IOWA ATTORNEY GENERAL BRENNA BIRD FILES LAWSUIT AGAINST ROBLOX

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird filed a lawsuit Tuesday against Roblox, the popular online gaming company, for allegedly putting Iowa children in danger of sexual exploitation.

n online game platform, has over 80 million daily users, “many of those are Iowans and most of whom are children under the age of 18,” according to a news release from the attorney general’s office. Despite having a large base of child users, Bird said the company had taken insufficient action to address problems with sexual exploitation and stop the distribution of child sex abuse material on the platform.

In the petition filed Tuesday, Bird wrote Roblox had promised parents the platform was safe for children and equipped with safety measures “while knowing that the platform lacked necessary guardrails and facilitated the sexual exploitation of teen and preteen children and the distribution of child sexual abuse material.”

There are several lawsuits filed against the Roblox Corporation alleging the company has facilitated child sex crimes. One of the lawsuits was filed by an Iowa family, who claims their 13-year-old daughter was found in Tennessee after being taken from her grandmother’s house and sexually abused by a person she met in a Roblox chat room.

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PILLEN APPOINTS BACON COMMS DIRECTOR, POLICY ADVISER AS DOUGLAS COUNTY ELECTION COMMISSIONER

LINCOLN — Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen appointed a communications director and senior policy adviser to U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., on Wednesday to oversee elections in the state’s most populous county. Danielle Jensen of the Elkhorn area will succeed Douglas County Election Commissioner Brian Kruse, effective Jan. 10. Jensen has been with Bacon since he first joined Congress in 2017.

She previously served as a public and legislative affairs officer for the former Nebraska Energy Office. Jensen will hold the role through at least the end of 2027, the end of Kruse’s four-year term.

Jensen said Wednesday she was grateful to Pillen and his team for their trust. She thanked Bacon and Bacon’s chief of staff, Mark Dreiling, for their endorsements of her and their work together serving Nebraska’s Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District. “I am truly honored and look forward to serving the voters of Douglas County,” Jensen said in a statement. “I would like to thank Brian Kruse for his years of service and will continue his work of integrity and transparency.”

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2 BIG RAIL UNIONS OPPOSE $85B UNION PACIFIC–NORFOLK SOUTHERN MERGE

LINCOLN - The proposed $85 billion merger of Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern has lost the support of two unions that represent more than half their railroad workers over concerns it will jeopardize safety and jobs, raise shipping rates and consumer prices, and cause significant disruptions. 

The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division are among the most prominent critics of the deal to create the nation's first transcontinental railroad. They join the American Chemistry Council, an assortment of agricultural groups and competing railroad BNSF in raising concerns the merger would hurt competition.

The deal has the support of the nation's largest rail union, which represents conductors and hundreds of individual shippers, and President Donald Trump has said the deal sounds good to him. The U.S. Surface Transportation Board will weigh the opinions of all stakeholders to determine whether the merger is in the public interest once the railroads file their formal application, which is expected later this week.

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TOP NEBRASKA DATA SECURITY OFFICER TARGET OF AUDITOR PROBE OF ‘SUSPICIOUS’ REIMBURSEMENTS

LINCOLN — A Nebraska state official responsible for overseeing state data security and privacy allegedly submitted duplicate travel reimbursement claims on two occasions for his own financial benefit, according to a new report from the state auditor.

Auditor Mike Foley this week made public his office’s review of reimbursements sought by the state’s “chief information security and privacy officer,” a man whose state employment has since ended.

Identified as Patrick Wright, he worked under the Department of Administrative Services’ Office of the Chief Information Officer. The state information office said it alerted Foley’s office and the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office in December, when it found alleged improprieties. The Auditor’s Office issued a 24-page report, largely copies of reimbursement forms, and recommendations for improvement to Wright’s supervisors, who said Wright at first was placed on administrative leave and then resigned during the investigation.

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HILGERS, RICKETTS CRITICIZE TRUMP’S FED MARIJUANA RECLASSIFICATION; NEBRASKA ADVOCATES CELEBRATE

LINCOLN — Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers criticized President Donald Trump’s efforts to loosen federal restrictions on marijuana as local advocates applauded the change. Trump, via a new executive order he signed Thursday, seeks to expedite a move started under President Joe Biden to federally downgrade marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III drug. Schedule I drugs, such as heroin, LSD, ecstasy and peyote, are drugs the federal government has classified with a high likelihood of abuse and no currently accepted medical value.

Schedule III drugs are defined as those with moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence, such as Tylenol with codeine, ketamine, anabolic steroids and testosterone.

Trump’s order directs U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to “take all necessary steps” to complete the rulemaking process related to rescheduling marijuana and to do so in the “most expeditious manner” possible. “We will evaluate the order closely to determine how we can best continue to engage, protect the public health, and ensure the safety of our citizens,” Hilgers and seven other Republican attorneys general said in a joint statement.

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IN NEBRASKA'S COMPETITIVE CD2 RACE, ONE CANDIDATE DRAWS EARLY LABOR UNION SUPPORT

OMAHA - As a firefighter and sprinkler fitter exchanged haymakers at Baxter Arena Saturday, hundreds of electricians, plumbers, police officers, teamsters and other organized workers cheered on their siblings in labor who converted to amateur pugilists for the night. The annual Blue Collar Boxing event pits representatives from different unions against each other in a boxing ring while bringing together the Omaha area's labor community to raise money for the United Way of the Midlands. The event also brings out Nebraska politicians, candidates and campaign operatives looking to court labor support. 

On that front, Omaha State Sen. John Cavanaugh is off to a fast start. Cavanaugh wears a literal and figurative white collar in his work as an attorney and state lawmaker. But the candidate seeking the Democratic nomination for Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District looked at home at the blue-collar event, shaking hands, sipping a Miller Lite and talking shop with union members. 

He's the only candidate in the crowded race to replace Rep. Don Bacon who has announced endorsements from local unions. About five months ahead of the Democratic primary, he's racked up support from seven, including multiple electrical worker locals and a union representing government employees. 

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NEWLY REELECTED NEBRASKA FARMERS UNION PRESIDENT SAYS CURRENT FARM POLICY IS ‘NOT WORKING’

LINCOLN - Newly reelected Nebraska Farmers Union President John Hansen warned that current U.S. farm and trade policy is “not working” and leaving family farmers in a precarious economic position.

Hansen, who will continue leading the Nebraska Farmers Union after winning reelection, spoke about the challenges facing farmers amid volatile commodity markets and federal policy decisions. He discussed a recent $12 billion federal aid package intended to offset losses from tariffs, but said it falls far short of covering the hundreds of billions in value that farmers have lost due to depressed prices and trade disruptions. Farmers continue to face high production costs and unstable market prices that don’t reflect those costs, undermining their ability to remain financially viable. 

Hansen argued that the lack of stability and dependable pricing mechanisms in current farm and trade policy forces producers to rely heavily on government assistance rather than fair market returns. He stressed the need to rethink the structure of national agriculture policy so that family farmers aren’t pushed out of business and can sustain operations without depending primarily on federal support. '

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NEBRASKA’S RURAL ECONOMY SHOWING SIGNS OF LIFE AS SOME TARIFF PRESSURES EASE

LINCOLN  - Nebraska's rural economy is showing signs of life. That's one upshot of the December edition of the Rural Mainstreet Index, a report compiled by Creighton University economist Ernie Goss. 

The Index represents an early snapshot of rural economies that are heavily agriculture- and energy-dependent. It produces a score ranging from 0 to 100 for a 10-state region in the Midwest and West. It also assigns scores to each individual state. A score of 50 is "growth-neutral," meaning anything above a 50 signifies growth. 

Both the region-wide score and the Nebraska score improved from November to December, and both scores were above growth-neutral. The regional score jumped from 44 in November to 50.1 in December. The Nebraska-specific score jumped from 49.2 in November to a region-leading 54.2 in December. The region-wide score was above 50 for just the second time in 2025. 

The survey captures data about 200 rural communities with an average population of 1,300. Bank presidents throughout Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming contribute information.

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NEBRASKA’S PROMISED FUNDING FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SURVIVORS IN LIMBO

LINCOLN - Nebraska lawmakers allocated $3 million to support domestic violence survivors, but that funding may never be released because the state source lawmakers tapped is now over-committed and lacks enough money to cover all budgeted programs. 

The $3 million was supposed to come from the Medicaid Managed Care Excess Profit Fund, which holds surplus profits from the state’s Medicaid managed care insurers. However, the fund’s revenues have declined sharply and it’s now projected to be over-obligated — meaning more programs were approved than there is money available. Without clear legislative direction on how to prioritize the various earmarks, officials have not released the domestic violence funds, leaving advocates unsure if the support will ever arrive.

Domestic violence service providers in Nebraska are already stretched thin, with rising demand amid limited resources. Prior attempts to use other funding streams, like Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, were thwarted because federal confidentiality rules prevented their use. With the Excess Profit Fund short on cash, providers may face deeper cuts to shelters and services just as many survivors need help most. 

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NEBRASKA LAWMAKERS BUDGETED $3 MILLION TO HELP DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SURVIVORS. THE MONEY MAY NEVER COME.

LINCOLN - Nebraska lawmakers set aside $3 million to expand support for domestic violence survivors, but the funds may never reach the providers who urgently need them. That’s because the state tapped a volatile funding source that now lacks sufficient money to cover all of the programs legislators approved.

The $3 million was earmarked from the Medicaid Managed Care Excess Profit Fund, a pot of money made up of surplus profits from the state’s Medicaid managed care insurers. But the fund’s revenue has significantly declined in recent years, and it’s now over-committed, with projected expenditures exceeding available dollars. Because the fund is stretched thin and lacks clear legislative direction on prioritizing spending, officials have not distributed the money to domestic violence service providers — leaving advocates and lawmakers uncertain if it will ever materialize. 

 Advocates warn the funding gap comes at a critical time, as demand for domestic violence services across Nebraska continues to rise. Providers have already cut shelter capacity and laid off staff due to previous funding shortfalls, and without the promised $3 million, they may struggle to meet survivor needs. Lawmakers and advocates are now reassessing how to secure stable financing for these services, as well as for other programs also affected by the shortfall in the Excess Profit Fund. 

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NEBRASKA BECOMES FIRST STATE TO ADD NEW MEDICAID FEDERAL WORK REQUIREMENTS

LINCOLN — Nebraska stepped Wednesday toward becoming the first state in the country to start its implementation of new federal work requirements for Medicaid health insurance recipients beginning May 1 of the new year. Gov. Jim Pillen, joined on Zoom by Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Dr. Mehmet Oz and in person by state health officials, rolled out the state’s plans for the new federal requirement as a “hand up and not a hand out.” 

“We’re not here to take everybody to the curb … [but] making sure we get every able-bodied Nebraskan to be part of our community,” Pillen said. State health officials said the new requirements apply to work-eligible adults in the Medicaid expansion population aged 19 to 64. Those Medicaid recipients will be required to work at least 80 hours a month or be enrolled in school at least half-time to receive or keep health coverage. 

Steve Corsi, Director of Nebraska’s Department of Health and Human services, said people will begin receive notice of the new requirements by Jan. 1, and the agency is working on details on how it will track work status.

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NEBRASKA CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION SEEKS CLARITY ON BROADBAND FUNDS NOT USED BY PILLEN PLAN

LINCOLN — Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen might find some federal help in his efforts to steer about $360 million in unspent funds Congress earmarked for rural broadband development in Nebraska toward other uses that his administration argues will boost connectivity. Chief among Pillen’s ideas is boosting wireless connectivity in rural areas where modern farming and ranching needs require the kinds of internet connections that power precision agriculture demands in a rising age of artificial intelligence and agricultural technology.

The letter asks federal broadband funding officials to allow the funds to be used in precision agriculture, including livestock monitors, remote field and cattle management systems, sensors and guidance systems for automated agricultural equipment.

All five members of Nebraska’s congressional delegation signed onto a letter Tuesday seeking agency help from Arielle Roth, assistant secretary of commerce for communications and information at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.

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AS FARMERS FACE TRADE WARS AND INFLATION, CALLS TO MENTAL HEALTH HOTLINES RISE

LINCOLN - As farmers face historic headwinds and market hardships, calls to the national Farm Aid hotline and the Iowa Concern hotline — where farmers can get support in times of mental health crisis or need — are increasing. This fall, the Iowa Concern hotline saw four to five times the number of calls it had in the same months last year, said Tammy Jacobs, the hotline’s manager.

The Farm Aid hotline is also seeing a change in the urgency of calls. “We’re seeing more established farmers calling in — people who know how to play the game and how to access programs. They’re calling more often now, because even with all that institutional knowledge, they’re still running into issues for the first time that are more complex and difficult to solve,” said Lori Mercer, a Farm Aid hotline operator. “The system that’s in place is simply letting them down. There’s just no further safety net.” 

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MCKEON’S ARRAIGNMENT DELAYED AS CHARGE DOWNGRADED TO DISTURBING THE PEACE

LINCOLN — The State of Nebraska has charged State Sen. Dan McKeon of Amherst with “disturbing the peace,” a slight downgrade in criminal allegation from the public indecency citation he received in October. Court documents filed late Monday show the freshman senator now faces a Class III misdemeanor charge, with McKeon’s arraignment originally scheduled Wednesday in Lancaster County Court. However, the hearing was postponed to Dec. 17 after the judge refused McKeon’s attempt to enter a no contest plea by waiver without appearing in person.

McKeon’s attorney Perry Pirsch said McKeon will likely plead no contest, which would allow him to accept any coming penalties without admitting guilt, and would waive his right to a trial.

The Nebraska State Patrol cited McKeon for misdemeanor public indecency in late October after investigating an allegation by a legislative staffer attending an end-of-session party this spring in Lincoln. The Patrol received a report in early September that McKeon allegedly “made inappropriate contact with her buttocks with his hand, over the top of her clothing,” Patrol spokesman Cody Thomas said at the time.

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VOTING BY MAIL AND VOTER PURGE POWERS UNDER SCRUTINY AHEAD OF 2026 MIDTERMS

WASHINGTON - As the 2026 midterm elections approach, multiple aspects of U.S. voting practices and election administration are drawing intense debate and proposed changes. One major area of uncertainty surrounds voting by mail, a once-widespread practice that now faces challenges in several states. In Oregon — a longtime mail-ballot state — local election officials defend the system’s convenience and security, but lawmakers and grassroots organizers in some places have pushed legislation and ballot campaigns to roll back or restrict mail-in voting. Meanwhile, the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case that could eliminate “grace periods” that allow ballots arriving after Election Day to still be counted, a decision that could reshape mail-in voting rules in as many as 16 states and the District of Columbia. Former President Donald Trump has publicly criticized mail ballots, asserting without evidence that they are linked to fraud, signaling broader national conflict over the practice.

At the same time, Republican lawmakers in Congress are pursuing changes to how voter rolls are managed. During a House hearing, GOP members discussed proposals to amend the National Voter Registration Act to allow states more authority to remove voters from registration lists — including those who may have moved, died, or were never eligible in the first place. Supporters argue such changes would help states keep voter rolls accurate and up to date, while critics warn that broader removal authority could lead to overzealous purges and risk disenfranchising eligible voters. The effort reflects continued debate over federal versus state roles in election administration, but major voting legislation faces significant obstacles in Congress ahead of the 2026 midterms.

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DEMOCRAT CHRIS BACKEMEYER RAISES SIX FIGURES IN NEBRASKA’S 1ST DISTRICT

LINCOLN — A Democratic candidate in eastern Nebraska’s 1st Congressional District brought in a six-figure fundraising haul in the first 30 days of the campaign, Chris Backemeyer’s campaign announced Tuesday.

The $120,000 haul is $8,547 less than former State Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue raised for her 2024 bid against incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Flood. Blood raised $29,203 in her first fundraising quarter during that race.

The former U.S. State Department diplomat, who now lives in Lincoln, entered the race last month. He is in a Democratic primary with Lincoln resident and renewable energy advocate Eric Moyer. The winner likely faces Flood in November. Flood hasn’t drawn a GOP challenger.  “Nebraskans are ready for new leadership, and this early response shows we have the team, the momentum, and the pathway to flip this seat,” Backemeyer said in a statement. 

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UNK CHANCELLOR NEAL SCHNOOR RELEASES DRAFT BUDGET CUTS TO ADDRESS $4.5M DEFICIT

KEARNEY - University of Nebraska at Kearney Chancellor Neal Schnoor presented draft recommendations Tuesday to address a $4.5 million structural deficit across UNK's two-year budget cycle.

He shared the recommendations in an email to campus. The recommendations were informed by campus Faculty and Budget Advisory Committees that reviewed UNK’s finances in collaboration with campus leaders, work units, faculty and staff. Schnoor is accepting feedback in person and by email to inform final decisions, which will be announced Dec. 22, according to a UNK news release.

“Our shared governance process is essential to making thoughtful decisions in this challenging time. I am deeply grateful to all who contributed time, ideas and expertise throughout this process,” Schnoor said in his letter to campus. “Your involvement has helped us forge a collaborative path forward. I know the weight of these changes is felt differently across our community, and I appreciate the care and resilience you continue to show.”

UNK has identified $4.8 million in reductions for the current biennium ending in fiscal year 2027. The university’s current total budget for the year is $170 million, including $80.3 million in state funds.

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PILLEN TOUTS ALTEN CLEANUP PROGRESS IN MEAD AFTER FEDERAL LAWSUIT SETTLED

MEAD, Neb. — Years of private efforts to clean up wet cake pollution from a Nebraska ethanol plant that turned pesticide-coated seed corn into fuel inched in recent weeks toward resolution.

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen on Tuesday visited with Mead residents to tout the state’s progress in working with six seed companies now running the former AltEn ethanol plant’s cleanup, the AltEn Facility Response Group.

Pillen told locals who have fought for state attention that he is proud of the work that removed a roughly 165,000-ton “mountain” of mixed material that included about 84,000 tons of contaminated byproduct. Work continues to clear polluted lagoons and groundwater. Nebraska tried regulating AltEn into compliance but eventually shut it down in February 2021, filing a separate state-led lawsuit that year against the plant that is still being negotiated for settlement. A wastewater spill followed days later. Seed companies that had been working with the company took over cleanup.

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DAN OSBORN SAYS TYSON MANIPULATED BEEF MARKET WITH NEBRASKA PLANT CLOSURE

LEXINGTON, Neb. — Across the street from a Tyson beef plant set to close at the end of January, Nebraska U.S. Senate candidate Dan Osborn accused the company of breaking a century-old law aimed at preventing anti-competitive behavior by meatpackers.

Osborn, a registered nonpartisan running against U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., in 2026, pointed to his time as a former labor leader in an Omaha Kellogg’s plant to say he knows “what it feels like” to give a company “complete loyalty” and said workers feel betrayed. He said Tyson’s quarterly earnings report won’t feel the ripple effects that the town will face.

He said Tyson is trying to maximize profits at the expense of producers and customers in violation of the Packers and Stockyards Act, a federal law passed in 1921. That law was meant to promote competitiveness and fair practices in the livestock, meat and poultry industries and ensure payment protection. The law also prohibits deception and fraud in those markets. 

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TRUMP TO SEND $12 BILLION IN ONE-TIME PAYMENTS TO FARMERS TO OFFSET AG LOSSES

WASHINGTON - The federal government will provide $12 billion to U.S. farmers who have been hurt by “unfair market disruption,” President Donald Trump said at a White House roundtable event Monday.

Trump said repeatedly the funding was available thanks to tariff revenues, framing his aggressive trade policy as a boon to farmers rather than a drag on their global market share as critics of the policy suggest. “I’m delighted to announce this afternoon that the United States will be taking a small portion of the hundreds of billions of dollars we receive in tariffs…  and we’re going to be giving and providing it to the farmers in economic assistance,” Trump said.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, though, told reporters following the event that the money came from the department’s Commodity Credit Corporation, which is funded through regular appropriations from Congress, according to a White House pool report.

The money, which the administration officials described as “bridge payments,” would be in farmers’ hands by the end of February, Rollins said. 

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