Riverside Chats

Matthew Wurstner returns to the show for a history of Nebraska's unique system of governance: the unicameral. The unicameral has only one legislative house, an idea that was proposed and fought for by U.S. Sen. George Norris nearly a century ago under the belief that a unicameral legislature would cost less to the taxpayers of Nebraska and would work more efficiently than a two-house legislature. Talking with Tom Knoblauch, Wurstner chronicles the origin of the concept and how it came to pass in Nebraska, as well as assessing how the original aims line up with the reality in today's polarized world. 

Alisha Shelton is running to represent Nebraska’s Second Congressional District in the House of Representatives–a seat currently held by incumbent Don Bacon. Today she talks with Tom Knoblauch about what motivated her to run, how her legislative style offers a fresh perspective, and what her vision for America would look like.

Craig Moody was elected to the Omaha Public Power District in 2016, served as board chair in 2020, and currently serves as the chair of the board’s governance committee. Today he talks with Tom Knoblauch about his story and makes his case for reelection in order to continue his vision of Omaha’s response to the climate crisis by transitioning to renewable energy and participating in Nebraska’s coordinated plan to become net zero carbon by 2050.

Jazari Kual Zakaria is in the middle of a congressional campaign to represent Nebraska’s First Congressional District in the House of Representatives, a seat held by Republican Jeff Fortenberry for nearly two decades until he resigned from the position in March after being convicted of three felonies. Zakaria is a student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a founder of LNK Freedges, an initiative to provide free, fresh food to underserved people in Lincoln. Talking with Tom Knoblauch, Zakaria tells his story on today's show, as a child of refugees and potentially the youngest member of congress should he get elected in a vision of a more representative legislative body that understands the challenges of the average citizen and can address them from a place of understanding that he does not see in the current set of representatives. 

Nebraska State Senator Patty Pansing Brooks talks with Tom Knoblauch about her upbringing, the formation of her worldview, what working in the Nebraska Legislature has taught her about the process of governing, and how she'd take those lessons to the House of Representatives to represent Nebraska's 1st Congressional District--a seat held by Jeff Fortenberry for nearly twenty years until his resignation this week due to a conviction for lying to federal authorities about campaign donations. 

Earlier this year, Mayor Jean Stothert announced intentions to give the land where Omaha's downtown library sits to Mutual of Omaha so they can build a new headquarters roughly 20 streets away from their current building in Midtown Crossing. This meant finding new land to develop as a downtown library further from public transportation routes and which looks likely to cost the city considerably more than it currently spends on the W. Dale Clark Library. Many, including members of the Omaha City Council, have been critical of the process, particularly for its sudden urgency. Today, Dawaune Lamont Hayes returns to the show to talk with Tom Knoblauch about the process Mayor Stothert has chosen to undertake to move the library and to present an alternate vision for what to do with the space as a transit station and cultural center. 

Alvo is a small town of about 115 between Omaha and Lincoln. The kind of place you probably haven’t ever thought about unless you live near it. The kind of place that can be easy to romanticize as a typical small town in the Heartland. And where nobody is looking, sometimes it’s because there’s nothing to see. But other times, there’s so much under the surface that it can be difficult to wrap your mind around all of it. Flatwater Free Press reporter Yanqi Xu is in conversation with Tom Knoblauch on today's show to look at Alvo for a story of toxic contamination and a cultural crisis that stems from a pile of tires. Read her original reporting here. 

Vice Chair of the OPPD Board of Directors Eric Williams is in conversation with Tom Knoblauch about Nebraska's coordinated plan to address the climate crisis by transitioning to primary reliance on renewable energy and becoming carbon neutral by 2050. 

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Jo Giles is the executive director of the Women’s Fund of Omaha, which addresses gender-based inequities in our community through collaboration that identifies, researches and creates solutions to advance, educate and fund lasting impact. Giles is in conversation with Tom Knoblauch on today's show about her early days as a journalist before transitioning to her current position as well as the vision she has for implementing equity in a patriarchal world. 

Terry Sanders, publisher of the Omaha Star, is in conversation with Tom Knoblauch on today's show exploring the legacy of the institution as a good news-based model of journalism. The Omaha Star was founded in 1938 by Mildred Brown and remains the only Black owned newspaper in Nebraska. Sanders took over in 2020 and is guiding the institution into the digital age as she adapts to new models of journalism today. Read the Omaha Star here.