BIDEN PROMISES 100 MILLION VACCINE SHOTS IN 100 DAYS, BUT SHORTAGE WORRIES RISE

WASHINGTON — President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr., setting ambitious goals to change the course of the coronavirus pandemic, vowed on Tuesday to get “at least 100 million Covid vaccine shots into the arms of the American people” during his first 100 days in office, and said he would make it a “national priority” to get children back to school during that time.

But in creating clear benchmarks for himself, Mr. Biden is taking a certain risk. He will undoubtedly be held to the 100 million promise at the 100-day mark on April 30, and fulfilling it will require no hiccups in manufacturing or distributing the vaccine and a willingness by Americans to be vaccinated.

Mr. Biden’s announcement came as fresh details emerged about how Pfizer, the pharmaceutical giant whose vaccine could receive regulatory approval in the United States this weekend, repeatedly urged the Trump administration to lock in a bigger supply. Before the vaccine was proved highly successful in clinical trials, the administration repeatedly turned down the chance to expand its pre-order beyond the 100 million doses it agreed to buy from Pfizer last July.The administration is now seeking to double the pre-order; otherwise it will run out of Pfizer’s vaccine by around March, according to people familiar with the talks. But Pfizer may not be able deliver more doses for Americans until as late as June because the company signed deals with other governments, including the European Union, as the Trump administration hesitated.

Read the full article HERE

BUSINESSES THAT GOT CARES ACT LOANS ARE FACING SURPRISE TAX BILLS

LINCOLN — Businesses that received federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans to help survive the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic are facing a cruel surprise — an unexpected tax bill. While Congress indicated that its intent was that such PPP loans would not create a tax bill, federal tax officials have opined otherwise.

"Businesses are teetering on the edge as it is right now. A hit like that could make or break a small business," said Erica Parks, a Lincoln accountant and the chair-elect of the Nebraska Society of Certified Public Accountants.

The issue has a big impact in Nebraska, which ranked among the top four states in the nation for the percentage of eligible businesses that obtained PPP loans. About 92% of private businesses with employees in the Cornhusker State got the loans, according to the Small Business Administration. For example, a company that received a $150,000 PPP loan this spring is now confronted with being required to pay back as much as $63,000 of it in the form of federal and state income taxes, and self-employment taxes.

Read the full article HERE

WHITE HOUSE OFFERS $916 BILLION STIMULUS PROPOSAL, CUTTING JOBLESS BENEFITS

WASHINGTON) — The Trump administration is back in the middle of Capitol Hill's COVID-19 negotiations, offering a $916 billion package to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that would send a $600 direct payment to most Americans but eliminate a $300-per-week employment benefit favored by a bipartisan group of Senate negotiators. It also includes some relief to state and local governments, a priority for democratic leaders, and liability protections for businesses, a top priority for republican leadership

The offer from Steven Mnuchin, the Treasury secretary, to Speaker Nancy Pelosi was the first time since November’s elections that the Trump administration has engaged directly in talks on Capitol Hill about how to prop up the nation’s flagging economy. It came as lawmakers raced to reach a deal on another round of coronavirus relief before they conclude this year’s session, now expected to happen next week.

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NEBRASKA’S FIRST VACCINE SHIPMENTS ARRIVING IN COMING DAYS, RICKETTS SAYS

LINCOLN- Nebraska’s first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines will go to eight undisclosed hospitals for the initial deployment, the state announced Wednesday. After that, those hospitals will work with nine other Nebraska hospital systems to disperse the doses, which are expected to arrive in the coming days.

Nebraska’s initial expected allotment is expected to total 15,600 doses of the Pfizer vaccine.

Nebraska Medical Center said a survey currently under way within the health system indicates that a high percentage of those responding are interested in receiving the vaccine.Wednesday, state officials also further defined where different groups rank in Nebraska’s vaccine priorities. The top priorities, called Phase 1a, are front-line health care workers, long-term care staff and, now, long-term care resident

Phase 1b includes: First responders (the state did not define if that involved just 911 emergency responders or others), education, food and agriculture workers, the utilities and transportation sectors, and corrections staff. Phase 1c: People ages 65 and older, vulnerable populations and people in congregate living arrangements.

Read the full article HERE

NEBRASKA GETS SMALL REPRIEVE FROM COVID-19 CASES, HOSPITALIZATIONS, THOUGH NEW PEAK EXPECTED

LINCOLN- Cases and hospitalizations of COVID-19 have dropped in the past few weeks. Officials are wondering if this is a blip in the upward trajectory or an actual good sign. Cases are at the lowest level they have been in a month. As of Friday, 819 people are hospitalized statewide, which is over a 15% drop from the all-time high on November 20th. 

Dr. Gary Anthony, chief medical officer for the DHHS, says although this is good, there is still immense pressure on the healthcare system and healthcare workers. Nebraska is now 10th in the number of new coronavirus cases per capita and fifth in recent deaths. 

One factor that could make the numbers look smaller is that testing was limited over the holiday weekend, making it possible for people with symptoms just not getting tested. Dr. Anthone says the state won't know the impact Thanksgiving had on cases for awhile. Healthcare officials are worried about Christmas and New Year's approaching quickly, following possible exposures following Thanksgiving gatherings, making officials worried about the numbers and are still expecting to see a new peak in cases soon. 

Read the full article HERE

BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY WON'T BRING SHAREHOLDERS TO OMAHA FOR 2021 MEETING

OMAHA- Berkshire Hathaway won't bring shareholders to Omaha next May for its annual meeting because of the coronavirus threat. Instead, for the second year in a row, the meeting will be held virtually. The company said the May 1, 2021, meeting will be similar in format to the 2020 shareholders meeting.

"Unfortunately, we do not currently believe it will be safe at that time to hold a meeting with nearly 40,000 attendees as we last did in 2019," the company said in a press release issued Thursday.

Omaha's tourism industry has been dealt a series of blows by the coronavirus pandemic. This year, Berkshire chairman and CEO Warren Buffett decided not to allow shareholders to physically attend the meeting, and canceled all special events associated with the weekend. The NCAA canceled the 2020 College World Series, and USA Swimming postponed the Olympic Trials a year until June 13 through 20, 2021, at the CHI Health Center. Yahoo will provide worldwide streaming for Berkshire's 2021 meeting. Additional information will be included in the company's 2020 annual report, which is scheduled to be posted online on Feb. 27.

Read the full article HERE

OMAHA'S NEW TRASH COLLECTOR MISSED 7,500 COLLECTIONS DURING ITS FIRST 3 DAYS ON THE JOB

OMAHA- Many people in Omaha were left with their 96-gallon trash cans still on their curb the Wednesday after the first trash collection. City officials are pleading with people to be patient, this is a learning curve for everyone. 7,500 missed collections means about 5% of the city's residences trash was not picked up. This was the first day of the 10 year contract with FCC after taking over from Waste Management. 

Most of the missed collections were in West Omaha. FCC is calling in extra people to come help and is adding drivers and routes for this week. 

Read the full article HERE

STEVE CHAPMAN: BAIL REFORM IS A HUMANE STEP, SOUND PUBLIC POLICY

OMAHA- The American incarceration policy in recent decades has not only been incarcerating people who have been convicted of crimes, but also those who have not. In 2019, over 600,000 people on any given day were being held in city and county jails. 75% of those people are awaiting trial and technically should be presumed to be innocent. This system is what is contributing to mass incarceration. 

The number of incarcerated criminals has remained relativity stable, but the amount of people in jail has soared. 99% of the growth in the jail population has come from people who have not been found guilty of anything, many being people who were denied bail or simply could not afford their bail. 

The 8th and 14th Amendments are in place to protect citizens from being incarcerated without first being put through due process, including not being tasked with paying an excessive bail for freedom. Americans are supposed to be free until their trial is over and they are found guilty of a crime. 

Now, in cities like Chicago where shootings and homicides have seemingly increased, critics of bail reform are blaming those homicides on the reform movements happening. They believe if more people who had been arrested were required to pay bail, the community would be safer. Reforms have only had a small effect on the number of defendants allowed out of jail before trial, rising just 4%, or 500 people. However, 57% of those people did not have to come up with cash for bail compared to 26% before and 80% of those released did not miss a court appearance. $31 million in bail costs were also saved. 

Read the full article HERE

IOWA TRIBE CREATES 444-ACRE TRIBAL NATIONAL PARK ON NEBRASKA-KANSAS BORDER

LINCOLN- A small Native American tribe that overlooks the Missouri River is creating the nation's largest tribal national park. The Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska was just transferred 284 acres of bluff property. Lance Foster, chairman of the tribe says the acres will allow the tribe to tell the story of the Ioway people.

“We’ve been here for a thousand years now and, unlike other people who can buy and sell land and move away, we can never move away,” Foster said. “This is our land forever. And we’ll be here for another 1,000 years.”

The land has species of animals and plants that cannot be found anywhere else in Nebraska as well as a rich history. The land was first owned by a botanist that then sold the land to the Nature Conservancy that oversees 66,081 acres of land. The tribe, headquartered in White Cloud Kansas, has now bought back now-third of the original reservation. The tribe is small, and chairman Foster said since they do not have huge casinos to pay for things, so the park will take a little longer to come together. 

Read the full article HERE

US LAWMAKERS UNVEIL ANTI-SLAVERY CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT

NEW YORK- Lawmakers have introduced joint legislation aimed at striking language from the U.S. Constitution that enshrines a form of slavery in American documents. The resolution was spearheaded by Democratic members in the House and Senate which amends the 13th Amendment's bannister's on chattel enslavement. The original amendment has permitted felons to be exploited for labor since the abolition of slavery 155 years ago. 

Amendments like this are very rare as they require approval by two-thirds of the House and Senate and ratification by three-quarters of state legislatures. This amendment comes one month after voters in Nebraska and Utah approved initiatives amending their respective state constitutions to remove language similar to that of the 13th Amendment. 

This amendment has a very dark history. Following the abolition of slavery, Southern states used this amendment to continue to exploit Black men and women for free labor through incarcerating them for petty crimes, essentiality allowing the re-enslavement of African Americans. 

The minimum annual value of prison labor commodities at $2 billion, mostly coming from a system of convict leasing that allows people to work without legal protections and benefits all Americans should be entitled to. 

Read the full article HERE

CITY OF OMAHA WILL APPEAL JUDGE'S DECISION TO TOSS OUT CASES AGAINST PROTESTERS

OMAHA- Omaha is appealing a judge's order that threw out charges against protesters that allegedly blocked the Farnam Street bridge during a demonstration in the summer. 

Matt Kuhse, City Prosecutor, disagrees with Judge Marcena Hendrix's conclusion that Omaha's city ordinance mirrors a St. Louis law that was declared unconstitutional and an affront to free speech.  The case is now headed to a Douglas County district judge and could end up at the Nebraska Supreme Court. The attorney representing the protesters agrees with Judge Hendrix's conclusion. Jessica Douglas, an attorney with the ACLU says these types of cases are similar to many cases during the Vietnam War-era. 

This case came from the protest that led to 120 protesters being taken to county jail where a computer glitch forced many people to stay overnight and wait abnormally long periods to be booked and released. 

Read the full article HERE

FORMER STATE SENATORS PLAN TO GIVE $1M FOR UPKEEP OF CAPITOL COURTYARDS

LINCOLN- After raising money to complete the restoration of the Capitol courtyards, the Nebraska Association of Former State Legislators has turned its eye to maintaining the features well into the future. The organization will ask the Office of the Nebraska Capitol Commission next week to accept a $1 million gift to create an endowment to maintain the courtyards  when they are finished, former Sen. Tom Carlson of Holdrege said.

Carlson said the former state senators raised $1 million among themselves as well as people without any ties to state government who felt "keeping the Capitol nice is a worthy expenditure."

If the Capitol Commission accepts the gift at its meeting next Thursday, the former state senators said money from the endowment will be used to cover the costs of work in the gardens, which is estimated to be about $40,000 annually, and would cover the cost of cutting back roses and perennials in April, applying herbicide and spreading mulch throughout the four courtyards, as well as regular work cleaning up the gardens through the summer months. The endowed funds also will pay for the planting of 1,096 petunias each May and their removal in October, as well as 4,384 tulip bulbs to be planted in the fall for blooming in the spring, according to an estimate provided to the Capitol Commission.

Read the full article HERE

SEN. GROENE SAYS 'AN IGNORANT MOB' SHAMED HIM OVER CORONAVIRUS

LINCOLN- Sen. Mike Groene of North Platte said a group of people shamed him for his comments about catching COVID-19. In a column directed towards his constituents, he said the individuals that wrote to him following his comments are told what to think by Twitter and the 'biased media'.

“I was told I was selfish, irresponsible and ignorant besides many other colorful terms,” he said.

The senator recovered fully from the virus and only had minor flu-like symptoms. In his original comments, he said he 'finally got his wish' when he contracted coronavirus. Sen. Groene does not wear masks in legislative settings and said he relies fully on social distancing. He has also recently come under fire after calling some of his constituents 'fanatics' and 'stupid'. 

Groene said the “hate email” started after his email to colleagues was made public on Twitter, along with “false accusations that I was irresponsible,” which he blamed on a senator “who is antagonistic toward me.” Sen. Adam Morfeld of Lincoln retweeted Groene’s email along with a comment that the senator had chaired the Oct. 27 Education Committee hearing “where he presided without a mask and coughing the entire time.

Read Sen. Groene's letter about his experience with the virus HERE

Read the full article HERE

BIDEN'S LEADING PICK FOR COVID-19 CZAR WORRIES SOME PROGRESSIVES

WASHINGTON — Five years ago, Jeffrey D. Zients was the head of the Obama administration’s National Economic Council, working to push across the finish line a federal rule that would prevent financial advisers from taking advantage of retirees. He won praise from progressives for fending off fierce resistance from Wall Street and for fighting for consumer protections.

These days, Mr. Zients is a co-chairman of President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s transition team who is being watched warily by members of Democratic Party’s left wing. Progressive advocacy groups such as the Revolving Door Project and Justice Democrats, concerned that he would defend corporate America if given a top economic policy job in the Biden administration, pushed to keep him out of such a role. They view his recent work running an investment fund — Cranemere — and sitting on the board of Facebook as a detriment.

In a sign of the pushback to come, the Revolving Door Project has been urging Mr. Biden to keep corporate influence out of his administration, has compiled a 13-page document about Mr. Zients. The file highlights his wealth, his appetite for deficit reduction during the Obama years and his recent work as chief executive of Cranemere. 

Read the full article HERE

RICKETTS SAYS HIS COVID-19 PLAN IS RIGHT FOR NEBRASKA DESPITE WHITE HOUSE TASK FORCE ASSESSMENTS

LINCOLN- Gov. Ricketts rejected a series of White House COVID-19 task force assessments that told Nebraska it needs to issue a mask mandate in order to control the spread of the virus. "This is a plan that's right for Nebraska," the governor said during a COVID-19 news briefing. "We listen to all kinds of experts. This plan is tailored specifically for Nebraska."

He continues to ask people to wear a mask and social distance, but will not pass a statewide mandate. As the governor spoke, the state was only 100 hospitalizations away from the 25% of hospital patients being infected with COVID threshold that will force the governor to release more directed health measures. 

The governor also believes it is unlikely that more federal coronavirus funding will be available this year, saying "..it's unlikely until the new president is sworn in."

Read the full article HERE

NEBRASKA SAW DROP IN COVID-19 CASES LAST WEEK; WILL THANKSGIVING GET-TOGETHERS REVERSE THAT?

OMAHA- Last week, Nebraska ended an eight-week streak of record COVID-19 cases while also passing 1,000 deaths. Cases were down 26% from the previous week and now puts Nebraska at No. 6 in new cases per capita. There were 12,405 new cases, with 16,739 the previous week. Public health experts have cautioned that downturns could mean an uptick in cases will arise after Thanksgiving. 

“The concern is that Thanksgiving gatherings over the weekend may have negated all of those gains already and given us an additional surge,” Lawler said. “We’ll have to see how things play out over the next couple of weeks.”

Hospitalizations are down 8% from last week, meaning the 25% threshold of patients that will make Gov. Ricketts put out new directed health measures, will not come for awhile. The state still ranks No. 4 on overall hospitalizations in the nation. Douglas County also broke their streak of record new cases. Dr. James Lawler, an UNMC official, said the state will also probably see an increase as test results from the weekend will be reported. “Overall, it’s clear that we’ve had a bit of a let-up,” Lawler said. “It’s not completely clear why.”

The dip in new cases occurred before the recent flurry of new mask mandates in communities across the state. So the decrease may reflect the fact that more Nebraskans now know someone who has been ill with or has died of COVID-19 and have taken more precautions.

Read the full article HERE

7 OF NEBRASKA'S 10 LARGEST CITIES NOW MANDATE MASKS

OMAHA- Seven of Nebraska’s 10 largest cities have now passed local mask mandates, as Gov. Pete Ricketts continues to resist a statewide requirement. City leaders, including local public health officials, have imposed mandates in response to rising coronavirus cases and deaths across the state. With the flurry of new mandates, more than half of Nebraska’s 1.95 million people now live in a community that requires a mask to be worn indoors.

Most cities with mandates are in eastern and central Nebraska. Eleven of the state’s 25 most populous cities have a mandate. None is west of Kearney.

Gering, which does not have a mandate but encourages use similar to Governor Ricketts, has seen a dramatic spike in cases over the last month. Fire Chief Nathan Flowers, in a recent press release, noted that call volumes for local volunteer paramedics have surged 42%. He pleaded for the public’s help in wearing masks so ambulances aren’t delayed. Bree Robbins, city attorney in Nebraska’s third-largest city, Bellevue, has questioned whether a local mask ordinance would be legal. But Bellevue Mayor Rusty Hike said his city is considering its options, including a ban, as more cities adopt mandates. One other possibility: providing signs for businesses that want them recommending that masks be worn.

The number of communities enacting mask ordinances snowballed after State Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha said in mid-November that state law gives cities of all sizes the authority to “make regulations to prevent the introduction and spread of contagious, infectious or malignant diseases into the city.”

Read the full article HERE

GOVERNOR SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER WAIVING PROVISIONS OF OPEN MEETINGS ACT, EFFECTIVE DECEMBER 1st

LINCOLN- Governor Pete Ricketts signed Executive Order No. 20-36, which when it become effective today will again allow virtual meetings for governing bodies. 

“All governing bodies may meet by videoconference or by telephone conferencing or by conferencing by other electronic communication so long as there is made available at such meeting access to members of the public and to members of the media.  Public notice requirements and agenda requirements are still in place, with the order expiring January 31st, 2021. The order comes as Nebraska sees a dramatic spike in COVID-19 cases, causing heartburn for elected officials and governing boards who worry about exposures and spreading of the virus at in-person meetings. 

Read the full Executive Order as signed by Governor Ricketts by clicking HERE (This link will commence a PDF file download) 

HEALTHCARE LEADERS DEVELOP PLAN FOR NEBRASKA'S HOSPITALS POTENTIALLY BECOMING OVERWHELMED

LINCOLN- Healthcare leaders started looking ahead to the grim possibility that the hospital system would become completely overwhelmed. Things such as ventilator or dialysis machines all being used, oxygen running short, rooms all being filled and more are possibilities the state needs to avoid. A group of officials from CHI, Methodist and Nebraska Medicine has since developed the state's first "crisis standards of care plan". 

Nebraska is not yet at the point where this would need to be activated, however COVID patients account for 23% of hospitalizations. 

The plan calls for making decisions based on patients’ likelihood of surviving their current illness, as well as their likelihood of living at least another year. Triage teams would measure survival chances using a system that assigns points for the number and severity of organ failures, with some adjustments for people with chronic medical conditions. Those with the best chances would get the highest priority for care. All patients would get basic care and supportive counseling. The plan, which was based on a Massachusetts model, specifically bars the use of other factors, including a person’s disability, in deciding who gets care. 

Sen. Howard, Chair of the Health and Human Services Committee, fell short on her attempt to convene a special session to give the governor authority to back the plan. She said government backing will make sure all healthcare officials are on the same page and will give them legal protection. 

Read the full article HERE

PARENTS OF SETH RICH SETTLE LAWSUIT AGAINST FOX NEWS

The parents of Omaha native Seth Rich have settled their lawsuit against Fox News.

Rich, a former intern at Kissel Kohout ES Associates, was working at the Democratic National Committee in July 2016 when he was fatally shot in the early-morning hours near his home in Washington, D.C in what authorities believe was a botched robbery attempt.

The internet and others quickly spawned conspiracy theories that were then fanned by a now-retracted Fox News story that Rich had been responsible for leaking DNC emails to WikiLeaks.  Joel and Mary Rich sued the network, saying it had exploited their son's death.

You can read more of the coverage HERE.