NEBRASKA RECORDS LARGEST PERCENTAGE INCREASE OF COVID CASES IN NATION

NEBRASKA- On the heels of ending its COVID-19 state of emergency, Nebraska last week recorded the nation’s largest percentage increase in COVID cases.

The state tallied 456 cases for the week ending Thursday, up from 253 cases the previous week and 181 the week before that, according to state data compiled by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Nebraska’s one-week 80% increase in cases was the highest in the nation, as was the two-week increase of 152%, according to a World-Herald analysis of the CDC data.

But because Nebraska came into the increase with one of the five lowest case rates in the U.S., the state still ranks only 23rd among states in weekly cases per capita, with a rate that remains slightly below the national average.

The World-Herald used cases for the week ending Thursday to compile the weekly snapshot because of delays in state case reporting due to the July 4 holiday. The State of Nebraska discontinued its COVID-19 dashboard last Wednesday as it concluded the COVID-19 state of emergency.

For the full article click HERE

MORE THAN $300 MILLION IN EARMARKS REQUESTS MADE BY REPS. BACON, FORTENBERRY, SMITH

WASHINGTON D.C.-  A research center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, modernized traffic lights in Omaha and highway improvements in the Panhandle. Those are some of the Nebraska projects being proposed for the first batch of congressional earmarks in 10 years.

Combined, Nebraska’s three congressmen submitted more than $300 million in earmark requests, and at least $44.25 million in requests have cleared initial hurdles.

In the Senate, however, it’s a different story. Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse, who remains steadfast in his opposition to earmarks, made no requests. Sasse, along with Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst, was among 15 Republican senators in April to sign a letter recommitting to their party’s internal Senate ban on earmarks.

“We can relentlessly advocate for Nebraska’s strengths without giving into the swamp politics of earmarks,” Sasse said in a statement to The World-Herald. “Washington is maxing out credit cards faster than the Kardashians and, although earmarks are a small percentage of the total budget, they contribute to an addiction to debt that both parties refuse to admit. We should keep our promises to ban earmarks.”

Nebraska Sen. Deb Fischer, who has opposed earmarks in the past, did not respond to a request for comment, and there’s no indication on her website that she’s requested any.

Earmarking was linked to corruption in the 2000s, leading to an outcry and a ban on earmarks in both the House and Senate. But many in Congress say the ban has gone too far, ceding the “power of the purse” to party leaders and the executive branch and giving lawmakers less incentive to work across party lines.

Nebraska’s entire congressional delegation is Republican. In March, Morning Consult/Politico released polling that found that 56% of GOP voters opposed the restoration of earmarks. Nebraska’s House members said they see value in the requests.

For the full article click HERE

NEBRASKA'S NEW AFRICAN AMERICAN AFFAIRS COMMISSION MEETS FIRST TIME

OMAHA- The Nebraska Commission on African American Affairs laid the groundwork Wednesday for what it hopes to accomplish as the state’s newest agency. “I hope for it to be a positive impact on, not just the African American community, but Nebraska as a whole,” said LaShawn Young, who was elected chair of the commission during its inaugural meeting. Young is a partner at Young and Young Attorneys at Law in Omaha. This meeting was about laying a foundation, she said.

The commission was created under a bill that was signed into law in August 2020. It’s tasked with doing “all things which the commission may determine to enhance the cause of African American rights and to develop solutions to problems common to all Nebraska African Americans.”

It is the first new agency to launch during Gov. Pete Ricketts’ tenure, according to the governor’s remarks. Members were appointed by Ricketts after a selection process. “It’s uncharted territory — and so you’ll have the ability to determine where you take this by being intentional,” Ricketts told the group.

The group heard remarks from Ricketts and briefings regarding the commission’s budget, the Department of Economic Development and the Department of Administrative Services. Near the end of the meeting, a majority of commissioners also voted to start each meeting with a prayer, pending affirmation that it would not conflict with state law.

During the meeting, commission members discussed the importance of economic opportunity and education.

“I really want this commission to really be about the business of ensuring that the African Americans in this great state feel included and they have the opportunities that the ‘Good Life’ should offer,” said Clarice Jackson, executive director of Voice Advocacy Center in Omaha.

For the full article click HERE

NEBRASKA ANNOUNCES MEMORIAL STADIUM WILL BE FULL CAPACITY THIS FALL

LINCOLN- The Huskers are prepared to welcome football fans back in full capacity this fall. Nebraska announced in a tweet Wednesday that Memorial Stadium would officially be at 100% capacity for the 2021 season.

NU's first home game of the season will be against Fordham on Sept. 4. 

The Huskers' last home game at full capacity was a 27-24 loss to Iowa on Nov. 29, 2019. Nebraska's sellout streak was put on pause during the 2020 season.

Capacity at all Big Ten stadiums during the pandemic-altered 2020 season was limited to only family and close friends of the team. Nebraska wasn't able to have fans for any sporting event until this past March, when the Big Ten changed its rules to allow local health departments to determine capacity restrictions.

Allowing fans for football games should provide a significant financial boost for the NU athletic department. Former Athletic Director Bill Moos said previously that Nebraska would finish roughly $37 million in the red for the fiscal year that ended in June. NU made a record $13 million profit in fiscal year 2019-20.

Nebraska has not yet released ticket information for the 2022 season. The announcement Wednesday suggested NU is focused on restarting the sellout streak, which currently stands at 375 games, not counting any from 2020.

For more on this article click HERE

HARRAH'S PLANS TO OPEN $75 MILLION CASINO IN COLUMBUS

COLUMBUS- The advent of gambling in Nebraska is expected to bring a multimillion-dollar racetrack and casino complex to Columbus.

Columbus Exposition and Racing (CER) announced Friday the selection of Caesars Entertainment to build and operate a Harrah’s casino and racetrack. Caesars is the largest casino-entertainment company in the nation.

“We are excited to welcome Harrah’s to Nebraska,” said Tom Jackson, managing partner of CER. “When looking for a casino operator partner, Harrah’s brand recognition and established code of commitment proved an easy selection.”

The approximately $75 million casino development will be located near Highway 81. A sale for the land at the previous Columbus Events Center, also known as Wishbones, went through in May.

The project is expected to feature a one-mile racetrack, a 40,000-square-foot casino and sportsbook with more than 400 slot machines 

and 20 table games, a restaurant and retail space.

The property is expected to be complete in late 2022.

For the full article click HERE

COURT STRIKES TRUMP EPA RULE FOR FULL YEAR 15% ETHANOL SALES

DES MOINES-  A federal appeals court on Friday threw out a Trump-era Environmental Protection Agency rule change that allowed for the sale of a 15% ethanol gasoline blend in the summer months. The decision deals a significant blow to the ethanol industry and corn farmers who grow the crop from which the fuel additive is made. They had anticipated increased ethanol demand through year-round sales of the higher blend.

Most gasoline sold in the U.S. today is blended with 10% ethanol. Corn farmers and ethanol refiners have pushed for the government to allow the widespread sale of a 15% ethanol blend.

Ethanol supporters contend that using more of the corn-based renewable fuel is better for the environment and helps meet federal climate change goals.

Three judges on the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia issued Friday’s decision. They said it’s clear from federal law that Congress balanced “wide-ranging economic, energy-security, and geopolitical implications” and that the wording of the law “reflects a compromise, not simply a desire to maximize ethanol production at all costs.” They concluded Congress did not intend to allow ethanol blends higher than 10% to be widely sold year-round. They said the EPA overstepped its authority.

For the full article click HERE

GOV. RICKETTS TO END CORONAVIRUS STATE OF EMERGENCY: 'WE NEED TO GET BACK TO NORMAL'

LINCOLN- The giant bottle of hand sanitizer was gone, as was the sign language interpreter and the charts tracking COVID-19 numbers.

Nor did anyone wipe down the podium Monday before Gov. Pete Ricketts announced that he would end the COVID-19 state of emergency declared well over a year ago — on March 13, 2020 — as of 11:59 p.m. Wednesday.

He noted that hospitalizations for COVID-19 statewide are low and stressed the need to “get back to normal.” But as he has throughout the pandemic, Ricketts urged people to get a vaccine. “It’s important for everyone to know the coronavirus is going to be with us,” he said. “… That’s why it’s important to get a vaccine. Vaccines work. We have proof of it in Nebraska.”

Twenty-seven Nebraskans are hospitalized with COVID-19, Ricketts said. That number, which peaked Nov. 20 at 987, has been below 100 since mid-May and below 40 since mid-June. The announcement, however, comes as Nebraska ended its eight-week stretch of falling cases.

Nebraska’s rate of fully vaccinated individuals — 47.9% as of Monday — continues to exceed the nation’s 46%. The state still ranks highly in vaccinating the vulnerable 65-and-over population. Its 84.4% vaccination rate is 12th-best in the U.S. 

For the full article click HERE

HOW NEBRASKA TENATS MIGHT FARE ONCE EVECITONS BAN ENDS

NEBRASKA- Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts temporarily banned evictions for 2 1/2 months near the start of the pandemic, before the CDC moratorium was in place. Ricketts' order expired at the end of May 2020. Nebraska has earmarked $200 million from the coronavirus aid package Congress passed in December to help tenants with back rent, utility bills and other expenses.

The program, which is managed by the Nebraska Investment Finance Authority, offers up to $20,000 in assistance to renters or homeowners who need help paying up to 15 months of their bills. But the aid is only available to people who make 80% or less of their county’s median income and can show they’re unable to pay rent because of a financial hardship caused by the pandemic or they’re at risk of becoming homeless.

So far, more than $15.8 million has been distributed to 4,420 households in Nebraska by the state agency and local programs in Lincoln and Omaha.

Nebraska's homeless ranks could swell once the eviction moratorium ends because evictions and homelessness are closely linked and there is a lack of low-income housing in the state, Mertz said. Although the number of evictions in Nebraska is expected to jump after the moratorium ends, it's not clear how many landlords are waiting to act once it expires and the rental assistance programs may prevent some evictions.

“It’s going to be a real shock to the system if the backlog is as high as some people fear,” Mertz said. Recent census data shows there were 10,150 adults in the state who feared they could be evicted within two months.

For the full article click HERE

LINCOLN MAYOR TAPS TERESA EWINS AS NEXT POLICE CHEIF

LINCOLN- After a months-long nationwide search that saw a field of 31 applicants winnowed down to one nominee, Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird on Monday announced Teresa Ewins as the city's next police chief.  A 55-year-old commander and the highest-ranking LGBTQ officer with the San Francisco Police Department, Ewins was the only one of four finalists who had never before pursued the top job at a major police department.

Facing a room full of reporters, Gaylor Baird called Ewins "a historic choice" for the Lincoln Police Department, which has been led exclusively by men since 1870. If approved by the City Council, Ewins would take her new position Aug. 30, at which point she would be the first woman and first openly LGBTQ person to lead the department in its 151-year history. 

"When we set out on this process, we were looking for the best person to lead the department, and we found the best person to lead the department," Gaylor Baird said. "And she happens to be a woman. And I'm really proud of that."

The significance of the moment wasn't lost on Ewins, either. Appearing at the press conference by Zoom, the incoming chief reflected on what her selection meant to both her and the changing law enforcement landscape.

"You know, being the first is really — it's amazing," she said. "I mean, women have 50% of the population, and, in law enforcement, for chiefs, I think 1% are chiefs of police. Women have really added to moving to the profession forward in general, and it's really great to be recognized as the best to take on this role.

"And so I'm really hoping to really show that women can lead and be just as good as anyone else. And hopefully one day, in the future, we don't even have to have this conversation of male versus female. It's just the best person and most qualified person." 

For the full article click HERE

OPINION: THIS SUPRISING SUPREME COURT

WASHINGTON- When is a case about a pipeline about more than the pipeline? When it produces a 5-4 Supreme Court decision with a surprising mix of conservative and liberal Justices on both sides. Their opinions reflect disagreements from the founding era over the role and power of the federal government.

Pipeline developer PennEast has been seeking to build a 116-mile pipeline between Pennsylvania and New Jersey since 2014. The Natural Gas Act of 1938 delegates the federal government’s eminent domain power to private parties once the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) certifies a pipeline.

PennEast had negotiated the route with New Jersey politicians, but Gov. Phil Murphy pulled a switcheroo and invoked state sovereign immunity under the Eleventh Amendment to block the company from building on state-owned land. The Eleventh Amendment bars states from being sued in federal court by private citizens of other states. New Jersey argued that FERC’s eminent domain delegation doesn’t apply to state land. Chief Justice John Roberts along with Justices Stephen Breyer, Samuel Alito, Sonia Sotomayor and Brett Kavanaugh disagreed.

Both sides make compelling cases based on the Constitution’s structure. Justice Amy Coney Barrett writes in a dissent joined by Justices Clarence Thomas, Elena Kagan and Neil Gorsuch that the “Constitution limits the means by which the Federal Government can impose its will on the States” and sovereign immunity was a “deliberately chosen feature of the constitutional design.”

The 5-4 ruling is good for U.S. energy development, but it also shows that the Court with its two new Justices is far from a lockstep ideological battering ram. The Justices are seriously grappling with serious constitutional issues, with often surprising majority coalitions. 

For the full article click HERE

AS DOUGLAS COUNTY VALUATIONS ARE RELEASED, ASSESSOR SAYS DON'T BLAME HER FOR HIGHER TAXES

DOUGLAS COUNTY- As Omaha’s housing market continues to run strong, Douglas County’s tax valuations are taking another big jump just to keep up. With the local housing tax base rising by almost $2 billion overall, the increase raises the likelihood of significantly higher property tax bills for local homeowners.

But Diane Battiato, Douglas County’s assessor/register of deeds, said she gets tired of the “finger always pointing at the Assessor’s Office” as tax bills increase. Battiato said her office is doing what’s required under state law to keep up with the housing market in Douglas County — and prices that have been escalating for years.

Overall, Douglas County’s tax value on existing homes increased almost 6% this year. That’s on top of a 7% increase last year and almost 6% the year before.

The increase this year alone will add $1.95 billion to the residential tax base — potentially translating to tens of millions of dollars in higher taxes paid by home and property owners.

For the full article click HERE

OMAHA OFFICIALS SOUGHT $8 MILLION FOR STREETCAR BUT DIDN'T GET FEDERAL EARMARK

OMAHA- Omaha business leaders unsuccessfully tried to secure federal funding for the long-discussed streetcar project earlier this year.

The move is the latest sign that Omaha’s business community is continuing to push for creation of a streetcar.

“We are extremely serious about this,” said Jay Noddle, the developer who heads the public-private group focused on Omaha’s urban core. “We’ve never been more serious. It’s one of the more important and therefore more impactful things that can happen in the core of the city.”

This spring, the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, along with City of Omaha and local transportation officials, attempted to get an $8 million federal earmark to fund the design of the long-discussed streetcar project that would connect downtown and midtown Omaha.

However, the earmark, requested by U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., was not included in a federal transportation bill currently making its way through Congress, his office said last week.

The federal earmark was sought to help pay for a $10 million “environmental review and final design” for the project. But lawmakers did not include the request in the Invest in America Act, which could go to a final vote in the House this week, Bacon’s office said.

Bacon made the request after being asked by the city to do so. The city’s request to Bacon was made on behalf of the Omaha chamber, according to Mayor Jean Stothert’s office.

For the full article click HERE

NATIONAL DEMOCRATS AIR PANDEMIC RECOVERY AD IN OMAHA, SIGNALING ENGAGEMENT IN 2ND DISTRICT

OMAHA- National Democrats began airing a pandemic recovery ad in the Omaha area on Wednesday, signaling that they're still willing to put resources into Nebraska's competitive 2nd Congressional District, even though the rest of the state is solidly Republican.

The 60-second ad in the Omaha television market highlights the nation's efforts to recover from the coronavirus pandemic and return to normalcy. The ad includes several shots of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, who won the 2nd District in the 2020 election, marking only the second time in history that Nebraska has split its Electoral College votes.

Even though Biden and Harris won the district, voters also re-elected Republican U.S. Rep. Don Bacon over a well-funded Democratic challenger. The 2nd District, including the core of the Omaha area and parts of its suburbs, is one of the few nationally that's consistently competitive between Republicans and Democrats.

In a statement, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee said the American Rescue Plan signed by Biden is helping to vaccinate Americans, reopen small businesses and provide financial assistance.

The ad was timed to coincide with the July 4 holiday.

For the full article click HERE

STAFFING EMERGENCY DECLARED AT TWO MORE NEBRASKA PRISONS AMID RECORD VACANCIES

 LINCOLN — A record-high number of job vacancies and continued high turnover caused “staffing emergencies” to be declared Monday at two more prisons.

The declaration at the 518-inmate Lincoln Correctional Center and the 439-inmate Diagnostic and Evaluation Center means that staffing will shift immediately to two 12-hour shifts a day from three eight-hour shifts a day. That will allow required security posts to be filled with fewer employees.

Two other state prisons, the 1,000-inmate Tecumseh State Prison and the 1,250-inmate State Penitentiary in Lincoln, have been operating under staffing emergencies for more than a year in what has been described as a “short-term” solution to the lack of personnel.

Those staffing emergencies were expected to expire before the end of 2020, but Corrections Director Scott Frakes said Monday that a “slowdown” in hiring has forced the continuation, and expansion, of the emergencies.

“We are feeling the effects that many other industries and businesses are experiencing currently, nationally and across Nebraska,” Frakes said. “This is a very tight job market, especially in Lincoln.”

For the full article click HERE

NEW TECHNOLOGY LETS NEBRASKA STATE PATROL SCAN SEMIS ON INTERSTATE 80 FOR FLAT TIRES

NEBRASKA- The Nebraska State Patrol is using new equipment to provide better safety screenings for commercial vehicles, including semis on Interstate 80. The new system is now in use at I-80 weigh stations near Waverly and North Platte. The screening system uses cameras and sensors to read license plates and federal Department of Transportation identification numbers and check for flat tires, all while the vehicle continues to travel at Interstate speeds, said Lt. Mike Maytum of the State Patrol’s Carrier Enforcement Division.

That information is coupled with existing weigh-in-motion, PrePass and Drivewyze technology. After a quick scan, the vehicle is either given the go-ahead or routed to the weigh station for a closer look.

Maytum said the goal is to ensure safety and to keep trucks moving.

“It really boils down to keeping roadways safe,” Maytum said.

The state plans to add a similar system to the weigh station on Nebraska 2 near Nebraska City. The new system was funded through a grant from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

For the full article click HERE

UNL BREAKS GROUND ON COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING'S $97 MILLION KIEWIT HALL

LINCOLN — There are already two holes in the ground where the future Kiewit Hall will rise near 17th and Vine streets on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's City Campus.

The 181,500-square-foot facility will redefine the College of Engineering's footprint at UNL when it opens to students in the fall of 2023 as a new hub for engineering education.

On Monday, UNL ceremonially broke ground on the privately funded $97 million facility, which is part of a larger effort to renovate engineering facilities as part of a plan to grow the college from 3,200 to 5,000 students.

"It is a big day for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the state of Nebraska, and the field of engineering," Chancellor Ronnie Green told a reception inside Othmer Hall, which will connect to Kiewit Hall via skywalk.

Construction on the facility is expected to ramp up this fall as work continues at the nearby Scott Engineering Center and the Link, the subject of a partnership between the university and the state of Nebraska. The construction at the Link involves an 87,000-square-foot facility, which replaces the former 25,000-square-foot facility.

For the full article click HERE

JIM PILLEN, SAYING HE'S NOT SPEAKING AS AN NU REGENT, CONDEMNS CRITICAL RACE THEORY

LINCOLN- A pair of conservative groups last week called on Regent Jim Pillen, who is running for governor, to sponsor a resolution denouncing the teaching of critical race theory at the University of Nebraska. In a press release, the Nebraska Freedom Coalition and the Nebraska Federation of Republican Women said Pillen had an opportunity to take a stand against what they called “the attempted indoctrination of students on college campuses.” But Friday’s meeting of the Board of Regents came and went without any mention of the issue. 

After the meeting, and clarifying that he was speaking as a candidate for governor, Pillen said he opposes the teaching of critical race theory in Nebraska, preferring instead that teachers and professors focus on “facts and commonsense Nebraska values.”

“I’m not supportive of teaching of theories or ideologies that are divisive, that are anti-American,” Pillen said. “I oppose our kids being indoctrinated with radical theories.”

“I oppose CRT today, I oppose it tomorrow, and I will oppose it as your governor,” he added. 

For the full article click HERE

GOV. RICKETTS: U.S. SUPREME COURT DECISION ON ETHANOL WAIVERS HURTS FARM FAMILIES

LINCOLN – Today, Governor Pete Ricketts issued a statement following news that the U.S. Supreme Court had overturned a decision by the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals on small refinery exemptions from ethanol blending requirements.

“Today’s decision by the U.S. Supreme Court on small refinery exemptions is disappointing and hurts farm families across the state,” said Governor Ricketts.  “Regardless of the Court’s decision, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency can still take steps to enforce a robust Renewable Fuel Standard.  I strongly urge President Biden and his administration to take clear steps to support our farm families, and to stop the broad use of waivers.”

For the full article click HERE

DHHS PARTNERS WITH CENTER FOR RURAL AFFAIRS FOR FACEBOOK LIVE TOWN HALL

Lincoln– In an ongoing effort to advocate and educate Nebraskans about the safety and effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine, Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is partnering with the Center for Rural Affairs (CFRA), a rural advocacy organization to hold a Facebook Live event focused on rural communities throughout Nebraska.

With nearly two million vaccines administered and 56% of Nebraskans over the age of 16 fully vaccinated, the state has made great strides in its fight against COVID-19. Hospitalization rates have fallen from a high of nearly 1,000 in November, to under 40 hospitalizations today.

To continue the forward progress, Nebraska DHHS CEO Dannette R. Smith and Chief Medical Officer Gary Anthone will take part in the CFRA’s “Rural Rapport” Facebook Live Townhall to discuss the safety and effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine. More importantly, they will take the opportunity to answer questions and listen to the concerns of Nebraska’s rural community.

Established in 1973, the Center for Rural Affairs is a private, non-profit organization working to strengthen small businesses, family farms and ranches, and rural communities through action-oriented programs addressing social, economic, and environmental issues.

BIG BUSINESS PUSHED CONAGRA'S DOWNTOWN OMAHA CAMPUS, DOOMING HISTORIC JOBBERS CANYON

OMAHA- Big ugly red brick buildings. When Conagra's chief executive dismissed a historic Omaha warehouse district as such, he ignited preservation rallies, local division and a national spotlight. But none of that could stop demolition of the six-block Jobbers Canyon to clear the way for the company's global headquarters.

Charles "Mike" Harper would say later that only a handful of people wanted to preserve the century-old warehouses — "probably as a home for the rats." Indeed, tension over the largest-ever wipeout of a designated U.S. historic district grew much larger. Arguably, no other local real estate project in the last half-century created more community conflict and change in landscape and policy than the Conagra-anchored riverfront development.  And perhaps no other project showed so clearly the power of the city's corporate leaders in redefining downtown Omaha.

Working fiercely, mostly from behind the scenes, the city's corporate elite pulled out all the stops to provide the downtown canvas Conagra wanted for what became a nearly 45-acre campus connected to a new 30-acre public park. 

Driven in part by the fresh loss of a different corporate heavyweight, the business leaders pushed city officials to meet Conagra's demands for a suburban-style headquarters and the removal of those "ugly" warehouses. They raised private money, fended off lawsuits and found ways to ensure that the redevelopment happened.

Following opposition from many Omaha citizens and state officials, Conagra would go on to have their way with the building process. Now following Conagra's departure in 2016, the city looks to find a way to fill in the space and restore the area to its original "industrial" setting.

For the full article click HERE