BIDEN NAMES CLIMATE STATESMAN JOHN KERRY AS CLIMATE ENVOY

WASHINGTON- John Kerry who has one of the leading names destining the Paris climate agreement has been named as the climate envoy for national security. He is the first member of the National Security Council to focus only on climate change. This was President-elect Biden's first step in adhering to a campaign pledge that confronts climate-damage from fossil fuel emissions. 

“America will soon have a government that treats the climate crisis as the urgent national security threat it is,” Kerry tweeted. “I’m proud to partner with the President-elect, our allies, and the young leaders of the climate movement to take on this crisis as the President’s Climate Envoy.”

Kerry has a long track record with his career-long fight to put climate-change at the forefront of people's minds. President Trump pulled the U.S. out of the Paris climate accord four years ago which dismantled the eight years of work the Obama Administration did to decrease fossil-fuel emissions. Biden has pledged to get the U.S. back into the accord and has promised a $2 trillion plan to overhaul transportation and power sectors to curb fossil fuel emissions. 

Kerry is a former senator from Massachusetts, a Democratic presidential candidate (2004) and Obama's Secretary of State from 2013-2017. Environmental advocates from around the nation are mixed on their opinions of Kerry with some people saying his ideas are from years past and will not actually help the modern climate crisis.

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PRO- AND ANTI-POLICE DEMONSTRATORS CLASH OUTSIDE OMAHA POLICE HEADQUARTERS

OMAHA- This past weekend, a black Omaha man named Kenneth Jones was fatally shot by an Omaha police officer during a traffic stop. This event obviously allowed protests to erupt across the city, with the largest coming to a head outside of the Omaha Police Headquarters in downtown Omaha at about 10:30 P.M. 

Opponents of the protest say they support protesting and understand they are an important part of society, but they do not believe these protesters were 'doing it right'. Greg Murray arrived to the protest with a sign reading "I (heart symbol) OPD!" which garnered an immense amount of negative reactions from the crowd. A couple of protesters were arrested for disorderly conduct and destruction of property. 

Officers fired pepper balls at the crowds to diffuse the situation. 

Read the full article HERE

HANK BOUNDS EARNING $250,000 A YEAR TO RAISE MONEY FOR NEBRASKA ATHLETICS PROJECT-- FROM ALABAMA

LINCOLN- Former president of the University of Nebraska system Hank Bounds, quit his job last year and is now a professor in Alabama. But he is still earning $250,000 a year from Nebraska. On contract, he is working as a fundraising consultant for UNL's $155 million football complex. 

The university already has a huge foundation to handle donations including the athletic department's own fundraising effort. Bounds, however, was hired by the Nebraska University Board of Regents on a three-year contract in which he will be paid through private funds. A source close to Bounds says the NU leadership believed Bounds would be more reliable in pulling off a fundraising project of this size over Bill Moos, the Athletic Director. 

The goal of this project is to bring Nebraska to a competitive advantage over other Big Ten schools that will result in national prominence for the entire school. 

Regents say Bounds made many relationships with people during his time at UNL and those relationships will benefit the project greatly. Ted Carter, former superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy has taken over for Bounds. 

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RICKETTS JOINS SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM TRENDY AMONG CONSERVATIVES

LINCOLN- Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts has signed up for a new social media platform where political conservatives have flocked to in recent weeks. Ricketts announced in a news release Wednesday that he had joined Parler.

The application, touting itself as the premier free speech platform, has signed up millions of members this year following concerns of politically biased censoring of conservatives on the social media giants Facebook and Twitter. It has, however, come under fire as a meeting place for white supremacists to share their views that were banned from major social media platforms. When asked about the connection during his press conference on Monday, Ricketts’ noted that not limiting free speech is a competitive advantage for Parler.

Earlier this week, Parler told National Public Radio it has 10 million members, double the amount it had around Election Day. Facebook currently has over 2.7 billion active users every month. 

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NONPROFIT PHYSICIANS GROUP SUPPORTS ‘BEANS OVER BEEF’ IN NEBRASKA

LINCOLN- A group of doctors, including 34 in Nebraska, are urging The Beef State to change its ways. 

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is launching a campaign in Nebraska, asking the state Department of Health and Human Services in a request filed Friday, to help the state transition to what the doctors believe is cleaner, safer food, and to have meatpacking facilities produce plant-based proteins. 

It is also sponsoring two billboards in Lincoln that address Gov. Pete Ricketts. One at 25th and Randolph streets and the other at 1501 South St. will be installed this week. They are positioned close to both the Governor's Mansion and the state Capitol and will remain until Dec. 20. The message on the billboards: "Governor Ricketts: Can Nebraska Switch to a Safer Food Supply Like Beans Over Beef?

Ricketts commented Monday at a news conference on the campaign, saying there isn't a more nutritionally dense food source than beef, the state's largest industry, and he doesn't support the physicians' campaign to switch to beans and plant-based products. It would take three cups of quinoa or lentils to get the same nutritional value from three ounces of beef, which is a part of an overall healthy diet, he said.  

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NEBRASKA RAMPS UP COVID TESTING PROGRAM, BUT RECOMMENDS SMALL THANKSGIVING GATHERINGS

LINCOLN- Even though the state has ramped up testing capacity, officials are calling on Nebraskans to keep Thanksgiving small. The number of tests performed by TestNebraska, the organization doing the majority of testing in the state, has increased by 25% in the past month. Taylor Gage, a spokesman for the governor, said the state increased testing capacity in anticipation for a surge after the holiday. 

Testing capacity has increased along with some sites now expanding hours and some hiring more people to do tests at the site to speed up the testing process. The state has also added a new lab to process tests at CHI Health- St. Elizabeth in Lincoln which now allows the state to process double the amount of tests daily. 

In a press conference, Gov. Ricketts said a negative test does not mean a person is immune, so the best bet to slow the spread is to lower the numbers at Thanksgiving dinner. A negative test also does not release someone from needing to quarantine for 14 days.

TestNebraska garnered criticism in the early days of the pandemic after failing to meet original goals such as performing 3,000 tests per day and more. Along with that there have also been some technological shortcomings that have forced some people's test results to be delayed by days. Even with the recent uptick in the amount of tests being requested, Nebraskans are still able to get a test within 24 to 48 hours with the turnaround for results being at an average of 43 hours. 

Earlier this week 1,700 medical professionals from all practices signed a letter making an appeal to Nebraskans to take this virus seriously. Nebraska currently has one of the fastest-growing outbreaks of the virus in the country. 

The letter states that UNMC has 10 units full of COVID-19 patients and will no longer be able to add more space or have enough workers to care for more patients. Healthcare workers on the frontline are "scared" and "exhausted". The letter was drafted by Drs. Christopher Miller, Thomas Marston and Daniel Hershberger. 

Read the full letter by clicking HERE

Read the full articles HERE and HERE

SCHOOLS TAP COLLEGE STUDENTS, ADMINISTRATORS TO FILL IN FOR SICK, QUARANTINING TEACHERS

OMAHA- Leaders from the Nebraska State Education Association adopted a resolution that aimed at pushing the governor to take a a more aggressive approach to the pandemic. They are calling on the governor to impose mask mandates, limit outdoor gatherings and temporarily close bars. They also want a lower density of students in the classroom and in cafeterias, when masks are off, especially. 

Nebraska schools are now in an all-hands-on-deck situation with administrators covering classrooms and college students substitute teaching during their winter break. Teaching students are being recruited to work after Thanksgiving during the extended winter break many colleges have. The Principal at Pine Creek Elementary in Bennington, NE has been subbing a few times a week, which is leaving her to do all duties of a principal at night.  

Finding substitute teachers is a seemingly impossible task right now, especially if the school is on hybrid learning. COVID-19 has only worsened the problem that schools have been speaking about for years now. If schools want to stay open, they need more teachers. Districts have now been forced to work with college students to get the license to substitute teach. This helps college students build their resume while being paid and it helps the schools out during this high-pressure time.

“They [college students] now can literally work every day until they come back to the university, which is a good two months,” said Sara Skretta, certification officer at UNL. 

Read the full articles HERE and HERE

EDITORIAL: RICKETTS MUST ORDER A STATEWIDE MASK MANDATE TO HELP US GET THROUGH WINTER

OMAHA WORLD HERALD- The cries for help from healthcare workers has sparked a new conversation about the importance of a mask mandate-- especially with the winter coming fast. It is now eight months into this pandemic and cases are at unprecedented levels. 10 Nebraskans a day are dying with this virus and a quarter of total deaths have come within the last month. 

As the governor continues to refuse to mandate masks, he is watching as towns and cities take it into their own hands. Governors from Utah, North Dakota and Iowa that had once opposed mandates, now have them. 37 states currently have a mask mandate of some form.  Science says masks work, they may not be foolproof, but they can save a close family member from getting the virus and passing away too early because of it. 

A mask mandate says our leaders are serious and will no longer abet resistance by disregarding medical advice and health workers’ pleas.When people are sick, they should follow doctors’ orders. Growing numbers of Nebraskans are sick and dying. It’s time, Gov. Ricketts, to follow doctors’ advice and order a statewide mask mandate.

Read the full article HERE

LOCAL NEBRASKA DOCTORS PROVIDE CORONAVIRUS INFORMATION TO SPANISH-SPEAKING COMMUNITY

OMAHA- During the summer months, the Hispanic community accounted for over half of the Douglas County COVID-19 cases. However, the Hispanic share of cases has dropped by nearly 17% in the past two weeks. Measures such as protecting meatpacking plant workers, increased testing availability and following best practice standards have helped immensely. 

Armando De Alba Rosales, Adi Pour and other Spanish-speaking doctors held a virtual forum that spoke to the community about what to do if a family member tests positive, future plans for the vaccine and more. Dr. De Alba Rosales went on to talk about the current hospital crisis, saying if cases continue to climb how they are now, there will be no available hospital beds for anyone. He urged everyone to avoid places that allow for masks to be taken off and especially avoid superspreader events like weddings. 

Everyone needs to be cautious as they were at the beginning of the pandemic, everyone is sick of it, but that does not mean it is not real. 

Read the full article HERE

GRETNA, RALSTON OFFICIALS PASS FACEMASK ORDINANCES, BOTH IN EFFECT WEDNESDAY; OTHER CITIES CONSIDERING THEIR OWN

OMAHA- Ralston and Gretna city council's have officially passed facemask ordinances while the governor continues to not pass a statewide mandate. Both cities called a special meeting for Monday evening to pass a vote. Within 15 minutes of Gretna's meeting starting, the matter had passed. Ralston's mandate also includes a penalty for any violations of the new mask mandate. 

Mayor Roger Steele of Grand Island has made a formal recommendation to the city council for a mask requirement. He said it is not about politics but about controlling a deadly virus. He is calling on his community to step up and act responsibly. 

Sen. Justin Wayne, an attorney and chairman of the Legislature's Urban Affairs Committee pointed out state law that allows cities of all sizes the ability to impost regulations that prevent and manage diseases. Attorneys that represent cities are having a hard time deciding whether it actually is state law that allows them to implement these kinds of mandates. Ralston Mayor said the city's original interpretation was that they could not pursue a mandate. 

Masks are not the only tool to slow the spread, but they are an essential part of a larger picture to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Read the full articles HERE, HERE and HERE

'HE'S FIGHTING,' OMAHA POLICE UNION PRESIDENT ON VENTILATOR BATTLING COVID-19

OMAHA- Anthony Conner, the president of the Omaha Police Officer's Association, is fighting for his life after testing positive for COVID-19. He is also a sergeant in the Omaha Police Department and is 42 years old. 

His wife, Linda, had coronavirus first and said she had it so bad she thought she was going to die. Just a few days later, Tony tested positive. She slowly started getting better, and then got significantly worse. Conners went to the hospital, but got to come home a short while later with supplemental oxygen. But, he took a turn for the worst  and Linda had to call an ambulance for him on Friday evening. Linda Conners now reports that Tony remains the hospital, and  is now on a ventilator in the ICU. 

Read the full article HERE

DOUGLAS COUNTY COURTHOUSE DEALS WITH NO MASKS, QUICK QUARANTINES-- AND THAT'S JUST THE JUDGES

OMAHA- One Douglas County judge did not require anyone to wear a mask in his courtroom. District Judge Peter Bataillon even asks for inmates appearing remotely to remove their masks which frustrates corrections officials. Another judge, Greg Schatz felt ill one day and got tested. One test was negative and one was positive. He decided to then show up at the courthouse within a day of the positive test. He was asked to go home. Juvenile court judges have also been having problems with testing positive for the virus. 

Close to 10 staff members of the County Court have tested positive and a handful of employees at the Douglas County Attorney's Office have also tested positive. 

A group of judges and attorneys is requesting that the Nebraska Supreme Court should scale back to partial shutdown mode as it did in May. Federal courts in Nebraska have stopped jury trials through Dec. 1st and are asking judges and litigants to seek alternative ways to conduct hearings. The major worry is that if everything is scaled back, the already backed up case load will continue to just get worse. Some judges are more strict, same as attorneys, but others do not care about the virus so the courthouse remains a very ambiguous place in terms of masks and social distancing rules.

Read the full article HERE

LIKE METRO HOSPITALS, HOSPITALS IN RURAL AREAS OF NEBRASKA FACING CAPACITY CONCERNS AMID VIRUS SURGE

LINCOLN- Lincoln and Omaha hospitals alike are reporting that virus patients are occupying 25% or more of available rooms. This is because they are taking patients from their city's but also transfer patients from smaller towns. For example, the East Central Health Department which serves Platte, Colfax, Boone and Nance counties had 30 hospitalized COVID-19 patients with only one ICU bed available. 

"As hospital beds in our state and region become increasingly unavailable, it has become more difficult to transfer patients in need of a higher level of care for any medical reason, not just COVID-related reasons," Veronica Schmidt, CEO of Melham Medical Center in Broken Bow, said last week in a message posted on the hospital's Facebook page.

Statewide, there are 938 hospitalized people, but in many places the number of available beds have dropped quickly. A hospital in North Platte said nearly 40% of beds were being used for virus patients. At this rate, Omaha alone could surpass the current statewide totals in just three weeks. Dr. Dan Johnson, a critical care anesthesiologist at UNMC says it is impossible for Omaha area hospitals to handle that. He noted that hospitals are used for so much more than virus patients. People with heart attacks, strokes, car accidents will also have trouble finding hospital beds and that is a bad situation for the state to be in. The state case total is 101,609, with 797 deaths linked to the virus. 

Hospital officials from around the entire state have been posting letters and videos pleading state officials to take immediate action to slow the spread. While Governor Ricketts has stated that more restrictions will come when hospitals hit the 25% threshold, his only announcement of new action this week included that he would have the Capitol illuminated in blue  as a ‘thank you’ to medical workers. 

Read the full article HERE

55TH WING RETIRES CRANKY PLANE-- DUBBED 'LUCIFER'S CHARIOT'-- IN OFFUTT CEREMONY

OMAHA- The Tail Number 582, a WC-135C "nuke sniffer" aircraft that flew out of Offutt Air Force Base for its 56-year career has finally been retired. The plane was well known for flying airmen around the world, but frequently broke down and left them stranded. This is the first time one of the 55th Wing's planes has been retired since 1998. These kinds of planes are used to monitor other countries compliance with the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (1963). 

The jet was scheduled to go through a lengthy renovation process, but it seemed like a better option to retire it. The last operational flight was on Nov. 2. in which it then received a water cannon salute with airport fire hoses upon landing. Tail 582 originally was delivered to Offutt in 1965 and has flown over 29,680 flight hours. It is being put to rest in the Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona.

One of the most notorious breakdowns the plane had was in March 2017, when the engine caught fire at 31,000 elevation over the Indian Ocean en route to Okinawa, Japan. The plane landed safely, but passengers had no passports and thus were forced to sleep on the plane while waiting for repairs. 

“This is definitely a very fitting send-off, for that stupid, wonderful, terrible jet,” said Tristin Redfern.

Read the full article HERE

OMAHA'S SYMONE SANDERS COULD BE PRESS SECRETARY FOR BIDEN

OMAHA- If President-elect Biden selects Symone Sanders as his press secretary, the Omaha native will be making history. She would be the first woman of color to serve an American president in that role and many see it as a realistic possibility. Numerous national news outlets consider her to be a top candidate.

In Sanders' book, No, You Shut Up: Speaking Truth to Power and Reclaiming America, she spoke about wanting to be a press secretary someday. Both Republicans and Democrats agree she would be well suited in that role. She previously served as the national press secretary in 2016 for Sen. Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign. 

She grew up in North Omaha and attended Sacred Heart and Mercy High School before graduating from Creighton University. Her mother is the publisher for the Omaha Star, Omaha's Black-owned newspaper

Sources report another top candidate is Kate Bedingfield, the campaign's deputy campaign manager and oversaw communications. . 

Read the full article HERE

SEN. KATE BOLZ ACCEPTS POSITION ON LINCOLN MAYOR GAYLOR BAIRD'S STAFF

LINCOLN- Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird  announced Monday that Sen. Kate Bolz will be joining her staff as a policy aide for economic and workforce development. 

"The Gaylor Baird administration's dedication to economic and workforce development is vital as Lincoln continues to grow and as our community works to create new opportunities for workers impacted by the coronavirus," Bolz said in a news release. 

Bolz will be working on the Lincoln Forward initiative which recognizes physical and emotional health, social connection, safety, educational opportunities and connection to the environment. Bolz was defeated by Republican Rep. Jeff Fortenberry for the 1st District House seat after running the strongest democratic campaign for the seat since Fortenberry’s first campaign. She decided to run for the congressional seat after reaching her term limits in the Legislature. 

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SEN. MIKE GROENE CALLS OMAHA WOMAN A "FANATIC" AND "STUPID"; TELLS CONSTITUENT TO "EXAMINE YOUR MENTAL HEALTH"

OMAHA- Sen. Mike Groene of North Platte recently made the news for a very controversial statement he made saying he was happy to get COVID-19. People were not shy in reaching out to him to criticize that logic but Groene came back at them saying they need to stop living in fear and to stop using it to scare others. 

Carol Gottsch was one of the people who reached out to him. After he sent a letter back to her with his response, she filed a complaint with the Nebraska Ombudsman's Office. The complaint said Groene called Gottsch a 'socialist', a 'fanatic' and 'stupid'. The letter also contained misinformation about the virus according to Gottsch. 

She is now asking what standards there are for Nebraska senators in regards to esponses to constituents. The Ombudsman's Office is unable to investigate state senators because it would be a conflict of interest as the office works for the state. The only other body that would be able to complete an investigation is the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission, however the CEO said they do not investigate things of this matter. 

One of Groene's constituents, Adam Kershaw, also wrote him and agreed that his response was troubling. Groene's response included this statement, “Your obsession with me is becoming concerning. Please settle down and examine your mental status. Goodby(e).”

The next step would be contacting Speaker Scheer or Executive Board Chairman Mike Hilgers. 

Read the full article HERE

MAYOR JEAN STOTHERT FORMALLY KICKS OFF 2021 RE-ELECTION BID

OMAHA- Mayor Jean Stothert began her bid for a third term Wednesday while emphasizing her work with the Omaha Police Department, public safety, redevelopment and the city street improvement projects. 

Three democrats have expressed interest in challenging Stothert, a 66 year-old Republican, although the race is technically nonpartisan. Sthothert stated that she wants to see through the revitalization project of the downtown area and securing the futures of the Civic Auditorium and Crossroads Mall, the initiatives she began. The Nebraska Democratic Party chair, Jane Kleeb, said "Omaha deserves better". 

Unofficially, these candidates may run against Stothert: 

Jasmine Harris, 40, is a director of public policy at an Omaha nonprofit. She wants to see a more aggressive approach when it comes to COVID-19 and a new community-oriented policing model. “We need to look at all of the development we have going up all over the place,” she said. “Are there enough apartments for people on the lower end, not just pricing people out of the communities that they are from?”

R.J. Neary, 67, is a commercial real estate broker. He declined to criticize the mayor, but noted that Lincoln now has a two-term limit for their mayor. “We need unity and equity in the city, and I don’t see that happening,” he said.

Dawaune Lamont Hayes, 26, is the founder of an online community called NOISE. “No matter who’s mayor, it’s our responsibility as the citizens of Omaha to make our community a better place to live,” he said.

Mark Gudgel, 39, is a teacher at North Omaha High School. He says he is deeply concerned his students will want to flee the city as soon as possible, and he wants to make Omaha a place young people want to stay. 

Kimara Snipe, 45, serves on the South Omaha and Omaha Public Schools board. She is also the president of the South Omaha Neighborhood Alliance. 

Jim Cavanaugh, 70, a Douglas County Commissioner is considering running at the urging of others.

Former congressional candidate Kara Eastman and Omaha City Councilman Ben Gray are both 'keeping their options open' as well. 

Read the full article HERE

CHANGE TO NEBRASKA CONSTITUTION COULD BOOST DEVELOPMENT IN NORTH AND SOUTH OMAHA SAYS SENATOR

OMAHA- A small change to the state's constitution will allow for real estate developers to have 20 years to pay back tax-increment financing (TIF) loans in neighborhoods with high unemployment and high poverty. Now, developers have 15 years to do this. This means people will not have to borrow as much money for a project. This will mostly be used in some neighborhoods in North and South Omaha but will also apply in many other cities. 

Senator Justin Wayne pushed for this initiative, Amendment 2, to be put on the ballot. He acknowledges that some uses of TIF are questionable, but it does more good than harm. 

"The funding mechanism allows developers to use a portion of a project’s future increased property taxes to pay for certain upfront costs, such as site preparation and street and sewer improvements."

The Omaha City Council boosted this when they voted to approve 'extremely blighted areas' through $5,000 tax credit programs for those who buy other homes in the areas of their primary residence. 

This measure now just needs to pass in the legislature with official language. 

Read the full article HERE

TWO TOP OFFICIALS WON'T RETURN FOLLOWING INVESTIGATION OF OMAHA-AREA CHILD WELFARE CONTRACTOR

LINCOLN- St. Francis Ministries, the contractor overseeing Omaha-area child welfare cases has made personnel changes following an investigation into alleged mismanagement. The top two officials, CEO Rev. Robert Smith and COO Tom Blythe will not be returning to the organization. 

Chief of staff, Bill Clark will continue as the interim president and CEO, he was originally appointed to the position when the investigation began. 

The organization says these changes will not impact the services Nebraskan families are receiving now. St. Francis has a close to $200 million, five-year contract with the state. They started taking cases a year ago in Douglas and Sarpy Counties. The investigation came about after a whistleblower complained through an independent consultant. 

There were not any allegations of improprieties involving any children. The board will not be releasing the report and has yet to decide if information will be handed over to law enforcement. 

Read the full article HERE