Nebraska State Senators are calling on the University of Nebraska -Lincoln’s Chancellor to resign. Nebraska Public Media’s In a letter, the Panhandle’s Steve Erdman and Hasting’s Steve Halloran are calling for UNL Chancellor Ronnie Green’s removal after they claim he misled lawmakers and others in state government multiple times during his tenure. Most recently, they say Green misled Governor Pete Ricketts about his support for the university’s equity and diversity plan.
11/30/20211 minute, 44 seconds
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What to Know About Omicron Variant and COVID-19 Boosters

Omicron, a new COVID-19 variant, has been detected in South Africa and has already reached Canada. While COVID-19 cases in Nebraska are up by 12.5% over the past month, one infectious disease expert said we’ve entered a new and dangerous phase of the pandemic.
11/29/20211 minute, 43 seconds
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Fortenberry Seeks Information on FBI Agent's Bias

Lawyers for Rep. Jeff Fortenberry are seeking information about FBI Agent Todd Carter's alleged bias.
11/29/202157 seconds
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Officials Offer Winter Driving Tips

Nebraska offiiclals urge drivers to take it easy and use new tools for safer winter driving.
11/29/20211 minute, 23 seconds
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UNL & Creighton Hosting National Volleyball Tournament this Week

As announced Sunday evening, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln earned the number-ten overall seed for this year’s tournament.Creighton University was awarded the number-14 seed. The Bluejays host Ole Miss in the first round and will welcome Oregon and Kansas to Omaha as well.
11/29/202148 seconds
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COVID on the Rise in Nebraska Headed Into Thanksgiving Weekend

Headed into Thanksgiving weekend, COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are on the climb in Nebraska. According to the state’s dashboard, COVID hospitalizations reached 513 Tuesday. That’s nearly 12% of the state’s beds. Hospitals, as a whole, remain strained but some pressure has subsided. Around 20% of both regular adult beds and ICUs are available statewide. ICUs had dropped to single digits last week.
11/24/20211 minute, 12 seconds
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Nebraska Commission on Latino-Americans Director Retires

The Executive Director of the Nebraska Commission on Latino-Americans will retire on Dec. 31, 2021 after 11 years of service.
11/23/20214 minutes, 30 seconds
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Court settlement clears path for church construction in Walthill

After a drawn-out battle in federal court, a church in Walthill, Nebraska, may soon be able to build a church in the village's business district. The Light of the World Church, with the backing of the U.S. government, claimed the village board discriminated against a religious organization when it rejected its request for a change in zoning.
11/23/20211 minute, 13 seconds
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Family of Fallen Student Athlete Seek Changes to Official Guidel

After the death of 16-year-old Omaha native Drake Geiger last summer during football practice, his family is fighting to have the heat-related Nebraska School Activities Association guidelines changed.
11/23/20215 minutes, 29 seconds
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Buffalo Creek Wildfire at 80 Percent Containment

A total of 26-hundred acres have burned in Banner and Scotts Bluff counties. Numerous agencies have gathered in the Buffalo Creek Wildlife Management Area. The Banner County Fire Department and Nebraska Game and Parks continue to quench hotspots.
11/19/202133 seconds
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State Senators Ascend & Descend Kilimanjaro Safely

A simple text saying “summit” was sent as the five senators reached the highest peak in Africa. The team returned to the flat ground on Thursday Nebraska time. Republican Senator Tom Brewer planned the climb before four others asked to tag along. Anna Wishart, Justin Wayne, Dave Murman, and Ben Hansen, two democrats and two republicans, respectively, in the officially nonpartisan legislature. It’s as diverse racially as they are in political philosophy. Brewer is Native American and a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, and Senator Wayne is part African American, while the other three are white.Brewer said the Nebraska group hiked up the mountain alongside a much more limber group of people, compared to themselves.
11/19/20212 minutes, 14 seconds
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All Nebraska Representatives Vote Against Build Back Better Act

The House passed the reconciliation bill nearly on party lines – with just one Democrat voting against the bill. Biden’s spending package now heads to the senate.
11/19/20211 minute, 34 seconds
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Big Ag U Part 3

From Iowa to Oklahoma to Kansas, universities are working more closely with agribusiness in search of ways to pay for projects where tax dollars have become more scarce. Critics worry that agriculture schools might focus more on industry than the public interest.
11/19/20214 minutes
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Judge Allows Lakota Hair Cutting Case to Move Forward

Last year two Native American girls in Cody, Nebraska had their hair cut at school without their parents’ permission. That action prompted a First Amendment lawsuit in which the girls’ parents said their family’s religious rights were violated.
11/19/20211 minute, 46 seconds
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Judge Allows Lakota Hair Cutting Case to Move Forward

Last year two Native American girls in Cody, Nebraska had their hair cut at school without their parents’ permission. That action prompted a First Amendment lawsuit in which the girls’ parents said their family’s religious rights were violated.
11/19/20211 minute, 49 seconds
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Big Ag U Part 2

In 2013, the largest farmland asset manager in the world made a five million dollar gift to the University of Illinois to establish a research center. As part of the Big Ag U series, Harvest Public Media’s Dana Cronin reports on how the center was founded to study the very area of investment where the company has few rivals and has wandered into controversy.
11/18/20214 minutes, 1 second
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Chadron State sees women's wrestling as the next big sport

Chadron State College became the first school in Nebraska to sponsor an NCAA sanctioned women's wrestling team. Chadron’s Director of Athletics, Joel Smith, did not believe the lack of competing teams was a reason to turn away this new sport. He saw it as an opportunity. Adding a new sport had the advantage of being a good business decision.
11/18/20215 minutes, 28 seconds
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Lincoln-Lancaster County Planning Commission Approves Solar Farm

The Lincoln-Lancaster County Planning Commission approved today what would be the biggest solar energy installation in Nebraska.
11/18/20211 minute, 2 seconds
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Mixed Numbers: COVID Cases and Vaccinations Are Climbing

CDC stats show that COVID cases are up nearly 20% over the past two weeks in Nebraska. The Cornhusker State is among many northern states seeing increases. Overall, cases are up 18% nationwideCOVID hospitalizations are increasing too. Active hospitalizations increased to 477 statewide on Tuesday, which is nearly 11% of the state's beds. At the same time last week, there were 415.
11/17/20211 minute, 6 seconds
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Chamber of Commerce: How the Infrastructure Bill Will Impact NE

Chamber of Commerce leaders from the state and nation discussed today (Wednesday) how Nebraska could benefit from the hard infrastructure bill recently passed by Congress. As Will Bauer of Nebraska Public Media News reports, those Chamber leaders believe the state could see projects during the next construction season.
11/17/20211 minute, 43 seconds
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UNMC Leading International Study for COVID-19 Pill

Dr. Florescu said a separate study looked at the same drug and its effectiveness for outpatient care following a confirmed COVID infection. That study has good initial results and the pharmaceutical company MERCK is sending a request to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for emergency approval. Dr. Florescu and UNMC’s study examines the pill’s use for preventative care.
11/17/20211 minute, 8 seconds
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Big Ag U Part One

It’s common these days to see big corporate names plastered across university campuses – especially within agriculture departments. Whether it’s a building, an endowed teaching job or a research center, corporations and public universities are increasingly cozy.Reporting by Harvest Public Media and Investigate Midwest reveals just how much money has gone to Midwestern universities, and how that money can put schools in sticky situations.
11/16/20213 minutes, 48 seconds
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Before Title IX, Women's Sports Pioneer Claussen found a path

Earlier this year, the University of Nebraska-Omaha named its softball complex after Connie Claussen. She remains one of the most influential people in women’s sports in Nebraska. Recently Bill Kelly with Nebraska Public Media News talked with Claussen about her role. It’s part of our special coverage of the 50th Anniversary of Title IX and its importance to athletics and academics.
11/16/20215 minutes, 32 seconds
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UNO Tabs Creighton Associate AD to Succeed Trev Alberts

UNO chancellor Joanne Li and University of Nebraska President Ted Carter made the announcement that Dowell will be the school’s next AD. To do that, he’ll leave a job down the road at Creighton, where he served as the assistant vice president and associate athletic director for the private school. Dowell says he admires his predecessor Trev Alberts, who made the move south to Lincoln this past July.
11/15/20211 minute, 47 seconds
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Patty Pansing Brooks Running for 1st Congressional District

Patty Pansing Brooks has been a state senator for the Lincoln area since 2014. She’ll be term-limited out next year and has set her sights on Washington for the First Congressional District of Nebraska where she’ll run as a Democrat. The district encompasses rural eastern Nebraska and cities such as Lincoln, Fremont, Norfolk, and Columbus. Republican Jeff Fortenberry has held the seat since 2004.Pansing Brooks said healthcare will be an important part of her campaign. “I want to make sure that we strengthen the Affordable Care Act,” Pansing Brooks said. “Americans shouldn’t have to be uninsured and unable to get the insurance they need...
11/15/20211 minute, 50 seconds
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Electric vehicles

As more drivers buy electric vehicles across the Midwest, utility companies work to establish a charging network.
11/15/202132 seconds
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North Platte Hospital Concerned about Vaccine Mandate

President Joe Biden and CMS announced a COVID-19 vaccine mandate earlier this month for all healthcare workers. The rule applies to institutions receiving Medicare or Medicaid funding. Hospitals are expected to comply or federal financial support will be revoked. The mandate affects 17 million workers across the country.
11/12/20212 minutes, 27 seconds
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New Casino Rules Proposed

The Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission has proposed rules to govern casinos at the state's racetracks.
11/12/20211 minute, 51 seconds
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Despite Opposition, NSCS Expands Gender Identity Protections

Despite drawing criticism from Governor Pete Ricketts, receiving hundreds of emails, and hearing public comments for the first time, the Nebraska State Colleges Board passed two policies that protect against gender identity and more, late Thursday.
11/12/20214 minutes, 44 seconds
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UNO Study Analyzes Police-Involved Shootings

Justin Nix is a professor of criminology and criminal justice at UNO and said most states analyze officer-involved shootings by only looking at fatal shootings. He explained why that’s problematic. “You might actually be drawing conclusions based on the differences in the likelihood of mortality, than in differences in police behavior,” Nix said. “So, to get a more accurate understanding of the behavior, police shootings, we need data on all police shootings, because at the end of the day, I would hope we’d all want to minimize police shootings to the extent possible.”
11/12/20211 minute, 24 seconds
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Afghanistan Refugees Coming to Lincoln & Omaha this Week

Since the United States pulled military operations out of Afghanistan and the Taliban took control of the country in late August, 290 refugees have begun the process of relocating to Nebraska, and 191 migrants remain at military bases, but are prepared to depart for the Lincoln-Omaha area.
11/11/20212 minutes, 18 seconds
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Peterson Urges Reform in Military Sexual Assault Prosecution

Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson joined his counterpart from Illinois in urging Congress to enact military justice reform
11/11/20211 minute, 31 seconds
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Work is changing, but the pay gap between men and women remains

Meaghan Stout was 16 years old when she first learned she was being paid less than a man. She was the head hostess at Round the Bend Steakhouse, in Ashland, Nebraska, training a younger employee. The two were bantering about some of the more frustrating parts of the job when he mentioned his pay."The only reason why I'm still here is because I make $11 an hour." he said, according to Stout,. She said she didn't believe it. "No you don't," she replied. "Yeah, I do," he said. Armed with that information, Stout asked for a raise and got it.Speaking to the owner of the restaurant, she found out that the kitchen manager had given raises to the male workers, but not to the women. Even after getting the raise, Stout said she was mad at the kitchen manager for giving her co-worker that raise so early in his time on the job. The new employee had a fraction of her experience, but was compensated more because he was friends with the kitchen manager. “It was kind of depressing to only be barely in high school and finding out really quickly that things like that actually happen,” Stout said. Now 23, Stout has left that job behind, but the experience has made her more willing to ask how much people are compensated for the work that they do. Stout’s experience is reflected in federal data, academic research and the lives of many Nebraska women. According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Nebraska women make about 80 cents for every dollar a man makes.. This pay disparity, known as the wage gap, persists after decades of women fully participating in the labor force – and even 50 years after women were guaranteed equal access to education after the passage of Title IX. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt America’s relationship to work, gender differences in pay stubbornly remain.
11/11/20215 minutes, 38 seconds
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Six Hundred Names Added to Scottsbluff War Memorial

On Veteran’s Day, Nebraskans are paying homage to all our veterans, including Mexican-Americans in the Panhandle. Three new monuments with some 600 names engraved in stone will be revealed in Scottsbluff.
11/10/20214 minutes, 59 seconds
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Agreement Would Raise Prison Pay 40 Percent

A tentative agreement with the union representing Nebraska prison security personnel calls for raising base pay by 40 percent.
11/10/20211 minute, 26 seconds
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COVID-19 Cases and Vaccinations in Nebraska Climbing Last Week

According to the CDC, cases are up nearly 40 percent statewide in the past two weeks. The 7-day average stands at more than 800 cases per day. Two weeks ago, about 580 Nebraskans tested positive each day. More than 10 percent of hospital beds in the state are filled with a COVID patient. At latest check, state data shows 415 beds are occupied. Hospitalizations have hovered at or around that mark since late October.
11/10/20211 minute, 11 seconds
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Minimum Wage Hike Promoted, Questioned

Supporters say increase would help struggling workers; critics say other changes could help more
11/10/20211 minute, 46 seconds
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Title IX Lawsuits Allege UNL Mishandled Sexual Assault Reports

Nearly 50 years after Congress passed Title IX to protect students from sexual discrimination, outcries about sexual violence at the University of Nebraska Lincoln are still present. Also looming: Ten women are suing the school as part of two lawsuits. They allege the university’s Title IX office mishandled their reports of sexual misconduct.
11/10/20215 minutes, 55 seconds
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Minden Title IX lawsuit broke ground for public schools

A groundbreaking 1995 lawsuit demanding girls softball in Minden set a gender equity precedent nationally. A mother and her daughter sued in federal to include girl's softball and force improvement of facilities and treatment of girl athletes.
11/9/20215 minutes, 29 seconds
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Douglas COVID Update

Health Director Dr. Linsay Huse told Douglas County Commissioners there has been an increase in new cases and hospitalizations are creeping back up, similar to the ups and downs the state has seen several times during the pandemic. Douglas County’s positivity rate has also jumped about a percentage point since last week, to 9.6%. Dr. Huse said she’s keeping an eye on other parts of the world too.
11/9/20211 minute, 31 seconds
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Transgender Rights: A New front in the battle for Title IX Prote

The state of Nebraska ( along with more than a dozen other states) has joined onto Tennessee lawsuit that questions whether the Biden Administration has the authority to expand Title IX protections to include transgender students and staff. I talk with the daughter of a transgender student, Governor Pete Ricketts and several lawyers to help outline the state's position, it's opposition and what's at stake for transgender students if the lawsuit were to succeed.
11/9/20216 minutes, 27 seconds
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More Than a Game: NU Volleyball

The evolution of Nebraska’s Volleyball team may be the most visible effect of Title IX in Nebraska. By providing more funding and access to facilities, the team grew into a national powerhouse. Two of the team’s founders – Nancy Colson and Terry Pettit – discuss what the early days of Title IX was like.
11/8/20215 minutes, 19 seconds
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Garden City Meat Plant

Four decades ago, a town in Kansas and a town in Colorado competed to become home to a giant meatpacking plant that, at the time, was the largest of its kind in the world. Here’s what has happened to them since.
11/8/20217 minutes, 6 seconds
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66 Drug Cases Dropped Following NSP Evidence Breach

There have been 66 drug-related cases dropped in Lancaster County because more than $1 million worth of drugs were stolen from the state patrol evidence room in Lincoln.Anna Idigima and her boyfriend George Weaver Jr. allegedly stole and distributed drugs from a Nebraska State Patrol evidence room where Idigima was employed. Some of the drugs reportedly caused the death of nine people. A federal grand jury indicted the pair for selling schedule two controlled substances. They appeared before a federal judge pleading not guilty.
11/5/20212 minutes, 12 seconds
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UNMC AltEn

Dr. Eleanor Rogan with the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s College of Public Health leads a group 13 scientists and health officials from UNMC, UNL, Creighton and area health departments. The group has tested water and the air around the AltEn plant, which produced ethanol using pesticide-contaminated seed corn until it closed earlier this year. Several major leaks led to the closure, and a plan put together by seed companies to clean it up was released this week.
11/5/20211 minute, 43 seconds
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Known Death Toll at Genoa Indian School Now at 59

The Genoa Indian School in Nebraska closed in the 1930's, but the known death toll of children at the school is still growing. Nebraska Public Media's Jackie Ourada has more on the latest research into one of the country's largest Native American boarding schools and who might be buried there.
11/4/20215 minutes, 5 seconds
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Catholic Church Abused 258 Victims in Nebraska, AG Reports Says

Peterson says his office will not criminally pursue any abusers because the statute of limitations has expired. Those are legal frameworks that set when a criminal action must be taken. Still, Peterson has a message to churches. “Don’t ever put the reputation of your association, your church organization, above protecting the children," he said.
11/4/202154 seconds
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Nebraska Ranchers Rally Against Big Beef

Ranchers in Nebraska are rebelling against the “Big Four” meat companies by planning their own beef processing plant. They’re seeking a transformation for themselves, the industry and western Nebraska.
11/4/20214 minutes, 30 seconds
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Stinner: "Throw" money at Penitentiary Rehab or Build New Prison

The chair of the Nebraska Legislature's Appropriations Committee says the state faces a choice between throwing money at the state penitentiary to rehabilitate a 150-year old facility or building a new prison somewhere else.
11/3/20212 minutes
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AltEn Clean-Up

The 111-page remedial action plan was submitted to the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy earlier this week by the AltEn Facility Response Group. It’s made up of six different seed companies who used to supply the plant with seed corn used in the ethanol production process. The plan is part of the Nebraska Voluntary Cleanup Program and does not include AltEn, which ceased operations in Mead in February. Former State Senator Al Davis is part of the Perivallon Group, an organization monitoring the clean-up of the former plant.
11/3/20211 minute, 33 seconds
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COVID-19 on the Rise Again in Nebraska

Hospitalizations are up 6.5% over the past two weeks, according to state data. Currently, 417 beds in Nebraska are occupied. That's just more than 10% of the state’s capacity – which may mean the state could update COVID data daily instead of weekly if hospitalizations stay above the 10% threshold.
11/3/20211 minute, 8 seconds
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High School in a Hospital Could Solve Healthcare Worker Shortage

There’s a healthcare worker shortage in Nebraska, especially in rural areas. Grand Island Public Schools hopes to solve the shortage by offering high schoolers the chance to study medicine in a hospital.
11/3/20215 minutes, 20 seconds
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Frakes Discusses Prison Problems, Prospects in North Omaha

Nebraska Corrections Director Scott Frakes discussed problems and prospects for Nebraska's prison system in a north Omaha townhall meeting Tuesday.
11/3/20214 minutes, 16 seconds
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State Volleyball Tips Off Commemorating 50th Anniversary

All six classes will tip off competition at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln. Championship games on Saturday will be played at the Bob Devaney Sports Center, while some third place games will be hosted by Lincoln Northeast High School.
11/2/20211 minute, 31 seconds
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Attempt at Special Session on Vaccine Mandates Falls Short

Supporters of calling a special session of the Nebraska Legislature to prohibit vaccine mandates fell short of the support needed to convene lawmakers.
11/1/20211 minute, 5 seconds
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Despite Supply Chain and Jobs, Midwest Economy Looks Good

Because Nebraska is so dependent on agriculture, a sector that relies on exports and imports, Ernie Goss says the supply chain problems could hurt the local economy. In all, though, the ag economy keeps growing, he says.
11/1/20211 minute, 16 seconds
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Husker Recap

It’s been a season of close games and heartbreaking losses for the Huskers including games against Oklahoma, Michigan State and Michigan that could have easily been Nebraska wins. Saturday’s loss to Purdue means the Huskers will have to win the last three games of the season against Ohio State, Wisconsin and Iowa to be bowl eligible. Scott Frost says he’s not listening to talk about his future at Nebraska.
11/1/20211 minute, 14 seconds
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Farmers Sell Carbon

Some midwest farmers are getting involved in a research project to help determine exactly how good some practices are for the environment, specifically in reducing the amount of carbon emissions going into the atmosphere. Harvest Public Media’s Jonathan Ahl reports the goal is to have the data necessary to make good decisions, and possibly good money in the coming years.
11/1/20213 minutes, 34 seconds
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Challenges With College Sexual Misconduct Complaints Aired

Students are reluctant to face hearings and complaints require many personnel to handle.
10/29/20211 minute, 25 seconds
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Protective Order Filed in Fortenberry's Federal Indictment Case

New documents filed in the federal case against Nebraska Congressman Jeff Fortenberry will keep certain information restricted under a protective order.
10/29/202156 seconds
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LHS Student Wins National Songwriting Competition

Then, he was able to draw inspiration recently from a book called ‘The Portable Nietzsche,’ to write the song he submitted.“The song that I submitted ‘Overman’ was one of the first that I wrote, as I read the book from which the song sort of imagery and inspiration is taken,” Siebler said.
10/29/20211 minute, 11 seconds
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Kearney Museum Renovating, Closing for Two Years

It’ll be adding about 23,000 square-feet to its total floor area. The Museum of Nebraska Art, or MONA for short, will be overhauling its existing space, to supplement the sizable addition. Nicole Herden is the Executive Director at MONA and said visitors will have more options for enjoying the museum with added gardens and other lounging areas.
10/29/20211 minute, 22 seconds
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Place Matters Maps

The mapping project, called “Place Matters 4.0”, uses health data to produce maps that illustrate how where a person lives can drastically affect their health and financial stability. This is the fourth set of maps the Community Health Endowment of Lincoln has released...the others came in 2015, 2017 and 2019. Lori Seibel is president of the organization and says the biggest takeaway this year is that poverty has a dramatic and direct impact on life expectancy in Lincoln.
10/29/20211 minute, 41 seconds
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Big solar farm proposal advancing

Part of a proposed solar electricity generating facility near Lincoln has been approved by the Lincoln-Lancaster County Planning Commission.
10/29/20215 minutes, 22 seconds
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State to Give $140M to Local Child Care Providers

While some parents lost their jobs and couldn’t afford childcare during the pandemic, daycares suffered too. The state Department of Health and Human Services announced this week a $140 million-dollar stabilization grant to help child care providers in Nebraska.
10/28/20211 minute, 30 seconds
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State to Give $140M to Local Child Care Providers

While some parents lost their jobs and couldn’t afford childcare during the pandemic, daycares suffered too. The state Department of Health and Human Services announced this week a $140 million-dollar stabilization grant to help child care providers in Nebraska.
10/28/20211 minute, 30 seconds
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Program Will Increase Breast Cancer Research In Latina Women

In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month and Breast Cancer Awareness Month the California-based John Wayne Cancer Foundation funded a program to increase breast cancer research and awareness in Latina women from the Omaha metro area.
10/28/20215 minutes, 9 seconds
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LPS Says COVID Quarantines Up, Rolls Out Programs to Help Studen

The state’s second-largest public school district says it’s seen a slight uptick in coronavirus-related quarantines and has implemented several programs to help students and teachers get through them. More than 400 students and 60 staff members at Lincoln Public Schools have been quarantined so far this week according to the district's COVID dashboard. At Tuesday’s board of education meeting, Superintendent Dr. Steve Joel said the challenges related to the pandemic have been better, but aren’t over yet.
10/27/20211 minute, 29 seconds
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Nebraska's Economic Indicator Predicts Slow Growth in Early 2022

A leading economic indicator in Nebraska predicts a nearly one-percent drop in growth over the next six months. Results from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln September survey were released this week.
10/27/202149 seconds
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Top Two Big Ten Volleyball Squads Tangle in Lincoln This Evening

Coming off a top-10 win at home on Saturday against Purdue, Nebraska volleyball hosts number-three ranked Wisconsin tonight, October 27. The Huskers will get a big test of their undefeated Big Ten record.Nebraska and Wisconsin are first and second in the Big Ten standings, respectively.
10/27/202157 seconds
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Expect To Pay More For Heat This Winter

Some parts of Nebraska are already seeing snow, but gas prices are increasing too. The state department of environment and energy says residents should be prepared to pay more for heat this winter.
10/26/20211 minute, 12 seconds
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Congressman's Office Tries to Help Afghans Flee Country, Increa

Felix Ungerman is the Deputy Chief of Staff for Congressman Don Bacon and a veteran of the war in Afghanistan himself. He’s spent the past several months doing what he can to help Afghans with ties to Nebraska get out of the crumbling country. He said the biggest challenge has been helping people who don’t have documentation to prove who they are.
10/26/20211 minute, 38 seconds
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Southwest Nebraska Health Department Prepares For COVID Boosters

Nebraskans who have underlying medical conditions, work in high-risk settings, or are 65 years and older, are now eligible for a COVID-19 booster shot. Plus, children ages 5 to 11 could be eligible for the COVID vaccine by next week. One public health department is preparing to get more shots in people’s arms.
10/25/20211 minute, 17 seconds
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UNMC Lung Cancer Study Shows Better Outcomes for More Serious Fo

The year-long study used information from several databases that showed there were around 1.3 million cases of non-small cell lung cancer, the most common form of the disease, between 2010 and 2017. The study found while incidents of stage one lung cancer increased slightly, stage 2, 3 and 4 lung cancers were either stable or down. Dr. Apar Ganti was the first author of the study and says the survival rate of stage 4 lung cancer was around 26-percent over that period.
10/25/20211 minute, 36 seconds
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Lesson Plans Include Arithmetic, Art and now Agriculture for Som

Even in America’s breadbasket, most children know more about TikTok than livestock. But some schools are making farm work into classwork. As Harvest Public Media’s Katie Peikes (PIKE-iss) reports, they’ve built chicken coops and sheep pens near their playgrounds in ways that seem to pay off in the classroom.
10/25/20213 minutes, 57 seconds
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O'Neill, Valentine Focus Groups Examine Minority Race Healthcare

The focus groups aim to stimulate conversation about health status and barriers to healthcare for Native Americans, Hispanic people, African Americans, and people 65 and older.
10/22/20211 minute
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Agrex Shooting

Residents in the small town of Superior, Nebraska are still processing a tragic shooting Thursday afternoon that left three people dead at a grain elevator. The community in Nuckolls County is known as a peaceful, quiet place, and the murders have shocked residents.
10/22/20211 minute, 32 seconds
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Nebraska Native Conner Halverson Ready for Unleash The Beast at

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10/22/20214 minutes, 11 seconds
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Nebraska Chamber President Against Fed. Vaccine Mandates, Bans

The Nebraska Chamber of Commerce President Bryan Slone released a statement in support of businesses choosing how to implement vaccinations in their workplaces. Slone said he's against the federal government mandating vaccinations for federal workers and larger businesses. He's also against states banning mandates altogether -- an idea recently proposed by Governor Pete Ricketts.
10/21/20215 minutes, 51 seconds
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Union Pacific, Workers Sue Each Other on Vaccination Mandates

Union Pacific, one of Nebraska's largest companies, and several of its worker unions are trading lawsuits centered on President Joe Biden's federal worker and contractor vaccination mandate. In its complaint, the railway company said it's trying to comply with the President's executive order. The union says the company didn't negotiate terms on a vaccination plan, even though there are bargaining outlines in the Railway Labor Act.
10/21/20211 minute, 20 seconds
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Civil War Veterans' Ashes to be Buried in Plattsmouth

Kinkead’s ashes were recently discovered in Seattle through the ‘Missing in America Project’ where he passed away in 1916. John Surman with the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War said it's special for his organization to be able to return Kinkead’s remains to Plattsmouth.“I think any Veteran has a right, and I don’t care what war they were in, to have a proper burial,” Surman said. “It’s the very least that we owe them, and we actually owe them a lot more than that.”
10/21/202148 seconds
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Political Analysts Say Congressman Fortenberry Could Be in For I

Fortenberry has represented Nebraska’s 1st Congressional District since 2005 and has only faced Republican primary challengers twice in that span, in 2010 and 2012. University of Nebraska-Lincoln political science professor John Hibbing said his status as an established Republican in a solidly red state will help, but he likely won’t escape without some damage to his political reputation.
10/20/20211 minute, 36 seconds
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State Senator Behind Special Session Letter Says More Could Join

Earlier this week, 26 state senators, including Ben Hansen of Blair, delivered a letter to the Nebraska Secretary of State’s office, asking for a special legislative session to address mandatory vaccine requirements. Although 33 senators would have to agree to a special session, Hansen said there’s hope some could come around in the next ten days.
10/20/20211 minute, 38 seconds
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The Potential of Astrotourism in Nebraska

Tourism isn't one of the biggest money makers for the state of Nebraska, but implementing the newer market of astrotourism could change that. Author and dark sky enthusiast, Marlin, traveled to Nebraska to talk about the opportunity lying under our skies.
10/20/20216 minutes
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Coming Mobile Stage Seeks To Be Force In Socialization

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10/20/20215 minutes, 15 seconds
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Fortenberry Indicted

First District Congressman Jeff Fortenberry is indicted for allegedly lying to the FBI and trying to cover up illegal campaign contributions.
10/19/20212 minutes, 27 seconds
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UNO Expert Says Supply Chain Issues Will Make System Better in L

Dr. Anh Ta is an assistant professor of supply chain management at UNO and said what we’re seeing now is the result of a perfect storm; a pandemic, production shutdowns, an upcoming holiday and fewer truck drivers. We’ve heard the warnings about the availability of toys and other seasonal products, but Ta said this probably won’t last long.
10/19/20211 minute, 33 seconds
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Ricketts: State Ed Board should "Push Back" against Feds

Gov. Pete Ricketts says local law enforcement should handle threats against school board members.
10/18/20212 minutes, 1 second
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Some Striking Kellogg's Workers Returning to Work in Omaha

Some of the 480 striking employees at the Omaha Kellogg's factory will return to work Tuesday. The union's president says the workers could have faced consequences for not honoring their contracts with the cereal company.
10/18/20211 minute, 30 seconds
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Nebraska COVID Indicators Headed in the Right Direction

Over the last two weeks, according to the CDC, cases in Nebraska are down 13 percent. That’s a drop from an average of 650 cases per day to an average of 560 cases. Nebraska’s cases reflect a broader nationwide drop from the Delta variant. Hospitalizations are also headed down. The Nebraska Dept. of Health and Human Services tallies 375 hospitalizations as of Sunday. During the peak of Delta, hospitalizations climbed to about 450. The strain on the state’s hospital system also appears to be waning. More than 31 percent of regular adult beds are available in Nebraska hospitals. Just 22 percent had been free at the beginning of the month. The 7-day average for vaccinations also saw a slight uptick in the past couple days. About 1,800 people receive a dose each day. With booster shots being rolled out, it’s expected the number of doses given may rise just as it did in the spring.
10/18/20211 minute, 4 seconds
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Chestnuts Hold Good Opportunity for Midwest Farmers

Americans eat more than 7 and a half million pounds of chestnuts every year. Most are imported from Italy, China and Korea, Yet they could easily be grown in the Midwest. Harvest Public Media’s Jonathan Ahl reports chestnuts are a growth industry in the region, and offer an option for small-scale, low-effort and, importantly, profitable way to farm.
10/18/20214 minutes, 23 seconds
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Big Raises, with Conditions, Offered for Prison Staffing Crisis

The state of Nebraska is offering prison security personnel big raises, with conditions, to address a staffing crisis.
10/13/20213 minutes, 24 seconds
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Bob Evnen Opens Up

Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnan is opening up about why he’s running for re-election in 2022. Nebraska Public Media’s William Padmore talked with him….
10/13/20211 minute, 6 seconds
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Just Like Last Few Weeks, COVID Figures Remain Relatively Flat

At the latest check, CDC stats for the state have the 7-day average of cases down 5% from the week before. As of last Friday, that was about 640 cases. Hospitalizations, too, have plateaued. According to the state, 411 Nebraskans are hospitalized with the virus. Hospital capacity statewide remains strained. Between 20-25% of hospital beds remain open because of the pandemic and regular operations. In all, nearly 68% of the population older than 12 has a vaccine. Another 5% is partially protected.
10/12/202143 seconds
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Why Nebraska Parents Are Homeschooling During The Pandemic

In 2019 there were about 9,500 students homeschooling in Nebraska. Last year, during the pandemic, that number zoomed up to almost 15,000. This year it’s back down to about 10,500 but that’s still the highest total on record except for last year’s.
10/11/20213 minutes, 59 seconds
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Saint Francis Hearing Raises Questions of Responsibility

Legislators investigating a controversial child welfare services contract heard different interpretations of who bore ultimate responsibility.
10/8/20213 minutes, 56 seconds
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Child Vaccine Study by Omaha Hospital Helping with FDA Review

The study, being led by Pediatrician in Chief Dr. Kari Simonsen of Children’s Omaha, began in the Spring of this year. It will analyze 50 kids from around the region over two years, looking at whether they develop symptoms of an active COVID-19 infection.Dr. Simonsen says information on effectiveness and side effects on these age groups will be continually sent to Pfizer, and preliminary results look good. “I think that one of the most important things to remember about vaccines is there one of the safest and most effective public health interventions that we have on this planet,” she said, “maybe second only to clean water, in the number of lives that they have saved, and they work, and that’s the most important thing I think for parents to remember.”
10/8/20211 minute, 14 seconds
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Two Nebraska Universities Hope to Expand Rural Healthcare

He said UNK’s Health Sciences program is outgrowing its building. If approved, Kristensen said UNK would offer more health sciences programs accredited by the medical center, but there are details to iron out.“Obviously, we’re going to need some budgets and things to increase,” he said. “We’re going to need to increase our undergraduate offerings, to get students ready for this.”
10/7/20211 minute, 26 seconds
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A Nebraska doctor was writing a history of nightmare pandemics.

Dr. Lydia Kang, an Omaha doctor and author, was co-writing a history of pandemics, “Patient Zero: A Curious History of the World’s Worst Diseases,” when COVID-19 emerged and circled the globe. She gives her first-person account of living through the pandemic.
10/7/20214 minutes, 11 seconds
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Diverse Group of Senators to Tackle Kilimanjaro

A diverse group of Nebraska state senators plans to ascend Africa's Mt. Kilimanjaro in November
10/6/20215 minutes, 37 seconds
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RIcketts Visits Texas Border, Touts Plan to End Immigration Cr

Governor Pete Ricketts was in South Texas Wednesday, a guest of Texas Governor Greg Abbott. He was part of a tour of border protection operations in an area that has been inundated with undocumented immigrants. Ricketts was with a number of other Republican Governors, including Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, on the tour of the border area. Wearing blue jeans, boots and a blue shirt, Ricketts was seen talking to Abbott and the other governors in front of a backdrop of military Humvees and other vehicles. The group presented a ten-point proposal to end the immigration crisis, including calling up more National Guard troops to help protect the southern border.
10/6/20211 minute, 20 seconds
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Livestock Facilities, Parking Could Improve at State Fair

Bill Ogg is the executive director of the state fair, and said some proposed improvements to the fair’s campus at Fonner Park in Grand Island have sorted themselves to the top. “The improvement of the equine stabling, particularly for Fonner Park Racing,” he said. “The expansion of livestock exhibition facilities...
10/6/20211 minute, 33 seconds
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Committee Hears Requests for Spending $1 Billion in ARPA Funds

Testifiers presented a long list of requests to the Appropriations Committee for spending American Rescue Plan Act funds
10/5/20212 minutes, 8 seconds
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Nebraska Rancher Throws Rodeo Benefit For Wildfire Victims

Western Nebraskans are still struggling from wildfires, but one rancher from Banner County wants to help the community by throwing a rodeo benefit Saturday.
10/1/20211 minute, 5 seconds
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Plan for Common Area near UNL's City Campus Sent to Regents

“The goal of the development is to provide housing for retirees and for Lincoln’s international community,” she said, “and other amenities on property that the university owns and has been underutilized for almost two decades.”The university purchased the lot back in 2003, and has used it for staging construction crews.
10/1/20211 minute, 23 seconds
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Two Prolific Husker Hall of Fame Classes Inducted Today

Keith Mann with UNL Athletics said this year’s induction highlights tremendous athletes outside of Nebraska’s two banner sports.“People think, maybe, first of football and volleyball when they think of great athletes at Nebraska, but if you look back in the history of Cornhusker Athletics, it’s spread across a lot of sports,” he said.
10/1/20211 minute, 33 seconds
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Oversoses, Theft and The Fentanyl Crisis Is Hitting Nebraska Too

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10/1/20215 minutes, 36 seconds
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Oversoses, Theft and The Fentanyl Crisis Is Hitting Nebraska Too

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10/1/20215 minutes, 38 seconds
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Nebraska Restaurants Struggle to Fill Jobs Despite Raising Wages

Restaurant staff in Nebraska are working more than one job, some owners are doubling as dishwashers, and restaurants are reducing hours.
9/30/20211 minute, 35 seconds
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Redistricting Maps Approved

The Nebraska Legislature voted final approval Thursday for redistricting maps, and Gov. Pete Ricketts signed them into law.
9/30/20212 minutes, 10 seconds
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Eminent Domain Victory Could Be Short-LIved with More Fights Ahe

Earlier this week, supporters of property rights in Nebraska celebrated what they called a victory after a major energy company gave up attempts to condemn private property along a proposed pipeline route. But property rights advocates say there are more fights ahead.
9/30/20211 minute, 40 seconds
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As hemp growing expands, producers careful to produce legal crop

When lobbying to legalize hemp in Nebraska farmers promoted it as a source of fiber in everything from rope to paper. The market for those goods hasn’t materialized, but there’s been an explosion of interest in C.B.D. products produced from hemp. It’s a challenge to produce crops with only tiny amounts of THC. Complying with that dictate is a crucial element to consider as producers start to expand the state’s fledgling hemp production business.
9/30/20216 minutes, 4 seconds
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Nebraska Rural Communities Are Glamming Up Their Downtowns

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, some rural Nebraska communities haven’t stopped nurturing their downtowns to become places they’re proud to call home. Town leaders, business owners, and residents are flipping the script, hoping to attract newcomers and keep their youth, even in tough times.
9/30/20215 minutes, 15 seconds
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Nebraska Rural Communities Are Glamming Up Their Downtowns

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, some rural Nebraska communities haven’t stopped nurturing their downtowns to become places they’re proud to call home. Town leaders, business owners, and residents are flipping the script, hoping to attract newcomers and keep their youth, even in tough times.
9/30/20215 minutes, 15 seconds
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Nebraska Rural Communities Are Glamming Up Their Downtowns

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, some rural Nebraska communities haven’t stopped nurturing their downtowns to become places they’re proud to call home. Town leaders, business owners, and residents are flipping the script, hoping to attract newcomers and keep their youth, even in tough times.
9/30/20215 minutes, 15 seconds
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Nebraska Rural Communities Are Glamming Up Their Downtowns

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, some rural Nebraska communities haven’t stopped nurturing their downtowns to become places they’re proud to call home. Town leaders, business owners, and residents are flipping the script, hoping to attract newcomers and keep their youth, even in tough times.
9/30/20215 minutes, 20 seconds
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Bacon Says He's Angry About Afghanistan Withdrawal, Supports

Congressman Don Bacon said Wednesday he’s never been angrier with a President as an adult as he is with the way the Afghanistan withdrawal was handled by the Biden Administration. The Republican from the Omaha area has been part of several days of hearings reviewing what went wrong.
9/29/20211 minute, 27 seconds
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Bayard, Nebraska Farmer Growing Pumpkins to Fight Cancer

A farmer in Bayard (BAY-yerd), Nebraska, near Scottsbluff, is doing something unique for October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Aaron Bonderson of Nebraska Public Media News has more on a Halloween plant turned pink.
9/29/20211 minute, 42 seconds
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Redistricting advances; senators discuss nursing moms, gender

The Nebraska Legislature gave second-round approval Tuesday to redistricting bills, and senators discussed nursing mothers and gender pronouns.
9/28/20215 minutes, 46 seconds
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UNMC Infectious Disease Expert Says We Can Take Our Time on Boo

COVID vaccine boosters should be available this week in Nebraska for people 65 years old and older and other higher risk residents. Now there’s some advice on whether you actually need the booster and when everyone else will be able to get them.
9/28/20211 minute, 44 seconds
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Midwesterners Are Breathing Smoky Air From California Wildfires

Blood-red sunsets in the Midwest are striking but ominous illustrations of new data: Parts of the Midwest are being exposed to more wildfire smoke from the West Coast and Canada compared to more than a decade ago. Experts say the impact of the smoke on health in the region is a concern.Meteorological patterns — weather, air currents, fronts — sweep wildfire smoke hundreds of miles across the country. Nowhere in the Midwest is this increased exposure to wildfire smoke more pronounced than in western Nebraska. Take the case of Scottsbluff, a city of about 15,000 in Nebraska’s panhandle. From 2016 to 2020, Scottsbluff experienced a 45% increase in days on which wildfire smoke was in the atmosphere. That’s compared to an earlier period that was analyzed, from 2009 to 2013.A year ago in Scottsbluff the concentration of particulate matter — tiny pieces of debris suspended in the air — exceeded the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) standards. That was a result of smoke sweeping into western Nebraska from wildfires in Canada.Western and central Kansas also saw meaningful increases in smoke days, according to a data analysis conducted by NPR California Newsroom and the Stanford University Environmental Change and Human Outcomes Lab.“Although we see variability from year to year, the trend appears to be increasing impacts of smoke across Kansas over the last several years,” said Matt Lara, a spokesman with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment in an email.Lara said the effect from smoke may be mostly in the upper atmosphere, causing hazy skies and dramatic sunset. He added that sometimes, such as late July and early August this year, federal air standards for daily particulate matter are exceeded. “Some of these impacts may not be surface based but upper atmosphere and cause hazy skies and dramatic sunsets but others, such as late July and early August this year did cause air monitoring sites to exceed the federal air quality standards for daily particulate matter.”‘Expect this to get worse’Health and meteorology experts say the growing presence of wildfire smoke in parts of Kansas and Nebraska could pose health risks to those who breathe it in. That concern is compounded, given the likelihood that vast and intense fires from California and surrounding areas will persist.“All the science -- and there’s a lot of science on this -- suggests if we don’t change our game on this, people should expect this to get worse,” said Burke, who helped NPR’s California Newsroom assemble its smoke data. “It’s going to be worse in the West, but it’s certainly going to get worse in the Midwest as well as more people are exposed to smoke from fires in the West.”The analysis relied on satellite images captured every few hours by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that showed plumes of smoke billowing into the atmosphere from western wildfires. Those images were then plotted over nearly every zip code across the continental United States to show the areas where the wildfire smoke reaches.Smoky skies, clear effectsIn California and more broadly along the West Coast, the growing frequency and intensity of wildfire pose clear air quality and health risks.The NPR California Newsroom analysis examined data from state health facilities and found there were 30,000 more hospitalizations from cardiac and respiratory conditions in 2018, which was a record year for fires at the time.Shawn Jacobs, the warning coordination meteorologist at the North Platte National Weather Service office, said that the climate in central and western Nebraska may play a role in how smoke is distributed in the region. The state’s climate becomes more aird west of Kearney, Nebraska, and the lack of moisture allows for greater temperature swings. More fluctuation means more movement, preventing the smoke from settling, Jacobs said. These trends are being noticed by western Nebraskans.“So much so that there are times when people have called us and asked, ‘Is there a fire nearby?’ because we’re seeing this smoke,” Jacobs said.Colleen Reid, an assistant professor of geography at the University of Colorado who studies the impacts of wildfire smoke, said the health effects are clear when there are high concentrations of smoke in the air.That risk arises from tiny particles that are so small they can pass into the bloodstream from the lungs when people breathe.The particulate matter can lead to asthma, cardiovascular problems and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.The health risks are less clear the further the smoke travels.“In terms of the Midwest where you’re getting the smoke transmitted long distances, there needs to be more research to understand whether the long-range transport changes the way it affects health,” Reid said.Where skies are clearerThe presence of smoke is relatively muted in areas like eastern Kansas and Nebraska, as well as Iowa and Missouri. Wide swaths of northwest Missouri had modest increases in exposure to smoke, but many areas of the state had decreases in smoke days during the two periods analyzed by the NPR California Newsroom and Stanford.The presence of wildfire smoke does not often exceed EPA standards for air quality in the Midwest, and it has never been enough to result in a violation of the Clean Air Act. Even so, EPA officials keep an eye on wildfire smoke migrating from the west to the Midwest.“It is something that is on our radar; it’s a concern,” said Lance Avey, an air and radiation division meteorologist for the EPA’s Region 7, which covers Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri.Doug Norsby, air quality planner with the Mid-America Regional Council, said that while the occurrence of poor air quality days in the Kansas City region from wildfire smoke are infrequent, the presence of particulate matter from smoke is an issue that has captured the organization’s attention.“I would say it’s a flashing warning light on our mental dashboard,” said Norsby.The EPA is currently evaluating particulate matter from wildfire smoke and other sources to determine whether it should change its air quality standards. That review happens every five years.Why wildfires?Experts said two main causes have triggered the increase in wildfires along the West Coast, Canada and the Rockies. One is the tendency to extinguish small fires that, if allowed to burn, would clear acres of leaf litter and dead wood. Without those smaller fires, dry leaves and wood ignites and leads to the more intense and out-of-control fires that have plagued California and other western states in recent years.“The Smokey The Bear campaign has been really successful,” said Marshall Burke, associate professor in Stanford University’s Department of Earth System Science. “What do we do when a fire starts? We put them out.”Burke said California should carry out prescribed burns — also known as controlled burns — on more than 1 million acres of land in California each year. “We’re not doing anything close to that,” Burke said.Reduced rainfall and rising temperatures from climate change also make for stronger wildfires.Those blood-red sunsets are a telltale sign of smoke in the air.Eric James, a scientist with NOAA’s global systems laboratory, said large fires that pump smoke into the upper atmosphere enter the jet stream and can travel across the continental United States.“We see this most years, this long-range transport of smoke,” James said “It has gotten more intense in the last few years from what we’ve seen.”The Midwest has the occasional wildfire, as well as controlled burns in places like the Flint Hills in Kansas. But James said most of the wildfire smoke in the Midwest is attributed to western blazes.“I think the majority of the impact is from these large forest fires in the Pacific coastal states, Colorado and the intermountain west,” James said.
9/28/20213 minutes, 13 seconds
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Nebraska COVID Cases, Hospitalizations Dip in Latest Data

As of last Thursday, the 7-day average of cases stood at 670. A week prior, the average was just over 800. The last few weeks, cases in Nebraska have bounced around between the 600s and 800s – and it appears cases have plateaued.The largest COVID-19 transmission lies in mostly rural counties scattered across the state, according to the state’s dashboard. The statewide case rate stands at 435. Five counties – Box Butte, Frontier, McPherson, Valley and Wheeler – all hold case rates above 1,000.As for hospitalizations, they saw a favorable dip last week. At the latest check, the Dept. of Health and Human Services tallied 407 occupied beds last Thursday, which is about 10.5% of the state’s capacity. A few days prior, nearly 450 beds were filled.
9/27/202159 seconds
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Legislature advances plan for congressional redistricting

The Nebraska Legislature gave first-round approval Friday to a map redrawing the state's congressional districts.
9/24/20211 minute, 53 seconds
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Legislature advances plan for congressional redistricting

The Nebraska Legislature gave first-round approval Friday to a map redrawing the state's congressional districts.
9/24/20213 minutes, 14 seconds
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Audit Discovers Drugs Missing from Nebraska State Patrol Evidenc

The Lincoln Police Department said Friday an audit has revealed over a million dollar’s worth of illegal drugs is missing from the Nebraska State Patrol’s evidence room. A State Patrol employee and her boyfriend have been arrested in connection with fentanyl-laced cocaine that's been connected to a number of overdoses and deaths in the Lincoln area. Some of the tainted drugs are believed to be among those stolen from the evidence room.
9/24/20212 minutes, 13 seconds
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Peas, Beans Gain Momentum in the Great Plains

Farming beans and peas is gaining traction in the Midwest as demand increases for the products and the conservation benefits become more clear.
9/24/20213 minutes, 44 seconds
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South Heartland Health District Says COVID Cases Have Accelerate

On Friday, Health Director Michele Bever said in June, there were only eight new cases of COVID 19 in Adams, Clay, Nuckolls and Webster counties. Last week alone, the district saw 231 new cases with another 147 cases so far this week and a positivity rate of almost 20%. Bever said the numbers are clear when it comes to vaccination.
9/24/20211 minute, 28 seconds
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"It's scary." Nebraska prison staff share fears of violence

Dozens of workers in Nebraska’s prison system quit their jobs this year, blaming long hours and fear for their safety. Those still on the job recently told state senators the result frustrated employees, inmates ready to take advantage of lax security, and an uneasy feeling there are dangerous days ahead.
9/23/20215 minutes, 21 seconds
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Redistricting Work Continues; Saint Francis Contract Scrutinized

The Nebraska Legislature continued its work on redistricting Thursday, and lawmakers prepared to take a closer look at the state's child welfare contract with Saint Francis Ministries.
9/23/20212 minutes, 4 seconds
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Staff Shortage, Illnesses Prompt GIPS to Cancel Classes Friday

Class is cancelled Friday for students at Grand Island Public Schools. Dr Tawana Grover, the district’s superintendent, says the schools are facing multiple challenges right now: a shortage of staff, more sick students and teachers, and an overall sense of burnout.
9/23/20215 minutes, 23 seconds
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Symptom Confusion? You're Not Alone With Allergy Season Here

Over the last year and half of the pandemic, a case of the sniffles or a sore throat has turned into full-blown panic for some who weren’t sure if they had COVID or not. Doctors say it’s understandable because things like strep, the flu, colds and allergies often have similar symptoms, so it’s hard to tell, even for them.
9/23/20211 minute, 37 seconds
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Hilgers: Redistricting and Primary could be Delayed

Speaker of the Legislature Mike Hilgers said redistricting and next year's primary election could be delayed if senators can't reach agreement by Saturday.
9/21/20214 minutes, 13 seconds
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COVID Rising, While Vaccinations Plateau in New Dashboard

Cases and hospitalizations are rising, while vaccinations have plateaued. On Nebraska’s new COVID dashboard, the 7-day average of daily cases, as of Monday, stands at 526. That figure will likely grow as the Nebraska Dept. of Health and Human Services counts all the tests over the next week. There are 448 Nebraskans hospitalized with COVID. That’s more than 11% of the state’s hospital beds, and the main reason Gov. Pete Ricketts brought the dashboard back. He did so via an executive order Monday. The dashboard was absent since late June, when the previous order expired.
9/21/20211 minute, 6 seconds
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Nebraska Health Leaders Highlight State's Suicide Prevention Eff

State health officials are highlighting Nebraska’s suicide prevention efforts as part of a month-long outreach to raise awareness about resources available. Governor Pete Ricketts has declared September Suicide Prevention Month in Nebraska. The state has a number of resources for people struggling with suicidal thoughts and their loved ones and friends. Cheri Dawson is the Director of Behavioral Health with the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.
9/20/20211 minute, 30 seconds
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UNL Professor's Research Aims to Understand Climate Change

“The bigger picture [is] looking at whether or not diets changed in the mammals who were around at the time, or whether the type of locomotion they used changed,” Secord said. “In other words, were they living up in the trees? Were they living on the ground?”
9/20/20211 minute, 21 seconds
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Legislature Tangles over Congressional Redistricting

The Nebraska Legislature began debate Friday on a proposal for congressional redistricting
9/17/20213 minutes, 54 seconds
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Lieutenant Governor Mike Foley Discusses Overseas Trade Mission

Nebraska’s Lieutenant Governor Mike Foley recently returned from an overseas trade mission. He talks about some French companies wanting to open facilities in Nebraska to be closer to the state's corn supply and it's many benefits.
9/17/20215 minutes, 6 seconds
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Law Students Talk U.S. Constitution at Lincoln Middle Schools

Students at the University of Nebraska College of Law talked about the U.S. Constitution to six middle schools in Lincoln today, September 17, after the annual event was cancelled due to COVID-19 last year.
9/17/20211 minute, 36 seconds
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Marine from Omaha Killed in Afghanistan Laid to Rest after Emoti

Friends and family of fallen Omaha-area Marine Corporal Daegan Page paid their final respects Friday in an emotional funeral service near where he grew up. The send-off honored a young man who was killed by a suicide bomb blast in Afghanistan last month.
9/17/20211 minute, 20 seconds
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Nebraska Furniture Mart Could Win Property Taxes from KC

The Kansas Board of Tax Appeals sided with Nebraska Furniture Mart's protest of its tax bill in Wyandotte County in the latest of so-called "dark store theory" cases.
9/17/202138 seconds
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Omaha Redistricting Hearing Highlights Split on Second District

A public hearing on redistricting proposals showed a deep division over competing proposals to redraw the Second Congressional District
9/16/20212 minutes, 27 seconds
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Biden Plan has 775 Refugees From Afghanistan Headed to Nebraska

The Biden plan has 775 refugees from Afghanistan resettling in Nebraska, mostly in Lincoln and Omaha but in other parts of the state as well, including Grand Island, Kearney, Hastings and North Platte. Chris Tonniges is the CEO of Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska and said expanding the area where refugees can end up is going to help.
9/16/20211 minute, 32 seconds
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Garth Brooks Provides a Unique View on Nebraska-Oklahoma Rivalry

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the University of Oklahoma renew their football rivalry this Saturday, marking the 50th anniversary of ‘The Game of the Century,’ in 1971.Superstar artist Garth Brooks attended Oklahoma State University for Track and Field, throwing javelin for the Cowboys from 1980 to 1984. Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State played each other annually at that time, when all three were in the Big Eight Conference.
9/16/20211 minute, 33 seconds
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Nebraska Healthcare Workers Are Burnt Out

Two local frontline healthcare workers share their first hand experiences of battling COVID-19 in hospitals during the pandemic.
9/16/20215 minutes, 12 seconds
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Partisanship, Timing Concerns Aired at Redistricting Hearing

Concerns about partisanship and a compressed timetable surfaced at a hearing of the Legislature's Redistricting Committee Wednesday.
9/15/20215 minutes, 36 seconds
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Nebraska Television Pioneer Leta Powell Drake Passes Away

Leta Powell Drake, known for her work in Nebraska television, theatre and the arts, passed away Wednesday morning at the age of 83. She was the host of a popular children's program and acted in many local plays. Here son, Aaron Drake, calls her "a daughter of Nebraska."
9/15/20217 minutes, 21 seconds
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Study: Nebraska Has Second Largest Labor Shortage in Country

In a study by Career Cloud, which is a website that helps job seekers, the organization compiled stats from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and major jobs boards -- like Indeed and ZipRecruiter. Macy Sarbacker is an editor at Career Cloud.SARBACKER 1: “We found that, regardless of reasons for the businesses having difficulty filling these open jobs, the truth is that the picture really varies from state to state.” (0:09)
9/15/20211 minute, 29 seconds
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COVID May be Slowing; Hospitalizations Reached Former Threshold

Previously, the directed health measure threshold for some indoor restrictions was 10 percent. Generally, the state has kept between 4,000 and 4,500 beds on hand during the pandemic. The state is at or close to that threshold. For cases this week, just more than 800 Nebraskans on average test positive for the virus each day. That’s according to DHHS. That’s up a little from last week when the 7-day average was 735. Overall, though, cases are not rising as fast as they had been.
9/15/20211 minute, 12 seconds
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Statuary Hall Willa Cather Statue Entering Final Casting

Cather’s sculpture will be on display as part of the National Statuary Hall Collections at the United States Capitol in Washington D-C. Ashley Olson is with the National Willa Cather Center in Cather’s hometown of Red Cloud, Nebraska. She said along with Chief Standing Bear’s new statue at the Capitol, Cather’s statue is exciting for Nebraskans.
9/15/20211 minute, 18 seconds
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Proposed 2nd District Changes Could Swing Electoral College Vote

Changes proposed to Nebraska's Second Congressional District by Republicans and Democrats could change future Electoral College votes
9/14/20214 minutes, 5 seconds
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As Efforts to Being Medical Marijuana to Nebraska Begin Again, A

The effort to bring Medical Marijuana to Nebraska is entering its 7th year, a fight that has had many twists and turns, but no resolution yet. Nebraska Public Media’s William Padmore talked with both supporters and critics about how the process is evolving and where it goes from here
9/14/20215 minutes, 24 seconds
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COVID Numbers Improve in Douglas County, Vaccination Rates Don

Douglas County’s Health Director reported Tuesday that COVID case numbers are looking better, but warned against thinking the pandemic battle is over just yet. Health Director Lindsay Huse told Douglas County Commissioners case numbers are slowly dropping in after the recent delta variant surge. She said there are fewer pediatric COVID cases and hospital capacity has stayed fairly stable over the past few weeks. But she said vaccinations have slowed.
9/14/20211 minute, 16 seconds
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Redistricting session begins with idea to save rural reps

The Nebraska Legislature began its special session on redistricting Monday, with one senator introducing a bill designed to preserve rural representation.
9/13/20212 minutes, 27 seconds
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DeSantis, Cruz, Pence visit Gov. Ricketts' Annual Steak Fry

A handful of GOP leaders who could seek a presidential run in 2024 join forces at Nebraska governor's steak fry
9/13/20215 minutes, 49 seconds
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Hundreds Welcome Home Fallen Marine Killed In Afghanistan

A Marine from Omaha, who was killed in Afghanistan two weeks ago returned home Friday. Corporal Daegan Page, who grew up in the Millard area, arrived at Eppley Airfield on a military flight and was taken by police escort to a funeral home in Millard.
9/10/20211 minute, 10 seconds
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Hundreds Welcome Home Fallen Marine Killed In Afghanistan

A Marine from Omaha, who was killed in Afghanistan two weeks ago returned home Friday. Corporal Daegan Page, who grew up in the Millard area, arrived at Eppley Airfield on a military flight and was taken by police escort to a funeral home in Millard.
9/10/20211 minute, 11 seconds
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UNL to Honor Fallen Military at Saturday's Game

One of the families receiving a flag will be the family of Jessica Jackson-Barnett, who passed away in 2014 shortly after her time in Afghanistan. Jackson was assigned to disable enemy explosives, and she completed hundreds of missions, disarming thousands of bombs.
9/10/20212 minutes
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Senators set to Begin Redistricting

The full Legislature begins its special redistricting session Monday
9/10/202157 seconds
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Heineman Criticizes Republican Congressional District Proposal

Former Governor Dave Heineman faults adding Saunders County to Omaha-area district.
9/10/20211 minute, 51 seconds
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Memorial quilt collection adds perspective to the losses of 9/11

The 20th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks will be a difficult day for many. This month, an exhibit at the Quilt Museum hopes to show how memorializing a loss through art can be cathartic as well as heart-breaking.In 2015, The Quilt Museum became the home for the United in Memory 9/11 Victims Memorial Quilt. Nine of the quilts will be on display, along with other quilts created as a way to cope with monumental loss.The exhibit, Trying to Make Sense of It: 9/11, Loss, and Memorial Quilts, remains on display through October 16. The curator, Jonathan Gregory, explained, "quilts have been used uniquely throughout the generations and right up to today to acknowledge those losses, to try to establish some sort of a memory and to help us make sense of it."
9/10/20215 minutes, 1 second
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Explicit email snagged by high school results in arrest

A Staplehurst, Nebraska man is in custody after security software used by East Butler County high school flagged a sexually explicit email sent to one of its students. The message triggered an investigation that led to the arrest of 35-year-old Matthew French. He is accused of soliciting pornographic photos of a teenaged boy. In Court Thursday morning, the County Attorney brought three felony charges against French, including sex trafficking of a minor, child abuse, and attempted creation of sexually explicit conduct involving children. The County Court Judge set Bail at 500 Thousand Dollars.According to a statement released by the Butler County Sheriff’s Office, in May, the Superintendent of the East Butler Public Schools called “in regards to a sexually explicit email offering money for explicit photos” of a 16-year-old student. Security software used by the school intercepted the email, which included a sexually graphic questionnaire.
9/10/20211 minute, 21 seconds
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US Space Command official reflects on 9/11 attacks

US Space Command official reflects on 9/11 attacks
9/10/20218 minutes, 31 seconds
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US Strategic Command official remembers 9/11 attacks

US Strategic Command official remembers 9/11 attacks
9/10/20219 minutes, 6 seconds
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Senior US Strategic Command Official Reflects on 9/11 Lessons

Jim Conrad served as the Chief of Intelligence at the National Airborne Operation Center at US Strategic Command on 9/11. He reflects on the lessons learned from 9/11 and how the attacks changed crisis preparations.
9/9/202114 minutes, 54 seconds
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Redistricting Committee Will Air Competing Proposals in Hearings

The Nebraska Legislature's Redistricting Committee will hold public hearings next week on competing proposals for redrawing congressional and legislative lines.
9/9/20212 minutes, 25 seconds
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Lancaster County Employees Can Get $200 For Being Vaccinated

The Lancaster County Board of Commissioners hopes a 200-dollar bonus will help convince employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine. County commissioners voted unanimously earlier this week to approve the vaccine incentive.
9/9/20211 minute, 40 seconds
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Exclusive: New Lincoln Police Chief Talks The Role of Police, He

The City of Lincoln recently swore in their new police chief. Teresa Ewins (Ter-EE-Sah YOU-ins) joins the Lincoln Police Department after spending 26 years as part of the San Francisco Police Department. Nebraska Public Media News’s William Padmore spoke with Ewins about her policing strategy, the challenges of labels, and more
9/9/20215 minutes, 20 seconds
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US Strategic Command Chief of Defense Policy Reflects on 9/11

Dr. Mark Kyriss, US Strategic Command Chief of Defense Policy, reflects on 9/11 and lessons learned from the September attacks
9/9/202115 minutes, 2 seconds
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Dueling congressional, legislative redistricting maps proposed

Republican and Democratic members of the Nebraska Legislature's redistricting committees unveiled competing proposals on how to redraw congressional and legislative district boundaries.
9/8/20212 minutes, 14 seconds
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The Basmas

With the 20th Anniversary of the September 11th terror attacks coming up. Nebraska Public Media News reporter William Padmore spoke with members of Nebraska’s Islamic community about what it was like growing up in the “9/11 era” of American history. Norhan Basma is a 22-year-old first-generation American and her father, Hesham is 56 and originally from Cairo, Egypt
9/8/20215 minutes, 40 seconds
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COVID Cases Down Slightly This Week; Hospitalizations Up to 9%

The 7-day average for cases dropped from more than 800 cases per day last week to just under 700 cases early this week. This does not mean cases are headed down for good, and they very well could climb again. As of now, however, CDC stats look promising. Data from the Nebraska Dept. of Health and Human Services shows another 5-thousand cases this past week. That’s a little more than what the CDC has, but roughly shows a similar trend in cases.
9/8/20211 minute, 3 seconds
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Virus Expert at UNMC Says Mu Variant Something to Watch Closely

As Nebraska and most other states continue to fight off the delta variant of COVID-19, they’re also shifting their attention to a new threat, known as the Mu variant, which hasn’t officially made it to Nebraska yet. Dr. Mark Rupp is the chief of the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Division of Infectious Diseases and says the variant is making inroads.
9/8/20211 minute, 37 seconds
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Immigrants Who Are Victims Of Crime Need Emotional Healing

Immigrants, refugees, and asylees are sometimes thought to be very resilient people. And they are.. they’ve overcome abuse, trauma, and tragedy in their lives, but they still need help processing the trauma. The Center for Legal Immigration Assistance in Lincoln helps immigrants who are victims of crime apply for visas, and heal their mental health wounds.
9/8/20215 minutes, 23 seconds
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Redistricting committee begins map work; not yet to controversy

The Nebraska Legislature's Redistricting Committee began discussing maps Tuesday, without reaching the subject of congressional and legislative districts
9/7/20212 minutes, 21 seconds
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Nebraska Researchers Use Waste Water to Track COVID-19 Outbreaks

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us became more familiar with epidemiology and the researchers who try to track and prevent virus outbreaks. We've heard of uses like contact tracing, but that's more after the fact of spreading the virus. A newer method involves looking underground. When a person is COVID-positive, they can shed the virus through their stool. A new key to tracking and possibly predicting COVID-19 case outbreaks may lie in our sewer systems.
9/6/20214 minutes, 59 seconds
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UNL Hiring Victim Advocates in Response to Sexual Assaults

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chancellor Ronnie Green spoke with the school’s student body government earlier this week, after reported sexual assaults on campus last week. Patrick Baker is the external vice president for UNL’s student government and said the university is looking into adding two sexual assault victim advocates.Baker said the university is working on turning the Neihardt Residential Hall into more offices, specifically for the Women's Center and victim advocates.
9/3/20211 minute, 24 seconds
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State Ed Board postpones further development of health standards

The Nebraska State Board of Education voted Friday to postpone further development of controversial health education standards.
9/3/20212 minutes, 8 seconds
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Sarpy County Law Enforcement Opens 'Force Investigation Team'

The team will investigate cases where an officer uses force and ‘serious bodily injury or death’ occurs. Members of the Sarpy County Attorney’s Office, Sarpy County Sheriff’s Department, and the Papillion, Bellevue, and La Vista Police Departments make up the unit.
9/3/20211 minute, 30 seconds
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Kids Are More Likely to be Hospitalized For COVID-19 Than Flu

Governor Pete Ricketts said kids are at no more risk from COVID-19 than they are from the flu and shouldn’t be required to mask up for protection in schools. Local children’s doctor says otherwise.
9/2/20211 minute, 22 seconds
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Committee to begin discussing redistricting maps next week

The Legislature's redistricting committee will begin discussing redistricting maps next week, amid questions about whether those discussions should take place in public.
9/2/20212 minutes, 4 seconds