Nebraska Update

One of the first “big picture” challenges facing Nebraska Public Media’s new general manager and CEO is a possibility the Trump administration will defund public media. In a recent conversation with Stacey Decker, Nebraska Public Media's Dale Johnson asked how seriously corporate executives are taking Trump’s threats.

Through reporting in Iowa, Nebraska and other states, The Midwest Newsroom has found a pattern of rural school districts relying on nonprofit organizations and community members to provide support and services where federal funding fails to meet needs.

Nebraska and Penn State are competing in the NCAA Volleyball Final Four Thursday night. The Huskers are looking to flip the script against the Nittany Lions.

The U.S. Senate passed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025 Wednesday. The bill includes a pay raise for military members and allocates additional funds for projects at Offutt Air Force Base. The legislation also bans using defense funds on gender-affirming care for children of service members. Nebraska Senators Pete Ricketts and Deb Fischer voted in favor of the bill, which now goes to President Joe Biden’s desk.

Gov. Jim Pillen discussed his proposal to ban the sale of lab-produced meat in Nebraska grocery stores.

Nebraska’s five electoral votes were officially cast this/Tuesday afternoon at the state capitol. Republican electors cast four votes for President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance, while Democrat Peg Lippert, who represented Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District, cast her ballot for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. Nebraska was one of two states, along with Maine, to split its electoral votes between two candidates in 2024.

The December holidays have wrapped up, which means those Christmas trees have done their jobs. Here’s what one organization is doing to make sure the retired evergreens go to the right place.

Many Midwest states and outdoor organizations are now trying to reach groups that haven’t historically participated in hunting — including women. But while women make up about a third of new hunters, many face barriers to break into and continue with the sport.

Nebraska Department of Education officials encourage school districts to employ what’s called the inclusion method for students with disabilities. In theory, it would address teacher shortages and benefit students in the long run. But this method works only when all the supports are there.

Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers filed a lawsuit Monday against Change Healthcare due to a data breach in February that impacted more than 500,000 Nebraskans. The state alleges the healthcare company violated Nebraska’s consumer protection and data security laws because of its weak security measures and delay in notifying customers about the breach. Nebraska is the first state to take action against the Tennessee-based company, but Hilgers says he expects other states to follow suit.