Government & Politics
Pursuit for funds from deceased Lincoln businessman expands to Iowa
LINCOLN — Two more financial institutions, including one from Iowa, have now joined the more than 20 Nebraska banks, savings and loans and credit unions seeking repayment of loans from a Lincoln businessman found deceased a month ago. In a court filing Tuesday, Lincoln Savings Bank of Cedar Falls, Iowa, maintains that the estate of […]
Gov. Ricketts now says he’ll be an applicant for vacant U.S. Senate seat
Editor’s note: this story has been updated to add comments from Gov. Ricketts’ press conference Tuesday morning. LINCOLN — After playing coy for more than two months, Gov. Pete Ricketts said Tuesday he will apply for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Ben Sasse. “For me, it came down to a single question: How […]
Ben Sasse makes it official, will resign U.S. Senate seat Jan. 8
LINCOLN — U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., made it official Monday afternoon, submitting a resignation letter that says he will leave office on Jan. 8. That would be only three days after Gov.-elect Jim Pillen takes the oath of office. Pillen, a Columbus pork producer and veterinarian, is widely expected to appoint current Gov. Pete […]
Group led by State Sen. Adam Morfeld launches effort to fight political “extremism and misinformation”
A Nebraska coalition of lawyers, educators and advocates on Monday launched an effort to battle what it views as “extremism and misinformation” against educators, public officials and members of the LGBTQ community. Led in part by State Sen. Adam Morfeld of Lincoln, the group of about 10 announced the creation of the Nebraska Legal Action […]
Target of loan fraud investigation was building multimillion-dollar residential complex
Editor’s note: this story was updated with new information learned Monday. LINCOLN – The target of a state banking investigation into alleged fraudulent loans was in the process of building a multimillion-dollar residential complex on the eastern edge of the Capital City. Aaron Marshbanks, who was found dead a month ago in a downtown Lincoln […]
Here’s when drug prices will start to decrease for Medicare recipients
Starting next month, a $35 cap on insulin prices will go into effect for millions of Medicare recipients. The lower pricing is one of the first of several policy measures Americans will see in the coming months and years under the Inflation Reduction Act signed into law in August. The bill also requires pharmaceutical companies […]
Nebraska man to be imprisoned for leaving a noose on Black co-worker’s work machine
OMAHA — A 66-year-old Omaha man has been sentenced to four months in prison for leaving a noose on the seat of a work machine used by a Black co-worker at La Vista-based Oriental Trading Co. The man, Bruce A. Quinn, was sentenced Friday to four months imprisonment and one year of supervised release by […]
Gov. Ricketts and Nebraska delegation wrap up trade mission to Japan
LINCOLN — Gov. Pete Ricketts on Friday wrapped up his second trip in about a month to Japan, calling the past week’s trade mission to promote Nebraska ag products a success. According to a media release, the governor and trade delegation met with Japanese government and business leaders to promote Nebraska beef, pork, ethanol and […]
State investigating what could be Nebraska’s largest bank fraud
LINCOLN — State and local officials are investigating what might be Nebraska’s largest case of bank fraud related to loans obtained by a recently deceased Lincoln developer. Claims by banks and other lenders against the estate of Aaron Marshbanks already total more than $30 million and may eclipse $50 million by the time all of […]
Pride flags and ‘safe space’ stickers: signal of student safety or political speech?
OMAHA — Some local parents and students consider a pride flag or “safe space” stickers displayed in a handful of Omaha suburban high school classrooms as inappropriately political. But these symbols aren’t political to local LGBTQ students. To them, these handheld flags, stickers and supportive posters help them feel accepted and safe. That is why […]
Record number of women in the Nebraska Legislature and in other states
LINCOLN — Nebraska voters in November elected a record number of women to the Legislature, sending new faces to join the 14 women already serving and setting a new high of 18. Women in 2023 will hold more than a third of Nebraska’s 49 seats for the first time — at 37% — with nine […]
Survey: Business forecast dimming for region that includes Nebraska
OMAHA — For the first time in 30 months, an index used by Creighton University to gauge the economic health of a nine-state region including Nebraska has dropped below growth neutral. That sends up “flashing recession warnings” for the first half of 2023, said Ernie Goss, director of Creighton’s economic forecasting group. Each month the […]