News
Flood’s fundraising surges, Fortenberry’s sputters
Editor’s note: This story was updated at 9:30 p.m. Monday. LINCOLN — U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry’s campaign fundraising took a hit after he was indicted last October, accused of lying to federal investigators. Fortenberry, a nine-term Republican, raised just $70,000 from donors during the last three months of 2021. By comparison, he raised more than […]
Schools provide ‘kindling’ for COVID outbreaks in the community, officials say
LINCOLN — Schools provide the “kindling” for viral outbreaks, and schoolchildren are getting infected at higher rates right now, making it essential that more kids get vaccinated for COVID-19, two health experts said Sunday. Only 18.5% of children 5-11 years old in Nebraska have been vaccinated so far, and 51.1% of youths 12-19 have gotten […]
New funding for rural housing programs seen as ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ boost
AURORA, Nebraska — This city has a problem shared by lots of rural communities across the state: plenty of jobs but a shortage of housing for local workers. Local real estate agents relate stories of prospective buyers waiting months before they find the right house. One family, they say, lived in a trailer for several […]
Nebraska utilities say Bostelman plan to avoid rolling blackouts is unnecessary
LINCOLN — Representatives of the state’s public utilities lined up last week to oppose a bill that was portrayed as a way to avoid the rolling blackouts of last year’s polar vortex. No one testified in favor of a proposal presented Thursday to the Legislature’s Natural Resources Committee by State Sen. Bruce Bostelman of Brainard, […]
Creighton Law School steps up
Creighton University in Omaha was among 99 law schools recognized Friday by the Biden administration for their response to the U.S. attorney general’s call to address the housing and eviction crisis. Attorney General Merrick Garland said he asked the legal community for help, and law students and lawyers across the country stepped up to take on […]
Omaha explores new 72nd and Dodge library branch
Omahans might see a new and different library facility rise southwest of the busy 72nd and Dodge Streets intersection. That public library, which is not a done deal, is separate from the City of Omaha’s ongoing and controversial process to relocate the downtown W. Dale Clark Library to 1401 Jones St. Mutual of Omaha said […]
Republican Lindstrom touts teamwork, ‘new generation leadership’ in first ad
The first television ad from Republican gubernatorial candidate Brett Lindstrom emphasizes his “teamwork” as a Nebraska football player and says he would bring “a new generation of leadership” to the state. The ad launched Friday. Lindstrom, a state senator and Omaha financial adviser, faces an uphill battle to match the spending of the two most […]
Nebraska lawmakers overcome filibuster, pass ‘Convention of States’ resolution
LINCOLN — Nebraska became the 17th state on Friday to pass a resolution calling for a “Convention of States” to draft proposed constitutional amendments to limit federal spending, impose term limits on U.S. senators and representatives and reduce the size of federal government. State Sen. Steve Halloran of Hastings and 18 co-sponsors, all Republican, proposed […]
Fortenberry, Flood trade charges as 1st District race heats up
The race for the Republican nomination in Nebraska’s 1st Congressional District heated up Friday, with incumbent U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry attacking State Sen. Mike Flood as having a “history” of not following conservative principles, particularly on immigration issues. Flood, in a response from a campaign spokesman, later accused the congressman of “desperately lying” to divert […]
A top candidate for the U.S. Supreme Court was on ‘short list’ in 2016
WASHINGTON — With the retirement of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer by this summer, President Joe Biden has said he will fulfill a campaign promise of appointing a Black woman to an open seat on the highest court in the land. A top contender, who was vetted by the Obama administration in 2016 as […]
State plans to distribute free, at-home COVID-19 tests, open up hospital beds
LINCOLN — The state plans to distribute 200,000 free, at-home tests for COVID-19 and is working to open up more acute hospital beds in the state as a surge in coronavirus cases continues. The so-called “Hospital Decompression Program” would allow the move of up to 98 patients out of hospitals when they no longer require acute […]
Ricketts says no to second round of rental assistance for Nebraska
Nebraskans behind on their rent might miss out on a $120 million pot of money Congress set aside to help them. Gov. Pete Ricketts said Thursday that Nebraska will not apply for a second round of federal emergency rental aid. “The federal government has said that you no longer need any impact of COVID to […]