Nebraska / Public News Service

According to The Sentencing Project, 4.6 million Americans cannot vote because of a felony conviction. (Anna Kosolapova/Adobe Stock)

Tuesday, April 23, 2024

NE advocates foresee new voting-restoration law helping individuals, state

April is Second Chance Month and many Nebraskans are celebrating passage of a bipartisan voting rights restoration bill and its focus on second chance…

Each year since 2018, there have been more than 1 million online ads for guns which could be sold without a background check. (Adobe Stock)

NE group predicts support for changes to gun dealer rules, background checks

Well over three-fourths of Americans support universal background checks for gun purchases, but federal law allows unlicensed people to sell guns at …

Approximately one child in 36 in the United States has a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder, with one in six children having at least one developmental or intellectual disorder. (Photographee.eu/Adobe Stock)

NE rolls out new disability support for 850 families

As the country observes Autism Acceptance Month, Nebraska families raising a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder are among those learning they will …

Family caregivers provide an estimated $600 billion of unpaid care every year. (Mediteraneo/Adobe Stock)

NE family caregivers, advocates hope for passage of Caregiver Tax Credit Act

As Nebraska's 2024 legislative session draws to a close, family caregivers and their supporters are closely watching the progress of Legislative Bill …

From September 2020 through 2021, more than 60 million Americans volunteered a total of more than 4 billion hours. (DC Studio/Adobe Stock)

Volunteers an essential part of NE Community Action Partnerships

April is National Volunteer Month, and Nebraskans rank high nationwide for their willingness to volunteer. In the most recent Census Bureau/…

Downtown Winnebago is in northeast Nebraska's Thurston County. The Ho-Chunk Village housing development can be seen in the background. (Photo courtesy HCCDC)

Winnebago Tribe's development corp earns top rating, $2 million grant

The Nebraska Winnebago Tribe's Ho-Chunk Community Development Corporation, or HCCDC, has been awarded $2 million through MacKenzie Scott's Yield …

As of 2023, 29 of Nebraska's 93 counties had no behavioral health professionals. (Adobe Stock)

NE behavioral health advocates, consumers question $15 million funding shift

A 2023 study from the University of Nebraska Medical Center concluded the number of Nebraskans with a mental health or substance abuse disorder has pr…

Cover crops and other regenerative practices prevent erosion, improve soil health and can absorb harmful carbon from the atmosphere and

Experienced NE farmer talks cattle, cover crops and regenerative agriculture

One of the goals included in Nebraska's Department of Environment and Energy's Priority Climate Action Plan recently submitted to the federal Environm…

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities says state programs supporting private schools, such as vouchers and scholarships,

NE lawmakers work to circumvent private-school referendum vote

Nebraskans this November will be able to vote on whether to keep the Opportunity Scholarships Act, which gives a dollar-for-dollar tax credit to …

Renewable energy land-lease payments to Nebraska landowners total nearly $38 million annually, and wind and solar projects bring Nebraska more than $17 million annually in state and local taxes. (Bryan Kelly/Adobe Stock)

Nebraskans for clean energy, rural development say bill would harm both

Roughly 35% of Nebraska's electricity is produced from renewable sources and advocates of clean energy development are concerned about the changes a b…

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, elements all youth need, which are

NE advocates for LGBTQ+ rights hopeful after visits with state senators

State legislators across the country continue to introduce anti-LGBTQ bills and there have been a record number of them for four years in a row…

A 2023 article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science reports that adults in the United States living with at least one child are twice as likely to be evicted as adults without children, and that Black Americans make up more than 51% of those experiencing eviction filings. (Lyndon Stratford/peopleimages.com/Adobe Stock)

NE bill would reduce eviction impact, increase gender, racial equity

Evictions are on the rise in Nebraska and in many places around the country. Nearly 2,500 more eviction proceedings were initiated in Nebraska courts …

According to a report by the American Association for the Advancement of Science,

NE state forester urges fire safety during high-risk conditions

It's early in the season for wildfires in Nebraska, but dozens of firefighters have already been battling a large wildfire near North Platte for …

The Brookings Institution said the blurring of the lines between real and fake content

NE legislature to hear bills regulating artificial intelligence

In the 2023 legislative season, 25 states introduced legislation related to artificial intelligence and more than a dozen states enacted AI …

Southeast Community College Ford ASSET instructor Mark Berggren with students. (Photo courtesy of Southeast Community College)

NE college graduates fully certified Ford auto technicians

A unique collaboration between Ford Motor Co. and 41 community and technical colleges across the country is helping students and the automotive …

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately one in every 300 newborns screened is eventually diagnosed with one of the conditions covered in newborn screenings. (Tomsickova/Adobe Stock)

Bill in NE would allow parents to 'opt out' of newborn screenings

Every state has been screening newborns for several decades, usually performing a heel-prick blood test, a hearing test and a heart check. Several …

In a 2024 report, the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce Foundation pointed to the importance of legal immigrants for improving Nebraska's ongoing workforce shortage. (Moab Republic/Adobe Stock)

ACLU: Due process rights violated in Omaha immigration courts

Immigrants whose cases are heard in Omaha's Immigration Court are often denied their due process rights, according to a report from the ACLU of …

The 12 nursing homes that closed in Nebraska in the past three years amount to 556 fewer beds for Nebraskans needing nursing-home level care. (luckybusiness/Adobe Stock)

NE Legislature to hear bills that bolster struggling long-term care industry

Nebraska saw nine long-term care facility closures in 2022, second only to 13 in Texas. In the past three years, Nebraska has lost a combined 29 …

A study of voting in the 2022 midterms conducted by Civic Nebraska found some of the highest voter turnout rates were in counties with all vote-by-mail. (Michael Vi/Adobe Stock)

NE Legislature mulls bill to reduce early-voting days

Nebraska is among at least 14 states that enacted voting restrictions last year, passing a voter ID law. Next week, a legislative committee takes up …

There are about 48 million unpaid family caregivers in the U.S., providing care with a dollar value of nearly $600 billion. (Rido/Adobe Stock)

NE lawmakers consider tax credits for family caregivers

About 180,000 Nebraskans are caregivers for a family member. Nationally, family caregivers spend an average of more than $7000 a year on related …

States can set more restrictive qualifications for child care subsidies than the federal government. In 2019, nearly 89,000 Nebraska children qualified using federal parameters, but fewer than 36,000 qualified using Nebraska's state-defined rules. (Lordn/Adobe Stock)

Kentucky-inspired bill would help NE child care providers, workforce

In the 2023 Nebraska Rural Poll 61% agreed there's a shortage of affordable child care in their communities, and more than 75% said their communities …

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 10.2 million U.S. households had low food security and 6.8 million had very low food security at some time during 2022. (nicoletaionescu/Adobe Stock)

NE bill would ensure Summer EBT participation; first hearing Thursday

According to a recent USDA study, 12% of Nebraskans experience food insecurity. That's higher than the national average. If legislation that is the …

In 2024, Nebraska is spending less than 25% of what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers best practices on tobacco control programs, according to an American Lung Association report. (Zhikun Sun/Adobe Stock)

Report: NE receives failing grades for three of five tobacco-control measures

Nebraska needs to do better when it comes to tobacco use prevention and cessation, according to a newly released report. In the American Lung …

People who smoke and are exposed to radon have a 10 times higher risk of developing lung cancer than non-smokers exposed to the same levels of radon. (Francesco Scatena)

Blair, NE housing authority gets HUD grant for radon tests, mitigation

It's Radon Awareness Week and National Radon Action Month. Radon is a colorless, odorless radioactive gas which can build up inside buildings and is …

One goal of President Joe Biden's April 2023

Medicaid waiver programs cover in-home care costs for eligible Nebraskans

Many Nebraskans age 65 and older with health limitations, as well as younger people living with a disability, want to remain in their own homes…

Chidren of Asian and Pacific Islander ethnicity received the highest national score on the 2024 Race for Results report, 771 out of 1,000, followed by 697 for white children and 612 for children of two or more races. (len4foto/AdobeStock)

Report: Nebraska children of color have less well-being than white peers

On a new report, Nebraska's white children scored high on well-being compared with their peers nationwide - but the same can't be said for the …

In 2023, Nebraska ranked 37th for the percentage of adults experiencing any form of mental illness, at 23.4%, compared with the national average of 20.78%. (Nuttapong punna/Adobe Stock)

2024 means more mental-health care options for NE Medicare recipients

Nebraska was ranked forty-fourth overall in the 2023 Mental Health in America report, and twenty-ninth for access to care. But a change as of January …

Indigenous woman wearing a traditional dress. (SALMONNEGRO/Adobe Stock)

Omaha Maya organization receives $15,000 grant for regenerative ag practices

An Omaha Maya organization has received one of five $15,000 grants from the nonprofit GreenLatinos. Some 85 organizations applied for the grant …

Omaha, Lincoln, Hastings, Alliance and Scottsbluff are among Nebraska cities and towns to celebrate Pride Month in 2023. (Manny DaCunhay/Adobe Stock)

OutNebraska advocates for LGBTQ+ at NE Capitol, statewide

With the start of the Nebraska Unicameral's 2024 session this week, guarding against the divisiveness experienced last session is top of mind for …

Commercial buildings in Winnebago, Neb., including headquarters of award-winning Ho-Chunk Village, and Ho-Chunk Village residential housing in background. (Sam Burrish/Ho-Chunk, Inc.)

Study credits diversification for Winnebago Tribe success

A new study calls the economic and social changes brought about by the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska over the past three decades "a story of numerous ac…

Youth.gov defines the primary goals of the juvenile justice system as:

ACLU: Excessive youth 'room confinement' non-rehabilitative, violates NE law

A 2020 Nebraska law restricted the use of solitary confinement, also known as "juvenile room confinement," for Nebraska youths in detention. But a …

Since 2008, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program has awarded nearly $68 million in low-interest loans and $17 million in grants to rural microentrepreneurs. (Andriy Blokhin/Adobe Stock)

Renewing and revising USDA's RMAP benefits NE small towns

Dozens of Microenterprise Development Organizations from 28 states, including Nebraska's Center for Rural Affairs, have signed a letter urging …

An AARP survey found 43% of respondents aged 20-29 reported having lost money to fraud, compared to 23% of those aged 70-79.

AARP to Nebraska families: Let's talk about fraud

With holiday shopping and year-end giving in full swing, some scammers are ramping up their efforts as well. In a recent survey from AARP, nearly 40%…

A white-breasted Nuthatch hangs upside in a photo taken during a Christmas Bird Count. Audubon reported more than 79,000 people participated in the count last year, the third-highest number ever. (Kyle/Adobe Stock)

'Birdability' hosts accessible Christmas bird counts in NE, nationwide

Bird-watchers across the country are part of the 124th National Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count between now and early January. One group helps …

According to the National Association of Broadcasters, 82 million Americans depend on AM radio each month for news, entertainment and safety. (thexfilephoto/Adobe Stock)

Requiring AM radio in vehicles benefits rural Nebraskans

The passage of a bipartisan, bicameral bill in the U.S. Congress would be very beneficial to people in rural parts of Nebraska. It could also make …

A 2022 Pew Research survey found 61% of U.S. adults trust national news, 71% trust local news, and 33% trust news on social media. Among those ages 18-29, however, 50% said they trust news on social media sites. (Scanrail/Adobe Stock)

Report: NE lost 7% of its local weekly newspapers in 2023

A new report says some Nebraska communities have lost a major source of local news this year. The "State of Local News" report evaluates the …

One of the goals of the Biden administration's Justice40 Initiative is that

New environmental justice center helps NE communities, organizations

There's a new resource for Nebraska communities and organizations facing environmental justice issues: the Heartland Environmental Justice Center (HEJ…

In 2021, 37% of people in the U.S. ages 18 and older used telehealth services at least once. (DC Studio/Adobe Stock)

'Champion' NE state senators helped lower insulin costs, strengthen telehealth

As of Jan. 1, insulin will become a lot more affordable for many Nebraskans, and those who have come to rely on telehealth visits are more likely to …

Of the 12% of Nebraskans reporting food insecurity at some time between 2020 and 2022, almost half of them reported experiencing

NE has until Jan. 1 to opt in to food assistance for 150,000 children

Roughly one in eight Nebraskans who have experienced hunger is a child. The state has a chance to help their families afford groceries, but must 'opt …

Among registered voters surveyed, nearly 90% of Democrats and 75% of Republicans believe support for unpaid family caregivers is important. (Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels)

NE Area Agencies on Aging support caregivers

November is National Family Caregivers Month, and many of the 200,000 Nebraskans who help care for loved ones with a health issue or disability could …

Nebraska's school librarians serve an average of 600 students, compared with nearly a third of states where they serve 1,500 or more. (Adobe Stock)

There's a lot going on in NE school libraries

This last day of American Education Week is a great time to highlight school librarians. Nebraska's school libraries have probably changed since you …

Shoppers are encouraged to spend time in downtown Alliance, Nebraska. Since 2010, shoppers have spent more than $160 billion on Small Business Saturdays. (jkgabbert/Adobe Stock)

NE small-town businesses urge support on Small Business Saturday, Nov. 25

Small Business Saturday is Nov. 25 and there are plenty of Nebraska small business owners hoping for your business. In 2022, shoppers across the …

An aerial view of Lincoln, Neb., which received an Overall Livability Score of 63 on the 2023 AARP Livability Index, compared with the average city score of 48. (Jacob/Adobe Stock)

Lincoln, other NE communities rate high for 'livability'

The city of Lincoln scores high for "livability," both in Nebraska and the nation as a whole. In the new AARP Livability Index, Lincoln ranks number …

According to the American Lung Association, around 238,000 new cases of lung cancer will be diagnosed this year, and more than 127,000 people will die from lung cancer. (Peakstock/Adobe Stock)

Report: NE lung cancer screening of high-risk individuals among lowest in U.S.

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, and a newly released report shows far too few Nebraskans at high risk for lung cancer are getting the …

In a 2022 poll by the Pew Research Center, 30% of adults said marijuana should be legal for medical use and 59% supported it being legalized for medical and recreational use. Ten percent did not support legalization for either medical or recreational use. (bukhta79/Adobe Stock)

Advocates hope voters make Nebraska 48th state to approve medical cannabis

When it comes to getting the legalization of medical cannabis in front of Nebraska voters, supporters hope the third time's the charm. Nebraska…

As of 2021, there were more than 17,000 farms with at least one certified organic crop, compared with only around 150 certified biodynamic farms in the United States. (sjredwin1/Adobe Stock)

Biodynamic farming views farms as living organism for greater sustainability

By Ellie Kuckelman for The Reader.Broadcast version by Deborah Van Fleet for Nebraska News Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-P…

Nebraska currently ranks 15th in the nation for the amount of electricity generated by renewable sources. In neighboring states, South Dakota ranked 1st, Iowa 6th, Kansas 9th, Colorado 14th, Wyoming 20th and Missouri 29th. (engeL.ac/Adobe Stock)

Nebraska climate advocate receives largest climate grant offered to individuals

Nebraska environmental leader Jane Kleeb has received the largest environmental award offered to an individual, a $3 million Climate Breakthrough …

The 2018 Farm Bill included the Pets and Women Safety Act or PAWS, (renamed Protecting Animals with Shelter) to strengthen protections for pets in domestic-abuse situations and provide grant money to help more shelters be able to accept house pets. (takafoto/Adobe Stock)

Legal protection, sheltering, for pets of NE domestic-abuse victims

For some people experiencing domestic violence, concern about the safety of their household pet can prevent them from leaving. In a survey of 2,500 …

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