CHILD WELFARE CASELOADS STILL TOO HIGH, YRTC SYSTEM TOO UNSTABLE IN NEBRASKA, REPORT FINDS

LINCOLN- This year's annual report on child welfare shows some improvement along with a number of issues for children and families in Nebraska. The Inspector General for Child Welfare Jennifer Carter said the Department of Health and Human Services has not met the caseload requirement for the caseworkers that are responsible for keeping mistreated children safe. This statue was passed in 2012 in hopes to help worker burnout and turnover that relate to poorer outcomes for Nebraskan children. 

Another huge issue within the state is the suicide attempt rate for youth involved in the system. This issue trickles into home placements and more. Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Centers are also receiving a lot of attention for the the crises they have experienced in the past year. In the fiscal year of July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020 the inspector general's office received 403 total intakes, 198 critical incident reports, 179 complaints, 19 requests for information and seven grievances from the findings of DHHS. Of the almost 200 critical incident reports, almost 50 of those were sexual abuse claims and 25 suicide attempts. 

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LINCOLN LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT SEES HIGH-SPENDING, HARD-FOUGHT ELECTION BATTLE

LINCOLN- The outcome of the election in south-central Lincoln's legislative district could determine whether Republicans add a numerical edge to the Legislature in a key swing district. District 29 is almost perfectly split between Republicans and Democrats with a sizable number of independents. The seat has been held by Senator Kate Bolz for eight years. Bolz who has reached her term limit is now running for U.S. Congress against Representative Jeff Fortenberry. 

Jacob Campbell garnered 32% of the vote in a six-way race in the primary election. Campbell has previously worked for the Nebraska child welfare system, UNL and most recently as a legislative aide to Senator Ben Hansen of Blair. His opponent, Eliot Boster collected 27% of the vote and now holds the fundraising edge. Bostar was a special advisor to the New York Governor's Office and recently revived Conservation Nebraska, a non-profit working to help the environment. Campbell's largest donor is the Republican State Leadership Committee at $20,000. Bostar's most notable donor is Nebraskans for Common Ground at $80,000. 

Bostar's top priorities are education, jobs, the environment, health care and taxes. Campbell says he will be focusing on healthcare, education and economic recovery. On hot-button issues, the two candidates could not be more opposite. 

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SALES TAX REVENUES DRIVE NEBRASKA'S TAX COLLECTIONS HIGHER THAN EXPECTED FOR AUGUST

LINCOLN- Nebraska collected $68 million more in net tax revenue than original projections for the month of August. These revenues reflect the state's economic growth despite the pandemic. The biggest leap came from sales taxes, with receipts totaling almost $40 million. Individual income tax collections also came in at 10.1% above the forecast. However, corporate income tax revenues were 57.1% below expectations. 

"It's indicating that Nebraska is weathering the pandemic well," said Lydia Brasch, spokeswoman for the Nebraska Department of Revenue.

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NEBRASKA'S PROPERTY TAX CREDIT DROPS SLIGHTLY DUE TO INCREASE IN VALUATIONS

LINCOLN- Lowering local property taxes was a top priority for the governor and state lawmakers this year. The Nebraska Department of Revenue announced the property tax credit for 2020 will be lower than this previous year. The credit will amount to $102.21 for each $100,000 of valuation on a home or business. The credit for agricultural land will be $122.64 for each $100,000 in valuation. This is about a $2 decrease of each figure from the property taxes paid in 2020. 

The state has a new state income tax credit that will further defray the property tax bills of Nebraskans, however this will not come to fruition for three to five years if the economy continues to grow. It will provide $125 million in income tax credits or less than half of the current devotion to property tax credits. 

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PELOSI: HOUSE WILL 'STAY HERE UNTIL WE HAVE A BILL' FOR MORE VIRUS AID

WASHINGTON-  Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California said on Tuesday that the House would not leave for the November elections without acting on an additional round of stimulus to prop up the virus-ravaged economy, responding to growing concern among rank-and-file lawmakers over the prospect of returning home to face voters without doing so.

“We have to stay here until we have a bill,” Ms. Pelosi privately told lawmakers on a conference call on Tuesday morning, according to two people familiar with the remarks who disclosed them on condition of anonymity.

Her vow came just before a bipartisan group of 50 centrist lawmakers was planning to present a $1.5 trillion stimulus plan, making a last-ditch effort to revive stalled talks between top Democrats and the White House. However, members of the caucus have noted privately that the measure has little chance of moving forward. 

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ISRAEL TO ENTER LOCKDOWN AGAIN AS SECOND WAVE OF COVID-19 SURGES

TEL AVIV-  Israel will be locked down for at least three weeks, starting on Friday and continuing over the Jewish high holy days, the first significant country to re-enter closure, after failing to curb a second wave of the coronavirus. 

Nearly all Israelis will be restricted to within less than half-a-mile of their homes, and all non-essential businesses will be closed said Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister, as new infections per capita hovered near the worst levels globally. Some organizations that do not deal with customers will be allowed to stay open. 

Cases have surged past 4,000 a day over the last week, and nearly one in ten of all tests show evidence of infection. The cases are a dramatic increase from the 20 a day in April when the nation emerged from their 45-day lockdown. 

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WITH CORONAVIRUS RESTRICTIONS EASING ACROSS STATE, RICKETTS SAYS IT'S TIME TO RETURN TO A MORE NORMAL LIFE

LINCOLN- Lincoln and Lancaster County stood alone Monday in their control restrictions while the rest of the state moved into a more relaxed phase. The governor does not believe the county still needs to be in Phase 3 but recognizes the county has the ability to use special action and remain independent. He urges Nebraskans to continue to social distance and wear masks in public. The next step is Phase 4 which would only limit crowds to 75% capacity. Lancaster County has reported higher numbers of coronavirus than any other county in the state over the past 2 weeks. 

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MORE TEST SITES, NO AGE OR HIGH-RISK REQUIREMENTS MEAN MORE PEOPLE CAN GET TESTED FOR COVID-19 THROUGH TEST NEBRASKA

KEARNEY- It is now easier than ever to get tested for the virus in Kearney. Prior age or high-risk requirements to get tested are now gone, and anyone who needs a test can get one. This allows people to get tested without having to travel to nearby city's to get a test. Although positive case numbers are down, but hospitalizations are on the rise in Two Rivers. 

Prior to these Test Nebraska sites going up, people in Two Rivers were only able to get tested at private medical offices, who barely had enough tests to matter. With the increase in testing, there was a sharp rise in cases, but the cases are beginning to decrease. 

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UNL RESEARCHERS PITCHED A RAPID COVID-19 TEST AS UNIVERSITY SIGNED ON WITH Test Nebraska

LINCOLN- The Nebraska Athletic Department announced Thursday that they have received 1,200 rapid antigen tests, making it possible to tell athletes if they have the virus within an hour. The rest of the university relies on the $27 million coronavirus testing program to provide free tests to students. 

Over the summer, UNL officials heard about a saliva-based rapid test that only requires students to spit in a plastic tube which makes the process much less invasive. This test can be processed by equipment that is commonly found in all university testing labs. The University of Colorado-Boulder said they could administer these tests for less than $5. 

If UNL could harness all equipment necessary for these tests, they could yield 1,000 tests per day, which is five times the capacity for Test Nebraska. UNL has not received the 'go-ahead' from experts, UNMC and the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department do not recommend this type of testing. 

UNL students account for half of the new cases in Lancaster County since classes resumed in August.

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SURGE IN CASES PROMPTS LPS TO REQUIRE COLLEGES' STUDENT TEACHERS TO GET TESTED REGULARLY

LINCOLN- With the recent surge in cases at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, LPS will be pulling student teachers and college students doing practicums from the classroom until there is a negative test reported. LPS has 188 student teachers from local colleges with another 498 college students doing practicums in classrooms. Student teachers are upperclassmen who must spend an entire semester teaching before they can graduate. Practicums are taught by students who come to the classroom just a few times a week. 

LPS has transitioned the practicum students to online instruction. Student teachers are still coming to the classroom everyday. As of Thursday, UNL reported 545 positive cases. 

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OFFICIALS CREDIT MASK MANDATE FOR DROP IN DOUGLAS COUNTY'S POSITIVE CORONAVIRUS TEST RATE

OMAHA- Local health officials have made a connection between the city's mask mandate and the recent drop in cases. The Douglas County Health Department reported last week's test positivity rate was 7.4%, compared to 10.5% on the week ending August 15. August 15th was the day the mask mandate passed in Omaha. 

7,153 people were tested this past week, with 529 of those were positive. 10,809 people in Douglas County have recovered from COVID-19, with 178 deaths.

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WHY CORONAVIRUS HASN'T SEVERELY DAMAGED ENROLLMENT IN THE NU SYSTEM AS SOME FEARED

OMAHA- In an otherwise excellent report, the University of Nebraska system saw a decrease in the number of international students enrolled in the universities. UNK and UNL saw decreases in overall enrollment because of this, but UNO and NU Medical Center did well, with increases in enrollment by over 4% each. 

The decreasing number of international students in Nebraska is similar to the nationwide plummet in students coming to the United States for their studies. China has historically been the biggest provider of international students to American universities. These numbers amidst the pandemic could be attributed to the Nebraska Promise, which guaranteed free tuition for in-state families making less than $60,000. The Nebraska system also froze tuition through the 2023 school semester, which could be helping numbers as well. 

Administrators feared students would be taking 'gap years' due to the uncertainty the pandemic has brought, however because of their commitment to help students financially, that concern has dwindled. If not for the decrease in international students, all schools in the University of Nebraska system would have seen an increase in enrollment this fall. UNO's enrollment is the highest it has been since 1992. The NU system saw an overall increase in enrollment of 1%. 

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HAGEL SAYS DEEP DIVISIONS THREATEN U.S. LEADERSHIP

OMAHA- Former Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel said Thursday that today's deep divisions in the United States and the polarization of its politics threaten its unity and future role as world leader.

"This country is going to have to come together," the former U.S. secretary of defense said during a virtual speaking appearance before members of the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, the Omaha Chamber of Commerce and the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

"It's up to us," Hagel said. "We're so much better than what we're showing today."

Hagel said "we're in for a rough few months and probably beyond" as the nation gears up for a presidential election showdown between President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden.

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PRESTON LOVE JR. ANNOUNCES WRITE-IN CANDIDACY AGAINST SEN. Ben Sasse

OMAHA- The North Omaha activist Preston Love Jr. made history with his campaign bid. He is the first black Senate candidate backed by a major political party in state history.

The Nebraska Democratic Party announced its full support of his write-in candidacy. Preston Love Jr. is a Black Studies professor at UNO and was a campaign manager for Jessie Jackson's presidential campaign in 1984. He has always been a public activist for social justice in his Omaha community. 

Love as well as the Democratic Party wanted Alisha Shelton to be on the November ballot, however Chris Janicek defeated her in the primary so she is unable to be a write-in candidate according to state law. Janicek ignored repeated calls by the Nebraskan Democrats to drop out of the race after lewd texts came to light about his campaign's finance director. Love wants voters to know that his candidacy is about more than his race. He and the Democratic Party are aware that his candidacy gives even more favor to Sasse because of the huge difference in registered voters. 

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NEBRASKA'S SENATE DEBATE: SASSE PARRIES HEALTH CARE BARBS FROM JANICEK

OMAHA- The only Senate debate of 2020 offered voters a look at Senator Ben Sasse and his competitor, Chris Janicek. Janicek has recently been disavowed by the Democratic Party after inappropriate messages he sent came to light. 

Nebraska has close to 200,000 more registered Republicans than Democrats and Sasse is enjoying a $5.5 million fundraising advantage over Janicek. Janicek focused on Sasse's failure to pass health care reform and his opposition of certain unemployment benefits during the pandemic. Sasse told the World-Herald that he too was disappointed that the GOP could not get the reform passed. Both of Sasse's bills on healthcare have not advanced in the Senate. 

Following the debate, the Nebraska Democratic Party announced its backing of Preston Love as a write-in candidate following Janicek's refusal to leave the race following offensive comments to campaign staff.

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SASSE PROPOSES ENDING DIRECT ELECTION OF U.S. SENATORS

WASHINGTON- Senator Ben Sasse proposed a major change to the Senate this week. His proposal would repeal the Constitutional amendment that provided for direct election of its members, instead having members appointed by state legislators for a single 12 year term. He recognizes that this could take many years to implement if ever passed. Sasse first spoke about his opinion in the Wall Street Journal, where he said the founding fathers would be shocked at the current state of affairs.

Sasse continued saying that the functionality of the Senate as it is now consists of pointless exercises for the cameras. 

His plan includes removing cameras from hearings, dissolving standing committees and doubling the term from six to twelve years without ability for reelection. He believes if the Senator is not focused on being reelected, they will be more concerned with real challenges, not short-term popularity. The standing committees would be replaced by temporary panels that focus on specific issues. 

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THE BATTLE OVER BISCUITS AND GRAVY AT THE 11-WORTH CAFE

OMAHA- Omaha's 11-Worth Cafe closed its doors after protestors over the summer began to call out the restaurant for an item on the menu named after Robert E. Lee. Activists in the Omaha area say the name of the breakfast was another reminder of Omaha's history such as the lynching of a black men in 1919 and the KKK attacks on Malcolm X. The activists say without bringing attention to the name would be allowing and normalizing hate. 

The majority of the backlash against the cafe came after the fatal shooting of James Scurlock. Jake Gardner, an Old Market bar owner, shot Scurlock in what the court has determined as self defense. After multiple Facebook posts by owners and employees of the cafe came to light praising Gardner, protests against the restaurant really kicked in. After a few weeks of the protests, the 40 year old cafe closed. 

The family who owned the restaurant claim they have received death threats and ever ending verbal abuse. Omaha City Council Member, Brinker Harding believes this is a case of a disagreement going too far. Other city representatives have not made any statements. The closure of 11-Worth Cafe is a symbol of the changing times in both Omaha and the country. 

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LARA TRUMP STOPS IN OMAHA, SAYS FATHER-IN-LAW PRESIDENT TRUMP DELIVERED RESULTS

OMAHA- President Donald Trump confirmed Omaha’s status as a presidential swing district Thursday by sending his second surrogate in less than a month to Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District.  Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara rallied the Omaha crowd of 75 to 100 supporters, who included Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts and former Bellevue Mayor Rita Sanders.

Lara Trump’s Nebraska stop focused on reminding Republicans in Douglas County and western Sarpy County what’s at stake and why the campaign needs them to get their neighbors to vote.

The president won the Omaha area congressional district by 2 percentage points in 2016. Nebraska awards an electoral vote to the winner of the popular vote in each congressional district. But since 2016, Douglas County has added registered Democrats to the voting rolls at a faster pace than Republicans in Douglas and Sarpy County’s slice of the 2nd District. That’s why the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia now lists Biden as a slight favorite to win the 2nd District, as President Barack Obama did in 2008.

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SUPREME COURT CLEARS THE WAY FOR PAYDAY LENDING INITIATIVE ON NOVEMBER BALLOT

LINCOLN- The Nebraska Supreme Court has cleared the way for Nebraska voters to decide if payday lenders should have caps on interest and fees they can charge to customers. On Thursday the court affirmed an earlier decision by Lancaster District court which ruled the language used as "sufficient" and "fair" to appear on the ballot. 

Trina Thomas of Lincoln had sued the state to stop the measure from appearing in November following its successful signature gathering drive. Thomas said by referring to “payday lenders” instead of “delayed deposit services licensees,” which appears in state statute, voters would be prejudiced to support the initiative capping annual percentage rates at 36% instead of the 400% currently allowed. 

“We further agree with the district court that the Attorney General’s decision to use ‘payday lenders’ clarifies the measure, because no evidence was presented that the general public knows the meaning of the term ‘delayed deposit services licensees,’” the court concluded. 

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NEBRASKA VOTERS WILL DECIDE ON CASINO GAMBLING AT HORSE RACING TRACKS FOLLOWING SUPREME COURT RULING

LINCOLN- On Thursday the Supreme Court ruled Nebraska voters will get to weigh in on a set of three ballot initiatives that would permit and regulate casino gambling at Nebraska horse racing tracks, the State Supreme Court ruled Thursday.

The court ruled 4-3 in favor of several pro-gambling groups and ordered Secretary of State Bob Evnen to place the three initiatives on the Nov. 3 ballot. Under the ballot questions will be allowing casino gambling at horse tracks, establishment of regulations and tax, and directing tax collections towards the offset of property taxes. 

Gov. Pete Ricketts, a gambling opponent, said in a statement, “While I respect the judgment of the Court on the gambling initiatives, I urge Nebraskans to keep gambling out of the Good Life when they head to the polls in November.” 

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