Nebraska Update

The School Financing Review Commission set goals and reviewed the history of school funding in Nebraska in its first meeting Tuesday. State legislators created the commission to evaluate the current funding formula and provide recommendations for changes to improve it.

Nebraskans are recovering from a severe thunderstorm that brought hurricane-force winds to south central and eastern Nebraska Saturday morning. Many people still don’t have power Monday and the city of Blair and Lincoln was hit particularly hard. At least 78,000 Nebraskans lost power after heavy rain and 90 mile per hour wind gusts rammed throughout southern and eastern Nebraska Saturday.

Time is one the most valuable things in life. Depending on the time of year, Cook found short breaks from the grueling demands of running a volleyball program. But when he was in the heat of the preseason, regular season, postseason, recruiting battles or volleyball camps, Cook was all-in.

The State Board of Education approved almost $21 million for literacy efforts in schools, educational service units and other organizations. These awards are part of a $55 million federal grant for literacy over a five-year period.

For the first time, Fort Kearny Historical Park and State Recreation Area will open reservations early for visitors to see the spring sandhill crane migration.

Nebraska has given Hausmann Construction a notice to proceed on building a new prison, with "substantial completion" due in August, 2028.

Emma Harner, a musician who grew up in Nebraska, got to play at Chicago’s Lollapalooza last weekend with Boston based band Jesse Detor. She has been playing guitar for only 5 years, yet has managed to already travel abroad because of her music. Nebraska Public Media’s Arthur Jones got to chat with her and hear her story so far.

Members of Nebraska’s federal delegation shared their legislative priorities with the state’s business leaders in Ashland Tuesday. At the annual federal legislative summit hosted by the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, Sen. Deb Fischer, Sen. Pete Ricketts, and Rep. Mike Flood explained how the ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ could help grow Nebraska businesses.

A Nebraska Medicine patient has become the first person in the world to receive a new treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS). The potential breakthrough treatment is part of a clinical trial that has, so far, been deemed effective.

Congressman Mike Flood’s third town hall of the year was his biggest, and arguably most contentious one yet. The 850-seat Kimball Recital Hall on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus was filled with a crowd that wasted no time vocalizing their criticisms of the representative. Following an invocation, Pledge of Allegiance and performance of ‘God Bless America,’ Flood began touting the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ that he and 217 of his fellow Republicans voted for last month. “I truly believe that this bill will allow America to experience growth, that it will allow our communities to thrive, that it will spark our economy, that it will help farmers and ranchers, that it will take care of the vulnerable,” he said. “And more than anything, I truly believe this bill protects Medicaid for the future.”