US CITIZENSHIP NOT A REQUIREMENT FOR COVID VACCINE IN NEBRASKA

OMAHA- A spokesperson for Gov. Ricketts says proof of American citizenship is not required to receive a vaccination against COVID-19. Confusion about this decision came after the governor's press briefing Monday. The governor said that illegal immigrants are not allowed to work in meatpacking plants, so why would undocumented workers be apart of the plan in the essential worker category.

Community centers and clinics have been given no direction about how to handle immigration status. CEO of OneWorld, Andrea Skolkin said that limiting vaccinations for that reason would be detrimental to public health. 

Community health providers and advocates are pressing to ensure that people of color and disadvantaged communities have access to COVID-19 vaccines. The plans for how to make this happen are still being formed. Community advocates are urging for early phases of the vaccine plan include minority populations that have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. 

Phase 1C of the plan includes a broad category of 'vulnerable populations' which will be defined in the coming weeks. The state is working with federally qualified health centers to ensure these vulnerable populations have enough vaccines available to them during this phase. 

People of color in Nebraska are worried about this particular vaccine because of “the shadiness historically with vaccinations and the Black population.” 

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'WON'T BE BACK TO NORMAL FOR A LONG TIME'- SMALL-TOWN NEBRASKA BARS, BUSINESSES STRUGGLING AND SURVIVING THROUGH PANDEMIC

OMAHA- Many restaurants and customers have taken advantage of the waiver to state law that allows for takeout cocktails. Takeout orders have spiked across the state since the start of the pandemic with nearly 35-40% of meals being from that category. The extra revenue from these carryout drinks is enough to help some restaurants stay afloat. 

However, some restaurants in small towns in the panhandle are the only eateries in their towns, making the possibility of their closure much more poignant to their communities. With occupancy being cut, many restaurants were not even making half of what they once did. Once these takeaway waiver's came to play, restaurants were finally able to have a little more breathing room. Laying off employees has also remained an issue for many restaurants, which is obviously a very hard thing to do for restaurant owners and managers.

Ricketts cited the economic hit restaurants and bars endured and are still dealing with due to the pandemic for his reasoning behind waiving this state law. 17% of the nation's eateries have closed since the pandemic began and 9 in 10 of these restaurants have seen an average drop in sales of 36%. 

Drunk driving incidents have decreased by 24% from a year ago. 

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STIMULUS PAYMENTS HITTING NEBRASKANS' BANK ACCOUNTS

OMAHA- Some Nebraskans woke up Monday to find a second round of COVID-19 stimulus money deposited into their bank accounts. COVID-19 relief payments arrived last week at First National Bank dated to be deposited on Monday. The payments are generally $600 per person after President Trump and some members of congress failed to push the payments to $2,000 in the $900 billion stimulus package approved right before Christmas. 

The IRS has a self-imposed Jan. 15 cut-off for sending COVID-19 stimulus checks, so Americans who do not receive the check by then will have to file a claim and will receive the money in tax returns. 

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OMAHA WOMAN SUES INSURER FOR DENYING CLAIM AFTER HER HUSBAND DIED OF COVID

OMAHA- Vaneza Ramos is suing Farmers Insurance by alleging the company refused to pay her husband's $350,000 life insurance policy after he passed away due to COVID-19 early in the summer. This is believed to be among the first cases like this to hit the state's court system. 

Ramos was listed as her husband's beneficiary, however after he died the company issued a "inexplicable denial" of her claim. 

Farmer's attorney said the company rescinded the policy because his policy held "misrepresentation and/or concealment of materials facts" about his previous medical history. On his death certificate, COVID-19 was not listed as official cause of death. 

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COVID-19 VACCINE'S SLOW ROLLOUT ACROSS U.S. CAUSES CONFUSION, ASKS FOR PRIORITIZATION AND QUESTIONS ABOUT WHO CAN RECEIVE IT.

NEW YORK CITY- The country is now three weeks into the most ambitious vaccination campaign in history. However, far fewer people than expected are being vaccinated. 12 million doses of the vaccine from Moderna and Pfizer have been shipped but not even 3 million have been administered. This is partially due to the federal government allowing each state to follow their own plans rather than setting a standard for the entire country.

On Monday, Governor Ricketts announced that Nebraskans over the age of 75 could be able to receive the vaccine within the next three weeks. This section of the population will be able to register for the vaccine through the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services online, probably within the next week. The state is updating their vaccination plan to clarify that elderly people come before teachers and other essential workers in the 1B priority group. School districts will also be given different priorities based on local need due to surges in cases or other factors. 

Nebraska was once ranked second among states in delivery of vaccinations and remains in the top third.The state has received nearly 95,000 vaccines and 36,500 vaccinations have been administered, including 107 second doses. 

Vaccinations will begin in the state's prisons later this week. The first shipment of vaccines was received by the Department of Corrections this week. The medical staff that works with the prison population will be given the vaccine first. After this, the vaccines will move to staff members then eventually to the general population of the prison. 

Front-line corrections workers are included in Phase 1B of the state's vaccination priorities, this tier also includes first responders. Inmates are then listed in Phase 1C. The medical director for the DOC said that shots will be prioritized based on patients who are at the highest risk for becoming sick. Prisons have been identified as high-risk populations for quick spread due to the nature of close living in prisons. 

West Virginia is the only state to report having delivered vaccine doses to all of its long-term care facilities. 

The next hurdle will be increasing the low numbers of physicians and medical centers that have signed up to administer the vaccine when it become more available. 

Read the full articles HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE

FORMER SENATOR HOPES BOOK HELPS CHILDREN UNDERSTAND NEBRASKA'S UNICAMERAL LEGISLATURE

LINCOLN- Former State Sen. Amanda McGill Johnson noticed there were books about U.S. Congress and what happens in Washington that described them in kids terms, but why is there nothing like that about Nebraska's unicameral legislature. Finally, three years after beginning the writing of the book, she has completed it. The title is "The Unicameral and You: Collaborating for the Common Good in Nebraska's Capitol". 

The book is 34 pages and is a primer on the processes of the statehouse. It is told through the eyes of school children as they tour the Capitol and meet a state senator. 

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EDITORIAL: PLAN ON BEING VACCINATED. FIND TRUSTED SOURCES, NOT SOCIAL MEDIA

OMAHA WORLD HERALD- Humanity has experienced a similar pandemic in polio, and in 1955 church bells finally rang to signal the announcement of a vaccine. Other major vaccines include those of smallpox, tuberculosis and measles. Vaccinations are an important tool to extend life and have made the quality of life better. Every state requires certain vaccinations for children in school with very rare exemptions. 

However, the United States has always seen apprehension in its citizens with vaccinations, dating all the way back to the 1800s when the first vaccine ever, the smallpox vaccine, was created. Inclination to oppose vaccinations has grown through the internet and its ability to make balderdash seem reasonable. Now, an alarming number of Americans are reluctant to get vaccinated. Facebook groups are not the worst of it with platforms such as Parler gaining traction in the conservative community. It is important to remember to read articles and stories for what they are and evaluate the sources the writer used. All modern science says vaccines, even the one created in a record time, are safe and effective. To reach a good level of immunity in the United States, at least 70% of the population must be vaccinated. 

“Please, don’t choose not to get this vaccination because of something you read on Facebook,” said Dr. Kevin Reichmuth of Lincoln.

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SEVEN MONTHS LATER, IT APPEARS NO ONE WILL GO ON TRIAL FOR ACTS CAUGHT ON VIDEO IN OLD MARKET MELEE

OMAHA- Seven months after the shooting of James Scurlock by Omaha native Jake Gardner, it is now apparent that no one will be prosecuted for acts that were caught on camera that night. After Jake Gardener took his life in September, the grand jury's work on the case stopped and therefore there have been no new reports or requests to review any one else's actions from that night. 

Nebraska law does not stop prosecutors from pursuing their own cases after the grand jury declines to charge. Before Gardner passed, the grand jury charged him with manslaughter, terroristic threats, attempted first-degree assault and weapon use. Questions still remain about whether David Gardner, Jake's father who had originally been charged with misdemeanor assault for twice shoving a young man who was filming the deadly altercation. Another man Tucker Randall would have been charged with the break-in and vandalism of an Old Market company and for assaulting David Gardner. 

The other actions of the night were all misdemeanors and Matt Kuhse, Omaha City Prosecutor said he is aware of the other videos in the case. However, he has not presented any evidence to the Omaha police. He says the case is now in the hands of the special prosecutor, Fred Franklin. The only way that the Gardner-Scurlook case will see a courtroom is if State Sen. Wayne, the attorney representing the Scurlock family, files a civil suit over Scurlock's death. 

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IN FAREWELL TO 2020, RICKETTS SAYS NEBRASKANS RESPONDED TO THE COVID-19 CHALLENGE

LINCOLN- In his year in review, Gov. Ricketts says Nebraskans stepped up to the challenges COVID-19 brought. He recalled the start of the battle in the state on Feb. 7 when he Nebraska National Guard's training camp in Ashland hosted 57 Americans who had been evacuated from Wuhan, China. Shortly after, the University of Nebraska Medical Center took in more than a dozen people who had been rescued from the cruise ship off the coast of Japan. 

He says as the virus arrived, protecting Nebraska's hospitals became the more important part of his response to COVID-19. He and his administration adopted a six part plan that was aimed at allowing Nebraskans some freedoms while also ensuring safety. The state also received $411 million in grants for businesses and farms which allowed for them to continue to feed the world throughout the pandemic. Then, Meridian Clinical Research also participated in the clinical trials for the Moderna vaccine. 

"We still have a ways to go before the pandemic is over," he said, "but Nebraskans can be proud of how the state has come together during this difficult time."

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SASSE, BACON PUSH BACK ON TRUMP PARDONS AND COMPLAINTS ABOUT STIMULUS BILL

WASHINGTON- Sen. Ben Sasse and Rep. Don Bacon were among the first Republicans in Congress to acknowledge that Biden won the presidential race. After the second batch of Trump's high profile pardons, Sasse was also among the few Republicans to issue a condemnation of the pardons to a "tranche of felons", “this is rotten to the core,” he said.

“This is 100% Ben Sasse,” Jane Kleeb tweeted late Wednesday. “When it matters, he says nothing. When the tide has turned, he grabs a surfboard to ride the wave.”

Trump also recently vetoed the National Defense Authorization Act which Sasse described as important for national security through deterring cyber warfare. Bacon also co-sponsored the bill's proposal to strip military bases of the names of confederate leaders. He says that Republicans is the party of Lincoln and using those names puts them on the side of Jim Crow. GOP members of Congress passed the bill with veto-proof majority so they just have to hold that. 

Meanwhile, the New York Times reported that Bacon lashed out at Trump's demand for $2,000 check to households rather than the $600 payment included in the long-fought compromise. The house passed a new measure increasing direct payments to $2,000, however the measure faces an uphill battle in the Senate as Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has announced he plans to tie the measure to several controversial items pending, which could pull hamper support from Democrats. 

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UNMC PARTICIPATING IN TEST OF NEW COVID VACCINE CANDIDATE

OMAHA- Volunteers at the University of Nebraska Medical Center enrolled in a new clinical trial to test the safety and effectiveness of another vaccine candidate for COVID-19 on Tuesday morning. The plan is to enroll 1,000 people in the clinical trial to test the Novavax Inc. trial that will enroll 30,000 people in total. There has been so much interest in the trial that the university is adding appointments as soon as the morning of the 31st. 

There are two main groups of interested people. The first group is that of people who know they will not receive the other vaccines for months and are willing to take the chance of receiving an ineffective one if it means there is also a chance it works. The other is that of people who want to avoid the side effects they have heard of from the other vaccines. Dr. Diane Florescu says people are also wanting to help just so that more vaccines can be available for everyone. People are wanting to help. 

As of Monday, 21,419 doses of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines had been administered in the state and nearly 50,000 have arrived. 

Dr. Anthony Fauci says in order to vaccinate enough people, more than two companies will need to be manufacturing a vaccine. This vaccine is made differently from the other vaccines. Pfizer and Moderna were the first two companies to use a new technology called mRNA whereas the Novavax vaccine relies on spike protein found on coronavirus's surface. This vaccine also requires to shots given roughly three weeks apart. 

For information to enroll, click HERE

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MAJOR RAIL SAFETY TECHNOLOGY INSTALLED BEFORE DEADLINE

WASHINGTON - Nearly 58,000 miles of an automatic braking system has been installed by the railroad industry across the country. The railroads have been working together for the past 12 years to develop this technology, called positive train control. The system, being rolled out now, costs roughly $15 billion total and is aimed at reducing the small risk of  human error. Ronald Batory, the Federal Railroad Administration chief says this will make this industry even safer. Nearly 150 train crashes could have been prevented since 1969 with this technology. 

The braking system uses GPS, wireless radio and computers to monitor train position and speed, and it can give engineers commands. The NTSB said the system could have prevented the December 2017 derailment of an Amtrak passenger train in Washington state that killed three passengers and injured 57 people. 

Ian Jefferies, CEO of the Association of American Railroads trade group, said completing the positive train control systems is an important milestone for the industry that will "enhance safety and springboard innovation long into the future.” 

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FIRST REPORTED US CASE OF COVID-19 VARIANT FOUND IN COLORADO

DENVER - Days after the UK discovered a variant of COVID-19, the first reported case of this variant has been found in Colorado. It was found in a man in his 20s that has no recent travel history. The Colorado State Laboratory confirmed the variant and subsequently notified the CDC. The variant is seemingly more contagious than other strains but the good news is that the vaccine seems to fight the variant. 

Worry about this variant has been growing since Saturday when Britain's prime minister said the new strain spends more easily than earlier ones and is already traveling quickly in England. Many countries have barred travel to and from the U.K. and southern England is back on strict lockdown. Japan announced it is barring entry from all nonresident foreign nationals. 

Different strains of the virus have been around since the first case was detected in China almost a year ago. It is common for virus to undergo changes as they move through different populations. If the virus has significant mutations though that story could change. The variant has since been found in Canada, Italy, India and the United Arab Emirates. 

Officials state that at this time the new strains should not cause alarm. 

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NEW PRISON COULD COST $230 MILLION TO BUILD UNDER RELEASED PROPOSAL

LINCOLN- A new 1,500-bed prison could be operating as soon as 2026 if the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services can get the nod and the money from the state Legislature. However the newly released proposal comes with a heavy price tag of $230 million, plus $34 million annually in operational costs.

Director Scott Frakes announced Monday progress on the proposal to build more prison beds to ease overcrowding in the Nebraska system, which is among the most crowded in the country. Frakes said the proposal has shifted from a public- and private lease-purchase plan to a state-funded option because of the much higher lease-purchase cost, which could have reached more than $700 million over the next 30 years.  

Frakes laid out the need and plan Monday for the approximately 450,000-square-foot prison, which most likely would be built somewhere in or around the Lincoln or Omaha area, but could be near a smaller community with a short or easy commute to a larger city.It would house about 400 maximum-security, 512 medium-security and 600 minimum-security inmates in a complex on about 100 to 160 acres. 

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SAINT FRANCIS MINISTRIES LOSING MILLIONS ON OMAHA-AREA CONTACT; PAPER ENDORSES SPECIAL INVESTIGATION

LINCOLN — The Kansas-based agency overseeing Omaha-area child welfare cases nearly ran out of cash in March and expects to lose about $27 million on its Nebraska contract this fiscal year. William Clark, the interim CEO of the embattled Saint Francis Ministries, told a Kansas reporter that Nebraska officials had “agreed to cover” that projected loss as well as $7.4 million in losses for the previous, partial year of the contract.

But Gov. Pete Ricketts said Monday that the state is still negotiating with Saint Francis over money and other issues, including making sure that the agency can meet the terms of its contract, which was signed in July 2019. 

Among the issues under discussion are revelations that the Rev. Bobby Smith, Saint Francis’ former president and CEO, charged more than $469,000 on a pair of company credit cards over almost three years. Charges included luxury hotels, high-end restaurants, iTunes, and luxury clothing stores. The organization also came under scrutiny for spending over $80,000 on tickets to the Chicago Cubs, the team owned by the Ricketts’ family.

In an editorial this week, the Omaha World Herald endorsed the call for a special legislative investigative committee on the matter. The paper stated that St. Francis is supposed to oversee case management for abused and neglected children in Douglas County and Sarpy County, however the whistleblower report confirmed many red flags officials began to notice early in the partnership which deserves investigation. Senator Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha stated this week that she plans to call or a special investigative committee when the legislature returns in January.

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NEBRASKA ATTORNEY GENERAL HELPS LEAD 38-STATE SUIT AGAINST GOOGLE

LINCOLN- Doug Peterson, the Nebraska Attorney General has helped spearhead a nearly 40 state initiative that piggybacks on an antitrust case filed against Google a few months ago over its monopoly on the online search market. 

The new suit goes beyond the DOJ case by getting into how Google has aimed at monopolizing emerging ways customers are accessing search engines with artificial restrictions. 

Peterson said that the antitrust enforcement involves so many states, the DOJ and Federal Trade Commission, "speaks volumes as to the magnitude of what's going on here and the importance of what we're doing."

The case alleges that Google's practices have deprived consumers of competition that could lead to greater choice and privacy protections. Peterson said it's not about people using Google, rather it's about Google using people to collect personal data. He believes this not only hurts consumers but also hurts free trade. The judge gave Peterson until Dec. 23 to produce enough documents and witnesses after calling the investigation "serious and important". 

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RICKETTS: NEBRASKA WILL 'BANK' VACCINE DOSES TO ADMINISTER TO NURSING HOMES

LINCOLN- Gov. Ricketts said Friday that 11,700 doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine will be "banked" per federal guidance, to be used in long-term care facilities. Nearly 40% of the states 1,453 coronavirus deaths have come from long-term care facilities. The week of Dec. 27 is looking to be the first week that the vaccine will be available. The state has been receiving less vaccines in the shipment than what was originally promised. Other states have also been experiencing this. 

Frontline healthcare workers have been designated as the first priorities to receive the vaccine. As of last Friday, 4,069 healthcare workers had received the first of two doses. 

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EDITORIAL: CHILD WELFARE CONTRACTOR'S MULTIPLE RED FLAGS DEMAND A LEGISLATIVE INVESTIGATION

OMAHA- The alarming array of red flags that have popped up around St. Francis Ministries have reached a peak after a year of being under contract with the state. St. Francis nor the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services are not cooperating with state lawmakers. 

The Omaha World Herald is endorsing the call for a special legislative investigative committee on the matter. The company is supposed to oversee case management for abused and neglected children in Douglas County and Sarpy County. The whistleblower report confirmed many red flags officials began to notice early in the partnership. 

One of the largest worries people have noticed is that St. Francis has not met contractual requirements for caseloads. The bottom line is that Nebraska's most vulnerable population is not being taken care of properly. St. Francis claimed they would meet all requirements with $150 million less from the state than PromiseShip-- the BoysTown affiliated company that was formerly overseeing the cases. 

Chair of the Health and Human Services Committee, Senator Sara Howard also believes this is a serious enough matter to appoint an investigative committee. 

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BIDEN INTRODUCES HIS CLIMATE TEAM, SAYS 'NO TIME TO WASTE'

WILMINGTON, Del.- The U.S. vehicle fleet is ground zero if President-elect Biden wants to make progress on decarbonization agenda. In 2017, transportation overtook the electricity sector and is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. So, Biden appointing Jennifer Granholm to be the next secretary of energy ticks many boxes. 

Granholm is the former governor of Michigan and sits on the board of Proterra, Inc. which is a cutting-edge electric-bus manufacturer that has long advocated for green-hued industrial policy. This appointment allows for Biden to have someone fully aligned with his "Build Back Better" slogan and is the start of dealings within his own party of the Green New Dealers and the Senate. This also gives a clearer picture of how Biden will tackle a more serious climate policy. 

Much of the climate discussion will boil down to rolling back some of President Trump's deregulatory and pro-fossil fuel agenda.The incoming Biden Administration will aim to block many of the current administrations initiatives which has hurt low-income, working class and minority communities hit hardest by fossil fuel production and climate change. 

New Mexico Rep. Deb Haaland would be the first Native American to lead the Interior Department. North Carolina official Michael Regan would be the first African American man to run the Environmental Protection Agency. Brenda Mallory is set to oversee the Council on Environmental Quality which focuses on all major infrastructure projects. Two other members of the team do not need Senate confirmation. Gina McCarthy will serve as the national climate advisor and Ali Zaidi will be McCarthy's deputy. 

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AUDITOR ALLEGES LAX OVERSIGHT OVER COVID RELIEF PAYMENTS BY NEBRASKA LABOR DEPARTMENT

LINCOLN- A state audit has alleged a lack of oversight for millions of dollars of unemployment checks issued during the pandemic including improper overpayments, checks sent to prison inmates and some cases of identity theft. The auditor says the Nebraska Department of Labor did not properly check if applicants were eligible for certain payments or if they had lost jobs. The agency is estimating 66% of all payments were in error and has identified over $600,000 in questionable payments. Further, the auditor cannot verify the accuracy of $800 million unemployment benefits issued by the state. 

A Labor Department spokeswoman said the agency disagrees with most of the letter's conclusions. The department said the pandemic brought about the unprecedented amount of unemployment claims that came with it. 

“The unemployment insurance program played a vital role of supporting economic stabilization in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was critical to the stability of the Nebraska economy to ensure payment was made timely,” the labor department said.

Governor Ricketts deferred comments to the department. To help the department in March, the governor began to waive many pre-pandemic requirements for unemployment applications. The department claims many cross-matching programs have been completed and will continue to review claims.

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