Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen wins reelection
Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen won reelection Tuesday in a winding year that gave a Republican gubernatorial candidate their toughest run since the 1990s.
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Pete Ricketts claims victory over Dan Osborn in US Senate race
Nebraska Sen. Pete Ricketts declares victory over registered nonpartisan Dan Osborn in the bitter Senate race.
The blue tsunami sweeps the US, as Democrats land huge gains in Congress
Voters across the country administered a sharp reprimand to President Donald Trump and Republicans who hold majorities in Congress, with Democrats gaining comfortable majorities in the Senate and the House. Several U.S. Senate and House races remained uncalled by The Associated Press as Election Day ended on the East…
Nebraska poised for new approach to elections as Petersen ahead in secretary of state race
LINCOLN — Omaha businessman Scott Petersen was outpacing three other candidates early Wednesday for an apparent win as Nebraska secretary of state, likely cinching a new direction for state elections. Petersen, as of 12:30 a.m., had 52% of the votes compared to Democrat and small business owner Sarah Slattery’s 42%…
Nebraska voters appear to say ‘no’ to legalizing online sports betting
Though margins were still slim late Tuesday night, Nebraska voters were on track to reject a pair of ballot measures looking to legalize and regulate online sports betting, according to unofficial results. Initiative Measures 440 and 441 would together amend the Nebraska Constitution and state law, respectively, to…
Nebraska on track to add gender-based school sports requirements to state Constitution
Voters appeared to agree to cement sex-separate school sports requirements into the Nebraska Constitution with Tuesday’s approval of the Fairness for Girls ballot measure. Initiative Measure 442 had 318,439 yes votes to 160,626 no votes, as of 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, with 69% of the vote counted. The proposal would make…
US Rep. Adrian Smith reelected in 3rd District; 1st District too close to call early Wednesday
OMAHA — Republican U.S. Rep. Adrian Smith comfortably won Nebraska’s 3rd Congressional District, while in the 1st District, the race between Republican Rep. Mike Flood and Democrat Chris Backemeyer was too close to call early Wednesday. The AP called the race for Smith about 10 p.m. Smith faced four candidates and, as…
Nebraska voters soundly reject proposal to extend legislative term limits
Nebraska’s state senators will remain limited to two consecutive four-year terms after voters rejected a constitutional amendment that would have extended them. Constitutional Amendment 1 was on track to be rejected at the ballot box as of 10 p.m. Tuesday night, with 69,100 yes votes against 290,202 no votes…
Denise Powell becomes the first Democrat in a decade to represent Nebraska’s 2nd District
Powell will serve two years in the U.S. House. She is the first Latina and first woman to be elected from the 2nd District.
Democrats win sizable US House majority amid sweep of close races
WASHINGTON — Democrats will regain control of the U.S. House early next year, after voters throughout the country rejected the policies that Republicans and President Donald Trump implemented during the last two years. The Associated Press, which States Newsroom looks to for the projected winner of congressional…
Democrats score control of US Senate in stunning midterm victory
WASHINGTON — In a stunning upset, Democrats ousted Republicans and flipped control of the U.S. Senate Tuesday night, effectively establishing a barricade for President Donald Trump’s agenda for the last two years of his term. Democrats will now have the power to block many of Trump’s nominees, both executive and…
Voters sail through a mostly smooth Election Day, despite fears of federal interference
America voted. After the Trump administration pressured election officials, after concerns that armed federal agents would deploy to the polls, after fears U.S. Department of Justice election monitors would intimidate voters — ballots were cast by the millions Tuesday, mostly without incident. Across the United…
Party control of state leadership could flip across the country
While much of the national attention on today’s midterm elections has focused on control of Congress, voters across the country will also choose which party controls the levers of state power. Across the states, more than 6,000 legislative seats are up for grabs, leaving the partisan control of numerous chambers…
Nebraska races to watch for the 2026 midterms
Polls open for 12 hours at 8 a.m. Central time/7 a.m. Mountain time. Mail-in ballots must be returned by the time polls close.
Nebraska’s 28 ‘opportunity zones’ OK’d by US Treasury aim for private investment, growth
LINCOLN — Federal officials have approved 28 Nebraska census tracts as “opportunity zones” eligible for a new tax incentive program that starts in January and is intended to boost economic development. The tracts span the state from Scottsbluff to Omaha and include both rural and urban areas. The batch was submitted…
US Supreme Court rejects Trump DOJ’s attempt to freeze California vote counting
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday, mere hours before Election Day in the midterms that will determine control of Congress, denied the Trump administration’s final attempt to force California to set aside the ballots of 20,000 people it suspects are noncitizens. The decision marked a significant blow to President Donald…
Potential of Missouri River pipelines to Western states opens new front in upstream-downstream fight
Downstream Missouri River states have worried for decades about receiving an insufficient flow of water from upstream dams. Now they’re worried their share of water could be further diminished by potential pipelines for dry Western states. The concern is the basis of a dispute about the U.S. House version of the…
Day before election, Trump’s DOJ asks US Supreme Court to rule in California voting case
The U.S. Department of Justice on Monday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to require California to set aside the ballots of suspected noncitizen voters in a last-ditch appeal by the Trump administration to exert control over the state’s vote counting. The request came on the eve of Election Day and as more than 5 million…
Nebraska icon on the move: Relocation set for historic Bryan mansion, to let hospital grow
LINCOLN — Nebraska’s capital city is preparing for an unprecedented spectacle Saturday. One of Lincoln’s two prestigious National Historic Landmarks — the 125-year-old Fairview mansion built for political heavyweight William Jennings Bryan and his wife, Mary — will be relocated to a different corner of the hospital…
Commentary: Ayoub: Sounds of silence return after costly campaigns
While broadcasters, social media and others who make money during political campaigns back their cash-filled trucks up to the bank, silence is returning. It’s a welcome sound. We may argue over results, laugh at new conspiracy theories and breathe sighs of relief or resignation, but the political advertising avalanche…
Nebraska candidates, ballot measures exceed $63M in fundraising before Nov. 3 election
LINCOLN — As Nebraskans head to the polls Tuesday, they will vote in some of the most expensive races in state history — and in a year when candidates and statewide ballot measure campaigns have already raised more than $63 million. Campaign finance data available as of Sunday afternoon indicates general election…
Republican, Democratic Governors Associations put $2.5M into Nebraska governor’s race
LINCOLN — In the final weeks of the race for Nebraska governor, the Republican and Democratic candidates have received some of their largest donations from their respective governors’ associations. The candidates have also received boosts from President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Kentucky Gov. Andy…
Commentary: From floods to wildfires, Nebraska knows what extremes cost
When the Platte and Missouri rivers surged in March 2019, they didn’t just spill over their banks — they washed out bridges, drowned livestock and submerged one-third of Offutt Air Force Base. Floodwaters covered part of the runway and wrecked high-tech flight simulators, triggering an estimated $650 million military…
Nebraska’s projected deficit for 2028-29 budget worsens to $1.2 billion
LINCOLN — Nebraska lawmakers will likely enter the 2027 session looking to fill a projected budget deficit around $200 million, but a larger problem emerged for the next two-year budget after new economic forecasts dropped Friday. Nebraska’s Economic Forecasting Advisory Board met Friday to update state revenue…
DOJ again warns election officials of potential criminal prosecution, days before midterm elections
This article was originally published by Votebeat, a nonprofit news organization covering local election administration and voting access. The Justice Department has sent yet another round of letters to state election officials warning them that they could face criminal prosecution for violating federal election laws…
Nebraska Senate race is one of the most expensive political races in state history
Sen. Pete Ricketts, Dan Osborn, and the other candidates on the ballot have raised more than $25.6 million combined.
District judge upholds convictions against notary for Nebraska medical cannabis petitions
GRAND ISLAND, Neb. — A Hall County District Court judge on Friday upheld 24 convictions and a nearly $4,000 fine against a former Nebraska notary for 2024 petitions to legalize and regulate medical cannabis. Hall County District Judge Andrew Butler found that Hall County Judge Alfred Corey III, who presided over a…
Voters will decide whether to extend legislative term limits; sponsor isn’t holding his breath
LINCOLN — A ballot measure to extend legislative term limits passed 39-10 in the Nebraska Legislature, but the state lawmaker who brought it is less confident the proposal has the momentum to succeed with voters. “I will guarantee if the people across Nebraska knew what I know and what people down here do know, it
Trump will hold in-person rallies in Iowa and Kansas after all as election nears
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s rallies in Kansas and Iowa this weekend are back on after initial cancellations, States Newsroom confirmed Friday. The Midwest rallies mark the final sprint to Election Day on Nov. 3 — now just four days away — where the GOP is itching to maintain its narrow majority in the U.S.
AG, LPD: Pillen’s office ‘not implicated in any criminal wrongdoing’ in $2.5M no-bid contract
LINCOLN — The state Attorney General’s Office said the Nebraska Governor’s Office “was not implicated in any criminal wrongdoing” in relation to a $2.5 million bioeconomy no-bid contract the state auditor flagged earlier this year. The Lincoln Police Department said late Thursday it had concluded its investigation…
Shore, Solomon face off for NU Regents District 4 special election in Omaha
OMAHA — A community volunteer and the chief operating officer of a company serving people with disabilities are facing off in a special election for the NU Board of Regents in Omaha. One is a former Nebraska first lady while the other is a former UNL student regent. Susanne Shore and Justin Solomon, both of Omaha,
Bagged animal health IV fluids win 2026 ‘Coolest Thing Made in Nebraska’ contest
La VISTA — Animal health IV fluids made in Grand Island took home this year’s title of “Coolest Thing Made in Nebraska.” After weeks of buildup and tens of thousands of votes, the winning product, by Nova-Tech Inc., was revealed Thursday during the final hours of the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry…
Here’s how many seconds of political ads Husker fans sat through this season
A mother rejects a box of “liberal cereal.” Dan Osborn delivers 30 seconds of meat-based puns. A rape victim condemns a pardon of her rapist by her former governor. These are just some of the political advertisements that have repeated themselves across airwaves this election cycle, even intruding on one of the…
Powell and Harding make final pitches in Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District
Powell is trying to be the first Democrat to represent the district in about a decade, while Harding is trying to defend the seat for Republicans
Trump cancels weekend Kansas and Iowa rallies 5 days ahead of election
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s rally in Salina, Kansas, on Saturday is canceled, the Kansas Republican Party confirmed to States Newsroom. An appearance scheduled for Sunday in Dubuque, Iowa, was also canceled, the Republican National Committee said in a late Thursday press release. In-person rallies packed…
Where are the tightest races for US House control right now? Here’s the rundown.
WASHINGTON — Communities throughout the country have been inundated with television ads and outside spending as politicians try to spur voter turnout in the most competitive U.S. House races in Tuesday’s midterm elections. The focus on a short list of campaigns highlights how much power voters in a small number of…
Judge denies attempt by Trump’s DOJ to exclude 20,000 California ballots from vote count
A federal judge on Wednesday denied a U.S. Department of Justice request that would have forced California to not count the ballots of 20,000 voters the Trump administration alleges are likely noncitizens. The decision sets the case on a course to possibly reach the U.S. Supreme Court within days. In a scathing…
Bird flu detected in Iowa commercial flock for first time in nearly a year
A case of highly pathogenic avian influenza has been detected in a commercial turkey flock of approximately 44,400 birds in Sac County, according to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. While the HPAI H5N1 outbreak has been ongoing since February 2022, Iowa has not reported an outbreak of the bird…
Dolores Huerta, Chicana activist and defender of farmworker rights, dies at 96
This story was originally reported by The 19th. Dolores Huerta, who rose to national prominence as the co-founder of the National Farm Workers Association, and was known for her advocacy for women farmworkers, died on Wednesday. She was 96. Huerta was born in New Mexico but spent most of her life in California’s…
Mom of 10 wins $11.3M verdict after insurer denied husband’s COVID death claim
OMAHA — Vaneza Ramos said she felt a sense of peace and vindication upon hearing a jury verdict that awarded her $11.3 million in a case against an insurance company that denied a claim after her husband died of COVID-19. Beyond the dollar value, she and the couple’s 10 children are happy to see their
Kearney senator preparing legislation to bring state into regulations for Head Start programs
LINCOLN — State Sen. Stan Clouse of Kearney said he is hoping to bring legislation next year that would officially bring Nebraska’s Head Start programs into state statute amid growing uncertainty about long-term federal support. Clouse introduced Legislative Resolution 472 earlier this year to examine the state’s…
Time for change? Permanent daylight saving time bill awaiting US Senate action
Most of the nation returns to standard time Sunday morning, and Congress could decide as early as next month whether it will be the last time people have to change their clocks. President Donald Trump wants year-round daylight saving time. The U.S. House voted overwhelmingly in July for the change. Lots of Democrats…
Early voting surges in midterm elections as millions cast their ballots
WASHINGTON — Tens of millions of Americans have already made their way to the ballot box as early voting is underway in a midterm election that will determine control of the House and the Senate, possibly flipping one or both from Republicans to Democrats. As of Tuesday afternoon, more than 34 million people have…
30-person search committee convened to find next UNL chancellor
LINCOLN — The University of Nebraska has convened a 30-member advisory committee to search for the next permanent chancellor of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. NU Executive Vice President and Provost David Jackson, NU’s chief academic officer, announced the formation of the committee in an email to the UNL…
Comstock, Hosein face off for NU Regents District 1 in Lincoln, northwest Lancaster County
LINCOLN — A founder of an advertising and marketing firm who also does political consulting and a neurosurgeon who is a former student regent are asking for voters’ trust for an open seat on the NU Board of Regents in Lancaster County this fall. Brent Comstock and Dr. Jeremy Hosein, both of Lincoln, are seeking
Trump’s DOJ sends 1,000 election monitors to 50 states; locations not yet disclosed
The U.S. Department of Justice plans to send election monitors to every state ahead of Election Day, expanding a long-standing practice that’s spurred concern this year among Democrats and voting rights advocates because of President Donald Trump’s push to influence elections. The Justice Department for decades has…
Pillen requests federal aid for severe flooding in southeast Nebraska after early October storms
LINCOLN — Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen has requested a federal disaster declaration for severe flooding in eight counties in southeast Nebraska that occurred between Sept. 30 and Oct. 6. Pillen had declared a state of emergency after the flooding on Oct. 1. At the time, the order did not specify the counties affected. His…
‘We don’t want it’: Voter backlash against data centers consumes midterm elections
SPRINGDALE, Pa. — Residents in a small southwestern Pennsylvania town are facing the prospect of a 47-acre data center facility on their doorstep. “Right here behind this fence is where they want to put up the data center, and as you can see, there’s houses right across the street, roughly 100 feet,” said lifelong…
Nebraska’s 1st Congressional District race could be one to watch
As the political environment has worsened for Republicans, Nebraska’s 1st Congressional District is now viewed as more competitive.
Commentary: Proposed census changes could worsen childcare shortage
Every year, as part of my job at Voices for Children in Nebraska, I gather the most up-to-date information on thousands of key child wellbeing indicators in the state of Nebraska. To take one example, we produce a map featuring the childcare capacity of all 93 counties in Nebraska. So, for instance, if a county
U.S. Navy veteran, retired manufacturing executive face off in Legislative District 36
GRETNA — Voters of Legislative District 36 will choose between a retired U.S. naval officer and a retired manufacturing executive to represent one of the fastest-growing areas of the state. State Sen. Rick Holdcroft, the Republican incumbent with a 28-year military career, wants to resume a quest for a safe haven…
Trump DOJ’s demand for emergency order in California vote counting dismissed by appeals court
President Donald Trump’s 11th-hour campaign to intervene in California’s vote counting encountered its first resistance from federal courts on Monday, with appellate judges ruling against the effort. A three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled against a U.S. Department of Justice request for a…
After a series of drug thefts in four states, nurse from Omaha wins back Iowa license
Iowa regulators have reinstated the license of a nurse previously sanctioned for alleged drug thefts in four different states. State records indicate the Iowa Board of Nursing first licensed Krystal Bauer of Omaha as a registered nurse in 1993. Board records indicate that in 2003, Bauer was working at an unspecified…
No write-in candidates for Congress, governor, Legislature, Nebraska state education boards in 2026
LINCOLN — In a year of twists and turns for some of Nebraska’s highest elected positions, there are no declared write-in candidates for congressional offices or for constitutional officers, the Legislature and state education boards. Under state law, candidates must file a written affidavit and the respective filing…
Commentary: Ayoub: Nebraskans can lead to close the fissure
We interrupt this election season to bring you a seismic, geopolitical event: We have met the enemy … and bought him a gift card. Written in Cyrillic. What’s up with the president’s latest appeasement of Russia’s Vladimir Putin? The capitulation includes a diesel deal that will help fund its war with Ukraine and its…
Most US House races aren’t competitive. What does that mean for how lawmakers govern?
WASHINGTON — Fewer than 5% of U.S. House races are seen by a top political analysis as truly competitive heading into November’s midterm elections, giving relatively few voters the ability to determine which party controls the chamber for the next two years. The other 414 of 435 House districts are viewed by the…
2026 ballot measures are written at a graduate-school reading level, report finds
This year’s statewide ballot measures are written, on average, at a graduate-school reading level, according to a new report. The readability of 2026’s ballot questions — which ask voters to weigh in on issues as varied as abortion, property taxes, voter ID and firearms — varies by state, political data tracking…
At ‘cross-partisan’ town hall, Osborn shares stage with Democrat, ex-Republican and former RNC chair
Questions from the audience ranged from transgender athletes, government reform, gun control, and division in America.
Omaha among 14 U.S. cities tapped for Bloomberg housing program; a goal is more ‘granny flats’
OMAHA — Omaha is among 14 cities nationwide selected for a Bloomberg Philanthropies program intended to boost creation of local housing — particularly “accessory dwelling units,” known also as granny flats or in-law suites. Participation comes with up to $750,000 in grant funding, but local leaders say a key benefit…
Online sports betting supporters, opponents clash before Nebraskans get final say Nov. 3
LINCOLN — Nebraskans will have the final say Nov. 3 on whether to legalize and regulate online sports betting as advocates and opponents clash in the final days of the 2026 race. Initiative Measures 440 and 441 would together amend the Nebraska Constitution and state law, respectively, to legalize and regulate online…
RNC chair looks to squash Nebraska’s independent experiment
Joe Gruters said he believes Republicans still have a path to maintain control of both the U.S. House and Senate
Trump’s DOJ sues over Alaska Senate race, expanding preelection legal fights
The U.S. Department of Justice is stepping up its legal campaign over the midterm elections, suing Alaska over its U.S. Senate election and appealing a lawsuit against suspected noncitizen voters in California. Election law experts have cast doubt on the strength of the cases, criticizing them as performative. The…
Von Gillern, Maxwell-Ostdiek in rematch for Legislative District 4 in Douglas County
OMAHA — State Sen. Brad von Gillern and Cindy Maxwell-Ostdiek are in a rematch for Douglas County’s Legislative District 4 as both candidates say affordability, taxes and divisiveness ring top of mind for voters. Four years ago, voters in the west-central Douglas County district elected von Gillern of Elkhorn over…
Federal regulators crack down on organ donation groups
Federal regulators are cracking down on the nonprofits responsible for coordinating organ donations, aiming to begin shutting down substandard groups by early next year. New criteria will score the organizations on donation and transplantation rates and will decertify the bottom tier, meaning their contracts with the…
Vance announces investment in domestic fertilizer manufacturing in Nebraska
JD Vance became the first vice president to visit North Platte, campaigning for Sen. Pete Ricketts and Gov. Jim Pillen.
Legislative District 18 race pits financial adviser against AI strategist
BENNINGTON — It was the crack of dawn when legislative candidate Jess Goldoni opened a listening session at a local cafe, fielding concerns ranging from data centers to technology overreach and tax-burdened startups. To the visitors who showed up at her Friday “coffee hours,” Goldoni underscored her background that…
Justices order Lincoln to pay $9,150 to Nebraska AG’s Office after charter fight
LINCOLN — The Nebraska Supreme Court on Wednesday said Lincoln must pay the Attorney General’s Office $9,150 in costs after a court fight about three petitioned charter amendments. The high court on Sept. 9, in a 5-2 opinion, agreed with Attorney General Mike Hilgers that city officials needed to place three…
Cost of employer-sponsored health insurance plans rises again, nonpartisan survey finds
WASHINGTON — The price health insurance companies charge for employer-sponsored plans increased again this year, as did the deductible many people must pay before those plans begin covering most healthcare costs, according to a survey released Thursday by the nonpartisan health organization KFF. The cost of individual…
Judge blocks Homeland Security from conducting election-related sweeps in 9 states
A federal judge on Wednesday night blocked the Department of Homeland Security from conducting election-related field operations that could sweep up U.S. citizens in nine states. Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín, an appointee of President Joe Biden in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of California, issued a…
Dems sue Trump, alleging election interference, as DOJ battles with California
National Democrats are suing President Donald Trump, accusing his administration of intimidating election officials and asking a federal court to block him from interfering in the midterm elections. The lawsuit, filed late Tuesday in Washington, D.C., comes as the Trump administration mounts a highly public offensive…
Nebraska DED director defends grant management amid questions by state lawmakers
LINCOLN — Amid concerns raised by a Nebraska legislative committee, the state’s director for economic development Wednesday defended her team’s handling of a roughly $235 million grant program aimed at lifting North and South Omaha. The hearing before the Economic Recovery Special Committee featured a question-answer…
District 10 is up for grabs as new candidates Johnson, Rens fight for open seat in state Legislature
LINCOLN — In the politically split District 10, a seat in the Nebraska Legislature is up for grabs with its current representative ineligible for reelection. State Sen. Wendy DeBoer of Bennington is term-limited after serving two consecutive terms representing the district, which encompasses a portion of northwestern…
Nebraska kids whose parents are deported could face decades of trauma, experts say
Since her father was detained and deported, Abigail Lopez struggles to concentrate in class. The 14-year-old attends Stilwell Junior High School in West Des Moines, Iowa. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrested her father, Juan Lopez, on his way to work in September. ICE and the Department of Homeland…
City, state employees are proud of their work but face burnout, harassment
State and local government employees report high levels of job satisfaction across the country, but face significant rates of burnout and on-the-job harassment. That’s according to a new national survey of nearly 5,000 public servants across all 50 states released today by The People Lab at Harvard University’s…
9 states shed jobs in the past year
Nine states and the District of Columbia lost jobs in the year ending in September, according to a report released Tuesday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Hit hard by the Trump administration’s cuts to the federal workforce, the District of Columbia suffered the largest percentage job loss, down 3.5% or 25,800…
Commentary: Grow what you know: Nebraska’s economic opportunity
Nebraska has the ingredients to build a stronger bioeconomy. The opportunity now is to turn those assets into a focused strategy for growth. Across Nebraska, the biosciences are already at work in human and animal health, agriculture, renewable fuels, biomanufacturing, medical technology and research. The University…
UNO professor to lead University of Iowa’s Center for Intellectual Freedom
The Iowa Board of Regents has selected Carson Holloway as the new director of the Center for Intellectual Freedom at the University of Iowa, opening a new chapter for the center amid conflict over its development. Board of Regents President Robert Cramer said he appreciated the “time and energy” center interim…
Nebraska medical cannabis cultivators call for changes to lab testing, fees, physician protections
LINCOLN — Nebraska’s four licensed medical cannabis cultivators are pushing for changes to testing, fees and legal protections for healthcare providers as questions loom over when the fledgling program will provide for legal sales. Representatives for the four licensed cultivators sent a joint letter to the Nebraska…
18 changes suggested for state funding, local property taxes for K-12 schools
LINCOLN — Among recommendations to increase state funding for Nebraska’s 244 school districts was one adopted Tuesday to increase per-student aid by at least 4% annually. A draft of the 16-page report from Nebraska’s School Financing Review Commission offers 18 recommendations, most of which would tweak the Tax Equity…
How Nebraska helped turn 2026 into the year of the independent US Senate candidate
HYANNIS, Neb. — With 19 days until Election Day, Dan Osborn sat across from three skeptical voters in a conference room in this blink-and-you-miss-it rural Nebraska town. Osborn, a bearded former union leader and Navy veteran, wants to become the first independent U.S. senator from Nebraska since World War II by…
Nebraska auditor presses state retirement agency for answers on outgoing director’s pay
LINCOLN — With no clear answers from the Nebraska Public Employees Retirement Board on the continued pay for its seemingly absent executive director, State Auditor Mike Foley said he is growing frustrated. “The board is completely abdicating their fiduciary responsibility to the state, to the employees, to retirees,”…
Trump taps Eric Hamilton for Nebraska’s US District Court
President Donald Trump announced via Truth Social that he will nominate Eric Hamilton to the U.S. District Court of Nebraska.
Omaha father suing DHHS after records-request estimate of nearly $1M, 2076 deadline
LINCOLN — An Omaha father said he was “dumbfounded” when his request for transparency about a DHHS tool used in determining funding for families with disabilities led to a nearly $1 million estimate to provide records, with expected completion by September 2076. DHHS now faces a lawsuit over the estimate. Curt…
Ukrainians and Sudanese with temporary legal status will keep protections for now
WASHINGTON — Immigrants living in the United States with humanitarian status from Ukraine and Sudan will retain their deportation protections and work authorizations for now, the Department of Homeland Security said over the weekend. More than 100,000 Ukrainians and roughly 2,000 Sudanese with Temporary Protected…
Commentary: Myth busting, values voting, Maine messaging
Three thoughts … Whether Nebraska wants to be like Florida is an open question. I’m a hard pass, but when the feds OK’d a plan to put the kibosh on certain kinds of spending for Nebraskans receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families’ Aid to Dependent Children funds, we became the second state they approved…
Who funded Nebraska Working People, America First parties? Law doesn’t require disclosure.
LINCOLN — Candidates and ballot-measure campaigns petitioning to appear on Nebraska’s ballot must disclose how much is spent on signature gathering. But Nebraska law doesn’t require new political parties to disclose their finances until they are qualified to have candidates on the ballot. For 2026, that leaves a gap…
With fewer public defenders, indigent defendants pay the price
AUSTIN, Texas — It was a good day for the defense. Standing in front of a judge in Austin’s Blackwell-Thurman Criminal Justice Center, attorney Matthew Shrum secured a ruling that spared his client from serious punishment on a shoplifting charge. In the hallway immediately afterward, the defendant thanked Shrum with…
2 states, 2 abortion ballot measures, and the effort to win over Gen Z voters
Editor’s Note: This story is part of Gen Z at the Ballot Box, a collaboration between States Newsroom and The 19th. Boise State University senior Cade Syvock opposes abortion. As president of the school’s chapter of the conservative group Turning Point USA, the organization founded by the late activist Charlie Kirk…
JD Vance is coming to Nebraska for a North Platte midterm rally
President Donald Trump visited Grand Island earlier as Nebraska is seeing a close Senate race between Dan Osborn and Sen. Pete Ricketts.
No Kings rallies in Lincoln, Omaha draw demonstrators opposed to Trump’s policies
Despite the organizers' attempt to give the event a “nonpartisan” feel, people said they hope the midterms go their way
Osborn’s independence continues to be scrutinized in Nebraska Senate race
Dan Osborn has vowed repeatedly he wouldn’t caucus with either party if he pulled off the upset in the bitter race against Pete Ricketts.
Trump back on the road as analysts see more congressional races shifting in Dems’ favor
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has a flurry of travel on deck in the final frantic weeks leading up to the end of the midterm elections, in which the GOP is vying to maintain its control of both the U.S. House and Senate. But that outlook looks increasingly less favorable for Republicans, as analysts say
Immigrants from Ukraine, Sudan could soon lose protected status
WASHINGTON — More than 100,000 Ukrainians and roughly 2,000 Sudanese immigrants are bracing for the possibility they’ll lose their humanitarian protections by Monday. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has not indicated if he will renew protections for Ukrainians, who first received Temporary Protected…
Data centers are now the largest financial bet in US history
The sheer size of investment in data centers is drawing concern as it surpasses all other historical booms and crowds out other more job-creating ventures. Until now, no industry had driven the U.S. economy with such force since the railroad expansion of the late 1800s, when titans battled one another to lay the…
California sued by Trump administration over demand to purge 20,000 voters from rolls
The Trump administration sought a federal court order Thursday to force California to purge 20,000 people from its voter rolls over claims they are not U.S. citizens, a major development less than three weeks before the midterm elections. The U.S. Department of Justice sued the state, asking a judge to validate its…
Justices uphold law allowing certain overseas voters to cast ballots for Nebraska elections
LINCOLN — A Republican-led challenge to overturn a state voting law allowing certain overseas voters to vote in Nebraska is over after a Nebraska Supreme Court ruling Friday. In an unsigned, 6-1 decision, the justices said challengers — the Republican National Committee and two Lancaster County voters, Jack Riggins…
Nebraska Supreme Court upholds validity of Fairness for Girls ballot measure
LINCOLN — The Nebraska Supreme Court on Friday unanimously upheld the validity of a 2026 ballot measure seeking to cement sex-separate school sports requirements in the Nebraska Constitution. Justice Derek Vaughn of Omaha, in a 7-0 opinion, agreed with a lower district court’s ruling that the Fairness for Girls…
‘Antithesis to that chaos’: 15-petition effort will soon launch, seeking Nebraska’s 2028 ballot
LINCOLN — Before announcing a statewide 2028 petition last month to suspend Nebraska’s fuel tax for two months each year, Eric Underwood had spent a week to 10 days finalizing the idea. That same day, on Sept. 24, Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen allowed Nebraska agricultural producers to request refunds on state taxes for…
Bipartisan permitting bill in Congress could speed energy projects, but draws green critics
WASHINGTON —Suddenly there’s hope for cutting the reams of red tape that can make getting new energy projects a seemingly endless slog. Top Republican and Democratic senators have unveiled a 417-page bill to overhaul the approval process, a pathway for what’s known as “permitting reform.” A debate is likely when…
Colorado student wins top prize at National Civics Bee Championship
WASHINGTON — Peter Daniell of Broomfield, Colorado, took home the grand prize Wednesday night after winning the National Civics Bee Championship in the nation’s capital. Daniell, a ninth-grader, was one of 52 students from all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and American Samoa who put their civics knowledge to the test…