Humanities Desk

A program to make it easier for Nebraska communities to apply for federal transportation grants recently launched. Jodi Gibson with the Nebraska Department of Transportation said the Nebraska Infrastructure Hub was developed to help local and state agencies apply for money from the Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act. The Hub includes a grant pairing portal and two full-time staff members to assist communities with grant applications.

Lincoln will open its second bilingual preschool and childcare location this fall.

The Nebraska Association of Public Employees is appealing a labor court decision regarding remote work to the Nebraska Supreme Court. In July, the state labor court ruled that Governor Jim Pillen’s executive order requiring state employees to end most remote work arrangements without union bargaining was fully under his authority. Union executive director Justin Hubly said the appeal is necessary to protect workers rights and receive more clarity for the union’s upcoming labor contract with the state.

At the FBI’s Agriculture Threats Symposium in Omaha Monday, Special Agent in Charge Gene Kowel outlined major cybersecurity risks. The bureau is worried about potential ransomware attacks from criminal groups and foreign adversaries which could shut down farming operations during harvest or planting seasons. Kowel said the security risk is growing exponentially, and farmers should ensure they have multi-factor authentication for all digital farm operations.

Gering’s Japanese Hall highlights little-known history of Japanese Nebraskans and boosts local tourism

The inaugural Nebraska Summit on Justice and Disparities was held at Creighton University Friday. Prison reform activist and New York City councilman Doctor Yusef Salaam was the keynote speaker. The event focused on Nebraska’s criminal justice system, juvenile detention and equitable law enforcement.

Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers is joining 10 other states in requesting the EPA to require labeling rules for agricultural chemicals to be standardized nationwide. California previously enacted a rule mandating glyphosate, a common herbicide, to be labeled with a warning that the product could cause cancer, which Hilgers said makes the chemical more expensive for Nebraska farmers. If the EPA declines to make new rules, Hilgers said he could take the agency to court.

Current Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris announced Tuesday that Minnesota Governor and Native Nebraskan Tim Walz will be her running mate in 2024. Walz was born in West Point, Nebraska, and has lived in Valentine, Butte, Chadron and Alliance. Walz taught at Alliance High School and coached their football and basketball teams before moving to Minnesota in 1996.

Nebraska’s Lieutenant Governor Joe Kelly led a ten-day trade mission of the state’s business and agriculture leaders to Indonesia in late July. The delegation met with Indonesian chefs, business executives and university researchers to market Nebraska products and build stronger trading ties. Sherry Vinton, the Director of the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, called the trip a "rousing success."

The U.S. Senate passed the Kids Online Safety Act this week on a bipartisan, 91 to 3 vote. The legislation requires social media platforms to provide minors with options to disable addictive product features, including algorithmic recommendations. Nebraska Senators Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts were both co-sponsors of the bill.