Government & Politics
Congress clears bill to avert shutdown, with vote promised later on Ukraine aid
WASHINGTON — Congress approved a bill Saturday night that would stave off a government shutdown until at least mid-November, though the measure doesn’t include Ukraine aid backed by both Republicans and Democrats. The bipartisan 88-9 vote in the U.S. Senate, just hours before a midnight deadline, took place after the U.S. House earlier in the […]
History foundation reaches agreement with state over $270,000 in misdirected COVID-19 funds
Editor’s note: story has been corrected to reflect that the payments will go to History Nebraska. LINCOLN — The History Nebraska Foundation has reached a financial settlement with the state over $270,000 in COVID-19 relief that was re-directed away from that purpose. The re-direction of the money led to the filing of a felony theft […]
Minnesota governor says Democrats need to ‘focus on what improves people’s lives’
OMAHA — The Democratic governor of Minnesota, a state that has passed progressive policies on abortion and education, urged Nebraska Democrats on Friday to emphasize grass-roots efforts, and “skate to where the puck is going to be.” “Don’t wait for a savior candidate to come along and be fantastic in a debate and run these […]
No interruption for now to DHHS services for Nebraska ‘Women, Infants and Children’ program
LINCOLN — Nebraska families receiving benefits from the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program should not be affected by the pending federal government shutdown, at least not for now, the state Department of Health and Human Services said Friday. In Nebraska, WIC each month provides healthy food, breastfeeding support, nutrition information and referrals to about […]
Women workers could bear economic brunt as federal child care funding ends
A huge chunk of pandemic relief funding that kept child care programs afloat for the past few years is set to run out Saturday, and policy advocates say the economic impact will be profound, with the ripple effect hurting labor force participation and consumer spending at a time when the country is still trying to […]
Government shutdown nears: U.S. House GOP fails to pass one-month spending plan
WASHINGTON — A sweeping government shutdown appeared inevitable on Friday, with the U.S. Senate stuck in a procedural holding pattern on its bipartisan stopgap bill and divided U.S. House Republicans unable to pass their short-term spending bill. Both chambers of Congress must approve and President Joe Biden must sign government funding legislation before midnight on […]
U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California dies at 90
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with more comments from senators and others. WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein died Thursday night in her home in Washington, D.C. The California Democrat was 90 and had announced in February she would not run for reelection in 2024. “She left a legacy that is undeniable and […]
Senators studying how to make Nebraska more inviting to military veterans
LINCOLN — Officials from several veterans groups plan to testify Friday at an interim hearing looking at how to make Nebraska more inviting to military retirees. State Sen. Jen Day of Gretna introduced the interim study resolution, which states that making Nebraska a more appealing destination for retired service members “can be part of the […]
Nebraska gender care restrictions take effect Sunday with little guidance, no regulations
LINCOLN — Restrictions on health care for transgender minors in Nebraska are set to take effect Sunday, but they’ll come with little guidance and without a timeline for future rules and regulations. The state’s chief medical officer, Dr. Timothy Tesmer, has been charged with drafting rules and regulations around puberty blockers and cross-sex hormone therapies […]
Panelists tout ‘second chances’ for prison inmates to help address workforce shortages
LINCOLN — Twenty years ago, Diane Good-Collins lived behind bars as Nebraska prison inmate No. 94586. Today, she’s the head of a community college program that has trained and placed in jobs 3,100 former state prisoners so far this year. Good-Collins, the director the Re-Entry Program (RAP) at Metropolitan Community College in Omaha, said she […]
Student debt relief scams on the rise. Here’s what borrowers need to know
Complaints about student debt relief scams are increasing as the date approaches for borrowers to restart payment on their student loans after more than a three-year pause. Consumer protection advocates say that the Biden administration’s student debt relief efforts, the subsequent halting of those policies by the courts, and the restart of student loan payments […]
GOP presidential hopefuls tear into each other and absent Trump at second debate
The candidates polling from second to eighth in the race for the Republican nomination for president largely agreed on policy, fought over their records and took aim at former President Donald Trump at their second debate of the year Wednesday night. Trump, who leads polls of the race by substantial margins, skipped the event at […]