Nebraska Update

In 2017, University of Nebraska Lincoln Political Science Professor Kevin Smith co-authored a study that asked a random sample of 800 people whether politics was a significant stressor in their lives. Categories covered physical health, mental health, regretted behavior, and social and lifestyle costs. For about 40% of respondents, the answer was yes. Last year, Smith issued the survey again to a different group of people, two weeks before and two weeks after the 2020 election, to see how things have changed. And he found, for the most part, people are as stressed out as ever about politics. Professor Smith joins me now to talk more about the study.

It’s not quite the emerald ash borer, but a certain sport with a funny name is making itself known in parks…and sports complexes across the state. But is it taking over? Nebraska Public Media News Reporter has more.

It’s not quite the emerald ash borer, but a certain sport with a funny name is making itself known in parks…and sports complexes across the state. But is it taking over? Nebraska Public Media News Reporter has more.

Proposals to change Social Security taxes, restrict or ban abortions, and regulate the number of casinos were discussed in the Capitol Monday.

Anthony Schutz is a professor of law at the University of Nebraska College of Law. He said the Supreme Court case, Sackett vs. the Environmental Protection Agency, will examine The Clean Water Act’s definitions.

Nebraska hospitals are feeling the brunt of omicron right now, and the situation may look grim even after the state’s peak. "We're still in for a long haul here in terms of caring for Nebraskans in our hospitals," said Jeremy Nordquist, the president of the Nebraska Hospital Association. COVID hospitalizations tend to lag behind the cases. Whenever cases start to slow down, hospitals will remain busier in the weeks after.

Coyote populations in the U.S. have risen to all-time highs. Around ranches, farms and homes, they’re largely unwelcome. One response? Hunting them. Sometimes competitively. Nebraska towns like Gothenburg and Oxford host such challenges. But the resilient canine keeps finding ways to survive, no matter what humans throw at it.

The Catholic Church and insurance companies oppose ending time limits on when lawsuits charging child sexual abuse can be filed.

Irvin Joseph Brown, 89, doesn’t have any known relatives or family. He was deployed in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and the Philippines. Later in life, he worked as a postman for 15 years before retiring in 1987.

The Nebraska Legislature is on the verge of endorsing a convention of states to propose amendments to U.S. Constitution, and lawmakers heard proposals to limit school property tax increases.