Nebraska Update

The Legislature's redistricting committee discusses the reliabilty of census counts in rural areas.

The deadline for the U.S military’s complete withdrawal from Afghanistan is tomorrow (Tuesday). As the last troops, American citizens, and refugees leave the country, Nebraska Public Media News’s State Senator Tom Brewer about the situation. Brewer spent 36 years in the military, including 6 tours in Afghanistan….

A private university and a community college in Nebraska are partnering to create a new program called ‘Cannabis Studies.’

The new major at Little Priest Tribal College (or LPTC) in Winnebago incorporates classes already taught at Doane University in Crete.

Dr. Lorie Broberg is the director of cannabis studies at the community college and says two classes are offered this semester.

Nebraska Renters Lose Protections as Moratorium Ends

Tuma urges preparation for intensifying natural disasters as climate change increases the frequency and severity of weather incidents. He also reflects on what he's learned in 40 years of law enforcement and emergency management.

Requirements for health care professionals will be waived; restrictions on gatherings could be reimposed if hospitalizations continue to rise

A community blood drive is underway to honor fallen Lincoln Police Officer Mario Herrera in Lincoln. Investigator Herrera was shot one year ago this week and lived until September 7. A year later, Lincoln Police Department and Fire and Rescue are holding a blood drive during the same period, called ‘12 Days of Hope.’

A new, peer-reviewed and vetted study by researchers at the University of Nebraska Medical Center confirms the coronavirus can be spread through tiny airborne particles, not just larger droplets from coughing and sneezing.
The study is published in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology and used data from people who had been quarantined aboard a cruise ship last year. Dr. Josh Santarpia is the research director of the University of Nebraska’s National Strategic Research Institute. He said follow-up research helped determine what size of particle could transmit SARS-coV-2 virus.

A suicide bomber reportedly killed civilians and injured U.S servicemen outside the Kabul (Kah-bull)l airport in Afghanistan today (Thursday). As the August 31st. deadline for a withdrawal of US troops approaches, the situation in the country seems to be becoming more desperate every day. I talked to Congressman Don Bacon about the ongoing evacuation, how the effectiveness of nation-building, and whether the US will ever recognize the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan.

In Arnold, there is only one reliable internet provider – but even then, it’s sometimes not good enough. For Carson, the issue is not just one of comfort but of trying to grow her small town.

CHERYL 3: “Those kinds of jobs that you could get working from home, while the kids are at school, that could be a really important thing for some families to be able to do stuff like just as if you were in a larger community.” (0:10)

NUTGRAF: If you ask, you quickly learn that broadband is not just a nice thing to have but, rather, a necessity in today’s way of life – even in the most remote parts of the state. It’s places and towns like these in rural Nebraska that could stand to gain the most from reliable internet and programs that make that happen.

Expanding high speed internet access in Nebraska is not a new subject.

STUBBENDIECK 4: “Ok, Governor Ricketts, my first question is why is broadband or high speed internet so important to the state of Nebraska in your opinion?” (0:06)

RICKETTS 5: “Well, one of the key things for us with regard to broadband is that it really facilitates many of the things that we take for granted in more of our urban areas.” (0:12)

Earlier this month, AARP Nebraska hosted a tele-town hall with Gov. Ricketts to talk about broadband. AARP polling found that nearly 80 percent of Nebraska voters 50 and older believe elected officials should work to make high speed internet available to the entire state.