Trump taps Eric Hamilton for Nebraska’s US District Court
President Donald Trump announced via Truth Social that he will nominate Eric Hamilton to the U.S. District Court of Nebraska.
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Omaha father suing DHHS after records-request estimate of nearly $1M, 2076 deadline
LINCOLN — An Omaha father said he was “dumbfounded” when his request for transparency about a DHHS tool used in determining funding for families with disabilities led to a nearly $1 million estimate to provide records, with expected completion by September 2076. DHHS now faces a lawsuit over the estimate. Curt…
Ukrainians and Sudanese with temporary legal status will keep protections for now
WASHINGTON — Immigrants living in the United States with humanitarian status from Ukraine and Sudan will retain their deportation protections and work authorizations for now, the Department of Homeland Security said over the weekend. More than 100,000 Ukrainians and roughly 2,000 Sudanese with Temporary Protected…
Myth busting, values voting, Maine messaging
Three thoughts … Whether Nebraska wants to be like Florida is an open question. I’m a hard pass, but when the feds OK’d a plan to put the kibosh on certain kinds of spending for Nebraskans receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families’ Aid to Dependent Children funds, we became the second state they approved…
Who funded Nebraska Working People, America First parties? Law doesn’t require disclosure.
LINCOLN — Candidates and ballot-measure campaigns petitioning to appear on Nebraska’s ballot must disclose how much is spent on signature gathering. But Nebraska law doesn’t require new political parties to disclose their finances until they are qualified to have candidates on the ballot. For 2026, that leaves a gap…
With fewer public defenders, indigent defendants pay the price
AUSTIN, Texas — It was a good day for the defense. Standing in front of a judge in Austin’s Blackwell-Thurman Criminal Justice Center, attorney Matthew Shrum secured a ruling that spared his client from serious punishment on a shoplifting charge. In the hallway immediately afterward, the defendant thanked Shrum with…
2 states, 2 abortion ballot measures, and the effort to win over Gen Z voters
Editor’s Note: This story is part of Gen Z at the Ballot Box, a collaboration between States Newsroom and The 19th. Boise State University senior Cade Syvock opposes abortion. As president of the school’s chapter of the conservative group Turning Point USA, the organization founded by the late activist Charlie Kirk…
JD Vance is coming to Nebraska for a North Platte midterm rally
President Donald Trump visited Grand Island earlier as Nebraska is seeing a close Senate race between Dan Osborn and Sen. Pete Ricketts.
No Kings rallies in Lincoln, Omaha draw demonstrators opposed to Trump’s policies
Despite the organizers' attempt to give the event a “nonpartisan” feel, people said they hope the midterms go their way
Osborn’s independence continues to be scrutinized in Nebraska Senate race
Dan Osborn has vowed repeatedly he wouldn’t caucus with either party if he pulled off the upset in the bitter race against Pete Ricketts.
Trump back on the road as analysts see more congressional races shifting in Dems’ favor
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has a flurry of travel on deck in the final frantic weeks leading up to the end of the midterm elections, in which the GOP is vying to maintain its control of both the U.S. House and Senate. But that outlook looks increasingly less favorable for Republicans, as analysts say
Immigrants from Ukraine, Sudan could soon lose protected status
WASHINGTON — More than 100,000 Ukrainians and roughly 2,000 Sudanese immigrants are bracing for the possibility they’ll lose their humanitarian protections by Monday. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has not indicated if he will renew protections for Ukrainians, who first received Temporary Protected…
Data centers are now the largest financial bet in US history
The sheer size of investment in data centers is drawing concern as it surpasses all other historical booms and crowds out other more job-creating ventures. Until now, no industry had driven the U.S. economy with such force since the railroad expansion of the late 1800s, when titans battled one another to lay the…
California sued by Trump administration over demand to purge 20,000 voters from rolls
The Trump administration sought a federal court order Thursday to force California to purge 20,000 people from its voter rolls over claims they are not U.S. citizens, a major development less than three weeks before the midterm elections. The U.S. Department of Justice sued the state, asking a judge to validate its…
Justices uphold law allowing certain overseas voters to cast ballots for Nebraska elections
LINCOLN — A Republican-led challenge to overturn a state voting law allowing certain overseas voters to vote in Nebraska is over after a Nebraska Supreme Court ruling Friday. In an unsigned, 6-1 decision, the justices said challengers — the Republican National Committee and two Lancaster County voters, Jack Riggins…
Nebraska Supreme Court upholds validity of Fairness for Girls ballot measure
LINCOLN — The Nebraska Supreme Court on Friday unanimously upheld the validity of a 2026 ballot measure seeking to cement sex-separate school sports requirements in the Nebraska Constitution. Justice Derek Vaughn of Omaha, in a 7-0 opinion, agreed with a lower district court’s ruling that the Fairness for Girls…
‘Antithesis to that chaos’: 15-petition effort will soon launch, seeking Nebraska’s 2028 ballot
LINCOLN — Before announcing a statewide 2028 petition last month to suspend Nebraska’s fuel tax for two months each year, Eric Underwood had spent a week to 10 days finalizing the idea. That same day, on Sept. 24, Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen allowed Nebraska agricultural producers to request refunds on state taxes for…
Bipartisan permitting bill in Congress could speed energy projects, but draws green critics
WASHINGTON —Suddenly there’s hope for cutting the reams of red tape that can make getting new energy projects a seemingly endless slog. Top Republican and Democratic senators have unveiled a 417-page bill to overhaul the approval process, a pathway for what’s known as “permitting reform.” A debate is likely when…
Colorado student wins top prize at National Civics Bee Championship
WASHINGTON — Peter Daniell of Broomfield, Colorado, took home the grand prize Wednesday night after winning the National Civics Bee Championship in the nation’s capital. Daniell, a ninth-grader, was one of 52 students from all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and American Samoa who put their civics knowledge to the test…
Trump: Execution of Fort Hood shooter will not be livestreamed
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump Thursday announced that the execution of a man convicted of the Fort Hood shooting will not be livestreamed, a reversal after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said last week that Nidal Hasan’s death by firing squad would be public. “I think streaming the execution for all to see might…
Bidding wars, $15,307 diamond ring sale lead to $57K auction success, says Nebraska treasurer
LINCOLN — A diamond ring that had been stashed in an abandoned safe-deposit box for more than a decade now has a new owner. It went for $15,307 — nearly twice its appraised value — in an online auction organized by the Nebraska State Treasurer’s Office, which by law takes custody of such forgotten property and
Nebraska tax revenues hold steady ahead of new economic forecasts
LINCOLN — With a crucial economic forecasting meeting just weeks away, the last round of monthly revenue reports available to forecasters held mostly level with their previous predictions. The Nebraska Department of Revenue’s report on September’s tax receipts showed a net gain of 0.2% compared to what Nebraska’s…
Nebraska’s top election official forwards suspicious mail to FBI
LINCOLN — The Nebraska Secretary of State’s Office is among election and congressional offices nationwide that received suspicious envelopes this week. Secretary of State Bob Evnen’s office said the envelope wasn’t opened and was quickly isolated once detected, “in accordance with established protocols. The mail was…
Federal officials boost southeast Nebraska rare earth mining project
Federal officials voiced support Wednesday for a rare earth mine in southeast Nebraska. But the long-awaited project still needs final approval. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Export-Import Bank Chair John Jovanovic were among those on hand for a signing ceremony at the still-under-construction Niocorp mine…
Nebraskans are used to cheap energy, but the aging grid and data centers are driving costs up
Rising electricity demand from manufacturing and data centers could present a once-in-a-generation opportunity to modernize the electric grid, but rising electricity bills might make such investments politically unpopular. “This is not a sexy topic,” said Charles Hua, executive director of PowerLines, a national…
Nonpartisan government watchdog recommends automated activation of ICE body cameras
WASHINGTON — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection need to improve oversight and guidance for federal immigration officers’ use of body-worn cameras, according to a Wednesday report from independent federal investigators. Officials with the Department of Homeland Security…
Trump’s DOJ demands California halt ballots to suspected noncitizens
The U.S. Department of Justice is demanding California not count ballots from voters it says are suspected noncitizens, a move by the Trump administration to apply last-minute pressure as voting begins in the midterm elections. The Justice Department on Tuesday gave California election officials 48 hours to remove…
Powered by spikes in energy prices, inflation surges to 3.7%
Inflation grew to a 3.7% annual rate in September, according to an Oct. 14 report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, up from 3.4% in August. In the last consumer price inflation report before midterm elections, with voters already fed up with higher prices, September’s number was the highest since May, when it…
For our kids’ sakes, give us innovation — not unnecessary regulation
No parent wants to receive the call I got late in the night of Jan. 28, 2025: “Ma’am, you should take your daughter to the emergency room right away.” The good news? We were already there—because an AI chatbot had recommended the ER two hours earlier while my husband and I waited to hear back
Powell and Harding duel it out in Nebraska 2nd District debate
Throughout the debate, each tried to paint the other as extreme, as they've been doing throughout the campaign.
Iowa and Nebraska attorneys general, 2 others move to sue OpenAI in state courts
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird and counterparts from three other states announced plans Wednesday to sue OpenAI in state courts, alleging ChatGPT harmed children and violated each state’s consumer fraud act. Bird was joined by attorneys general Kris Kobach of Kansas, Mike Hilgers of Nebraska, and JB McCuskey of…
Omaha’s planned $80M public market sprouts from old roots
OMAHA — The $80 million indoor public market being built along downtown Omaha’s riverfront is envisioned as a year-round draw for tourists as well as statewide farmers and locals seeking to sell and buy specialty and Nebraska-centric goods. The three-level glass structure will span 50,000 square feet featuring an…
In ‘purple’ Legislative District 12, swing-vote Riepe faces Democrat challenger Knorr
LINCOLN — State Sen. Merv Riepe has racked up eight years of service in the Nebraska Legislature, but he is eligible for reelection because his two terms were not consecutive. The retired hospital administrator was first elected in 2014 to represent District 12, encompassing Ralston and a portion of western Omaha. In…
Four products still standing in Nebraska chamber’s annual manufacturing contest
LINCOLN — Now down to four contest finalists, voting has opened for the third and final round of this year’s “Coolest Thing Made in Nebraska” competition organized by the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Of the final four products, two are made in the western Nebraska city of Gering. The annual bracket-style…
Social Security benefits increase will hit 3.6% in 2027
WASHINGTON — The Social Security Administration announced on Wednesday that recipients will receive a 3.6% increase in benefits in 2027. The cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, will begin for 72 million Social Security beneficiaries in January. It will apply for Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, recipients…
Advocates, Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission continue to clash over agency’s direction
LINCOLN — The tension between voters and the appointed members of the Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission has not faded in the year since the commission issued its first licenses. A public hearing on the commission’s latest proposed changes to its rules and regulations is Thursday. However, some concern extends…
Public can weigh in on Nebraska medical cannabis regulations Thursday
LINCOLN — People wishing to weigh in on the latest regulations for the Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission can do so in person Thursday or by sending in written comments by the end of the day. The public hearing begins at 1 p.m. Thursday at the State Office Building in downtown Lincoln. It will run for
Trump administration appeals judge’s order blocking White House ban of 3 news outlets
WASHINGTON — A federal judge late Tuesday extended a block on a Trump administration ban of press passes for three news organizations, which will allow them to continue to enter the White House grounds while a legal challenge to the ban, including a Wednesday appeal filed by the administration, plays out. U.S…
Researchers point to community violence programs, pandemic recovery in historic homicide decline
As candidates debate public safety ahead of the midterm elections, a new assessment of the nation’s historic homicide decline suggests there is no single explanation for the drop — and that some widely discussed enforcement strategies may have played little role. A survey of nearly 50 crime scholars convened by the…
Feds approve Nebraska’s request to block TANF funds for drugs, psychics, music, porn and more
LINCOLN — The federal government has approved Nebraska’s request to bar temporary financial assistance for tobacco, tattoos, psychic readings, video games and other “inappropriate and nonessential purchases.” U.S. Assistant HHS Secretary Alex Adams, head of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’…
Cost of living looms over Nebraska Senate race
Nebraska U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts and his top opponent, registered independent Dan Osborn, agree the cost of living is top of mind for voters.
Trump pressed states for info on millions of voters in the midterms. It’s mostly failed.
Three weeks before Election Day, the Trump administration’s sprawling project to send sensitive personal information on millions of voters to the Department of Homeland Security has been declared illegal by a federal judge. The blistering court decision comes after the Department of Justice pressured or sued states…
Students to compete in civics bee championship in nation’s capital, carried on C-SPAN
WASHINGTON — As partisan tensions rise in advance of the fast-approaching midterm elections, students will test their knowledge Wednesday in a field that’s long enjoyed bipartisan support: civics. Fifty-two middle school students hailing from all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and American Samoa, will compete at the…
Nebraska attorney general candidates take differing approaches to campaign trail
LINCOLN — While Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers said he views his public service one term at a time, it was a quick decision to seek reelection. With an upcoming U.S. Supreme Court case concerning Colorado’s water rights with the South Platte River, his ongoing legal battle with TikTok and other pending…
Data center backlash set to sway midterm elections
In the course of a single election cycle, the backlash against data centers has grown from an issue at local planning commission and city council meetings to become a flashpoint in state and federal races across the country. Candidates who once touted data centers as an economic boon have backtracked, and voters in at…
US senators from both parties blast Trump order to import Russian diesel as illegal
The Trump administration’s order to allow import of Russian diesel violates a 2022 law banning Russian energy imports while the country’s war with Ukraine is ongoing, according to a bipartisan group of U.S. senators. Following an Oct. 9 call between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the U.S…
‘Anything but conventional’ journey leads John Cook to top honor from Aksarben Foundation
OMAHA — A 131-year-old nonprofit devoted to boosting Nebraska’s economy and workforce has named former University of Nebraska volleyball head coach John Cook its 2026 “Most Honored Citizen.” The Aksarben Foundation revealed the award winner at its annual ball this weekend at the CHI Health Center in Omaha. “John Cook…
Trump heads West in latest swing to bolster GOP in rocky lead-up to midterms
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump this week will journey out West in an effort to galvanize support for Republican candidates three weeks before the midterm elections and convince voters to support his party amid low presidential approval ratings. As the deeply unpopular war in Iran enters month eight, resulting in…
Hillary Clinton tells Nebraska Democrats election offers opportunity to reverse Trump’s policies
Hillary Clinton talked to a full room of Nebraska Democrats, emphasizing the importance of seizing the current political environment.
Nebraska AG’s Office seeks $19,000 from city of Lincoln after charter fight
LINCOLN — The Nebraska Attorney General’s Office is asking the Nebraska Supreme Court to require the city of Lincoln to reimburse about $19,000 in state attorneys’ fees after the state prevailed in its position on three citizen-led Lincoln City Charter amendments. Attorney General Mike Hilgers sued city officials in…
Hurricane Isaias brings wind, water and destruction
Hurricane Isaias made landfall Friday night in Destin, Florida, packing 110 mph winds that knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses across a large swath of the Southeast. Heavy rains from the storm’s remnants could still cause major flooding over the weekend, forecasters warned. At least four…
George Ayoub: Letting them read ‘The Vanities of October’
Lost in the din of a presidential visit to Nebraska, the ongoing glut of political campaign ads, a slew of prediction market come-ons and the sports world’s busiest month was Banned Books Week, which readers from bibliophiles to the casual celebrate annually. While I do not play the prediction markets but am an avid…
Measles cases reach 4,080 for the year — the highest in decades
Measles cases for the calendar year surpassed 4,000 for the first time in decades, with as many as five deaths in Pennsylvania, as the federal government steps in with financial help for states but also fans vaccination fears and skepticism. A weekly report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed…
Cornell case highlights the patchwork of state laws governing intoxication, sexual consent
A former Cornell University student’s allegations of gang rape in 2024 have renewed attention on a difficult area of sexual assault law. A person can be awake, responsive and even able to move during a sexual encounter while still being so intoxicated or impaired that they cannot understand what is happening or make…
Dr. Oz, Trump Medicaid director, in Nebraska to root for state rural health program, Big Red
LINCOLN — Nebraska officials were joined Saturday by a top Trump administration official, Dr. Mehmet Oz, to announce updates in Medicaid and public rural health programs. At a news conference at the State Capitol, Oz helped Gov. Jim Pillen tout the state’s rollout of the Rural Health Transformation Program, a national…
Trump may backtrack on livestreamed execution of Fort Hood shooter
President Donald Trump on Friday appeared to leave open the possibility that the federal government won’t livestream a military execution planned for December that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had said would be public. But Trump also told reporters at the White House that he had “absolutely” approved livestreaming…
Nebraskan in Greece: Voting connects citizens born abroad to US
I first registered to vote on my 18th birthday. Perhaps many people do that, but my birthday is in June, and the next election was more than a year away. My interest in politics started long before then, and that is why I’m interested in the story of Nebraska’s Republican Party suing to prevent voting
Trump appoints committee to revive quest to remove Lisa Cook from Fed board
President Donald Trump has formed a White House committee to investigate Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, escalating even further a lengthy feud with the Federal Reserve Board member. The three-member committee will seek evidence that Cook made false statements in obtaining a mortgage and will hold a closed-door…
Election betting is booming as the midterms near. Do states have the power to curb it?
On Friday morning, the prediction market platform Kalshi gave the Democratic candidate in Minnesota’s U.S. Senate race an 87% chance of winning. The volume of trading on the outcome exceeded $1.8 million. This is exactly the type of activity Minnesota and numerous other states want to shut down. “They jeopardize…
Update: Lindstrom reports $16,049.50 spent in 2026 NE gubernatorial campaign
OMAHA — Former state Sen. Brett Lindstrom of Omaha twice petitioned this summer for the 2026 ballot for Nebraska governor. In an amended report Friday, he said he paid $16,000 for signature gathering. Lindstrom initially reported shortly after noon Thursday, three days late, that he’d spent only $49.50 in 2026 for…
How big a deal is the red-dyed diesel directive?
LINCOLN — Sixth-generation Nebraska farmer John Hansen leaned into baseball lingo to describe his take on dual diesel directives by President Donald Trump and Gov. Jim Pillen. He compared the impact to a bunt single. The swing was less than full and the outcome far from a home run, he said. “It’s somewhat helpful but…
Nebraska Revenue Department clarifies local sales tax distribution responsibility
LINCOLN — The Nebraska Department of Revenue has confirmed it is the entity responsible for administering state and local sales taxes under state law as a state senator alleges wrongdoing by Lincoln city officials. The state agency made the clarification Thursday in response to questions from the Nebraska Examiner…
Legislative staffer sues Nebraska Legislature for response to sexual harassment report
LINCOLN — A legislative staffer filed a complaint against the Nebraska Legislature, accusing lawmakers of violating their workplace harassment policy in their response to an alleged groping incident last year. The complaint, filed in Lancaster District Court Wednesday, centers on an end-of-session party in 2025, where…
Judge extends temporary access to White House for news organizations Trump banned
WASHINGTON — A federal judge will rule in the coming days on whether the Trump administration can legally rescind White House press passes for journalists at three news organizations, or if those reporters will be able to continue accessing the grounds while the case continues. U.S. District Judge for the District of…
Voters in midterm elections identify a culprit for rising cost of living: Trump’s tariffs
WASHINGTON — Rebecca Myers lives in one of the nation’s most hotly contested congressional districts, and tariffs were on her mind as she voted early and in-person in Suffolk, Virginia in late September. The 44-year-old trained social worker said she and her husband, who recently retired after 25 years in the U.S…
NU regents to consider increasing Project Health budget by $557M, extending president’s contract
OMAHA — The University of Nebraska Board of Regents this week will consider extending NU President Jeff Gold’s contract by three years, to mid-2032, and increasing the $2.19 billion budget for NU’s “Project Health” by 25%. The amended agenda for Friday’s meeting proposes extending Gold’s contract from June 30, 2029…
Trump auto-enrolls 10s of millions in child investment accounts
WASHINGTON — Every child in the United States with a valid Social Security number is now enrolled in a tax-advantaged investment account, titled a “Trump Account,” President Donald Trump announced Wednesday. Parents must claim the accounts by downloading a Trump Account mobile app. Children born from 2025 through 2028…
Urban, rural hospitals closing at similar rates, study finds
Urban hospitals are closing at roughly the same rate as rural ones, and the shuttered hospitals are more likely to have served communities with high poverty rates and fewer transportation options, according to a new study published Thursday in the journal JAMA. Researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public…
Research suggests women living in states with abortion bans bear higher health insurance costs
New preliminary research from the University of Michigan shows women living in states with post-Dobbs abortion bans may be more likely to shoulder costs for employer-sponsored health insurance premiums, with federal data reflecting a 5.4% increase in annual premium expenditures for those women after 2022, when most…
Documents show DHS probed nonprofits, obtained millions of records in hunt for noncitizen voters
The Department of Homeland Security obtained tens of millions of unspecified records as part of a sweeping nationwide effort to find voter fraud, according to internal DHS reports, and weighed using undercover agents to investigate voter registration efforts by nonprofit groups. The reports from May and June by…
Nebraska voters should ask better questions
Candidates are asking Nebraskans for our votes again. Before we give them one, we should ask for something in return. Give us the facts. Give us the numbers. Show us the data. Then show us the plan. That should be our standard for anyone who wants to be our governor or represent Nebraska in the
State senator accuses Lincoln of improperly taxing non-city residents, demands refunds
LINCOLN — A Lincoln state senator accused city officials Wednesday of improperly taxing residents outside city limits and pledged to seek legislation to force refunds to taxpayers. State Sen. Beau Ballard, one of 10 state senators whose districts include part of Lincoln, announced his office had received evidence from…
Nearly $19M to help save Nebraska prairie, state bird, dancing chickens
LINCOLN — A nearly $19 million financial boost is coming to help rescue Nebraska grasslands. “Unprecedented” is how the state grant coordinator, Laura Rubeck, described the investment by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service to help Nebraska landowners implement conservation…
US Senate candidates in 9 key races quiet about Social Security benefits cliff
WASHINGTON — Nearly all of the U.S. senators elected this year will be in office when Congress debates how to restructure Social Security to prevent an automatic drop-off in retirement benefits in 2032. Very few candidates in competitive races, however, have policy proposals on their campaign websites and many, when…
Animal health company awarded 2026 Governor’s Bioscience Award
LINCOLN — A global animal health company was named the 2026 recipient of the Governor’s Bioscience Award, which recognizes individuals or companies that make significant contributions to Nebraska’s bioscience industry. Phibro Animal Health Corp. sells products meant to help livestock producers, farmers and…
Search for ‘coolest thing’ produced in Nebraska narrows to 8
LINCOLN — The pool of contenders in this year’s “Coolest Thing Made in Nebraska” competition has been narrowed to eight — a batch that ranges from modular housing built in Gering to animal health intravenous fluids produced in Grand Island. Organizers said the first round drew “tens of thousands” of votes. Voting for…
Americans’ water bills are growing faster than groceries, overall inflation
Household water bills are increasing faster than inflation and income, according to a new analysis. The environmental advocacy nonprofit Food and Water Watch analyzed water bill data among the nation’s 500 largest community water providers. Those systems serve a collective 155 million people — nearly half the nation’s…
Voting rights advocates organize volunteers to track potential intimidation at the polls
As President Donald Trump refuses to rule out taking extreme action in the midterm elections, voting rights advocates and civil rights leaders are bolstering their voter protection efforts in anticipation of possible federal interference. The focus by activists comes amid uncertainty among advocates and election…
Top Democratic US Senate PAC commits to 9 states, eyes more Republican targets
A leading Democratic campaign committee is projecting confidence in U.S. Senate toss-up races four weeks before Election Day, though it has yet to commit resources to the reddest states that have recently entered the Senate map. Senate Majority PAC, which is run by allies of Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of…
Trump drops longtime aversion to mail-in voting with GOP trailing in polls
President Donald Trump wants to sharply curtail mail ballots. He’s called them “inherently corrupt” and baselessly condemned them as a major source of fraud. But with Republicans falling behind in the polls, the president is now urging his supporters to vote in the midterm elections any way they can, including by…
Trump 6th US president to be named an admiral in Nebraska’s ‘Great Navy’
GRAND ISLAND, Neb. — President Donald Trump is the sixth U.S. president to be named an admiral for the largely honorific Great Navy of the State of Nebraska. Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen bestowed the largely honorific title Monday during a midterms rally headlining Trump. It’s not unusual for governors to bestow the honor…
Photos: Trump’s Nebraska rally, the first presidential visit to Grand Island since 2006
GRAND ISLAND, Neb. — Thousands of Nebraskans flocked to Grand Island to see a presidential rally in the city for the first time in 20 years. Plenty more Americans tuned in virtually, and an “unwelcoming committee” protested just about half a mile away. President Donald Trump’s visit — a string of midterm visits to…
What did people who went to Trump’s Nebraska rally have to say?
While the perception of Republicans seems gloomy ahead of the midterms, thousands came to see and support President Donald Trump at his rally.
Nebraska auditor criticizes $23K ‘waste of money’ for resigning retirement director
LINCOLN — Nebraska State Auditor Mike Foley raised concerns over the Nebraska Public Employees Retirement System reportedly paying its departing executive director over $23,000 in salary and benefits for roughly five weeks of unperformed work. In a Tuesday press release, Foley criticized the retirement board’s…
The Great Plains face a surprising threat: Too many trees
This story was produced by Grist and co-published with the Nebraska Examiner. To really understand what’s going on in the Nebraska Sandhills, Shelly Kelly told me, it’s helpful to see it from the air. From the window of her father’s Bonanza A36, we looked out over the heart of one of the most rural landscapes
Grand Island-area lawmaker reflects on Trump’s visit to central Nebraska
GRAND ISLAND, Neb. — One of two state lawmakers representing Grand Island in Nebraska’s one-house Legislature praised President Donald Trump for visiting the area Monday. Trump’s rally was at the Nebraska State Fairgrounds in Legislative District 35, represented by state Sen. Dan Quick of Grand Island. The fairgrounds…
Trump asks Nebraska to ‘pretend’ he’s on the midterm ballot
Trump vist to Nebraska was just one stop for the president on a midterm campaign blitz to shore up red states.
Visit Nebraska spotlights 24 sites to rev the holiday spirit
LINCOLN — The state’s tourism commission has announced its Nebraska Holiday Passport selections for 2026 — two dozen places ranging from a flower farm in Glenvil to the Draw Bar in Valentine. The commission, also known as Visit Nebraska, on Monday said travelers will have from Nov. 13 to Jan. 10 to visit and collect
Kratom, 7-OH laws diverge amid the spread of potent synthetic products
For years, the psychoactive compound kratom has been sold across much of the United States as an herbal supplement, available in powders, capsules and extracts with few of the restrictions applied to controlled substances. But the market is changing. Products containing a potentially dangerous kratom derivative known…
George Ayoub: Asking a lot not too much to ask
Nebraskans will remember a few years ago when a state senator made the case on the floor of the Legislature during a debate about school behavior that students were calling themselves “furries,” dressing the part and requesting litter boxes in public school bathrooms. This, the story went, was the result of some…
Hiring slows in September with job growth of 29K
Jobs across the United States rose by 29,000 in September, a disappointing result as recent growth was also revised down in Friday’s monthly jobs report, the last one before midterm elections. September growth was a large dip from a strong August number that was revised down from 162,000 to 133,000 in the new report…
After states sue, Trump administration walks away from disability rights enforcement
A court battle that began when conservative-led states sued to block protections for transgender people has ended in a rollback of protections for people with disabilities — a result disability advocates have feared for months. At the end of August, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services joined the handful…
Nebraskans describe frustration with state handling of childcare subsidy
OMAHA — Josh Wigginton and his wife each went to work Friday. One dropped off daughter Nayeli at their childcare center, which transports the 7-year-old to school and back. The other parent picked her up after the work day. It’s a longtime routine that nearly collapsed earlier in the week due to what Wigginton said
Nine-year dry spell ends Tuesday when state treasurer resumes unclaimed property auction
LINCOLN — Stored in a secure spot in a Haymarket District satellite office of the Nebraska state treasurer are abandoned safe deposit boxes filled with items that once were treasures to someone. Now the public will have a shot at buying pieces of unclaimed property ranging from a diamond ring, a 1961 Topps No. 2 Roger
Steve Erdman: Nebraska must overhaul tax system to prosper
I read with interest Jon Cannon’s recent commentary in the Examiner. As noted in his information, Cannon is the director and lobbyist for NACO — the Nebraska Association of County Officials. During my eight years in the Legislature, I cannot recall a single instance in which NACO supported any property‑tax‑relief…
What Red Cloud residents said when Dan Osborn returned after shoving them into national spotlight
A town of fewer than 1,000 people was shoved into the national spotlight by a bitter Nebraska Senate race between Pete Ricketts and Dan Osborn
Pillen declares emergency for southeast Nebraska after heavy rain, severe flooding
LINCOLN — Southeast Nebraska is under a state of emergency following heavy rain and severe flooding as state officials assess damage to potentially apply for federal support. Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen declared the emergency Thursday afternoon while surveying affected areas in northern Lancaster County, as first…
Federal funds for local police enforcement accelerated Trump immigration crackdown
WASHINGTON — This summer, arrests of immigrants in the United States soared to the highest levels since President Donald Trump returned to office. An unprecedented increase in cooperation between local and state law enforcement and federal immigration officers through collaborations known as 287(g) agreements helped…
Prediction markets spend millions to influence state, federal governments
Kalshi, Polymarket and the Coalition for Prediction Markets have spent at least $3 million this year on lobbying and campaign contributions across the federal and state levels, according to a new report from the government watchdog group OpenSecrets. Prediction market platforms say they are like commodity markets that…
Community groups lose HIV-prevention money as feds redirect dollars to states
Nearly 100 community-based organizations have lost their federal HIV-prevention grants this week as the Trump administration redirects dollars to state and local health departments. The funding change represents a departure from the decades-old national HIV prevention strategy favored by most public health…