Political News

Why Can’t Americans Agree On, Well, Nearly Anything? Philosophy Has Some Answers

Published by Nikki Palmer on Mon, 03/06/2023 - 2:00am

Does wearing a mask stop the spread of COVID-19? Is climate change driven primarily by human-made emissions? With these kinds of issues dividing the public, it sometimes feels as if Americans are losing our ability to agree about basic facts of the world. There have been widespread disagreements about matters of seemingly objective fact in the past, yet the number of recent examples can make it feel as though our shared sense of reality is shrinking.

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From Kilgore To The Capitol: Native Moms Who Sued School After Haircutting Support Bill Seeking To Protect Students’ Religious, Cultural Freedom

Published by Nikki Palmer on Mon, 02/27/2023 - 5:00am

The Native woman wearing feathers in her braided hair took a seat facing eight members of the Nebraska Legislature.

Alice Johnson stared down with the paper in her hands, the speech she’d practiced over and over until no amount of nerves could mask its message.

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‘Heartbeat’ Abortion Bill And Measure Blocking Gender-Altering Procedures Sent To Full Legislature

Published by Nikki Palmer on Mon, 02/27/2023 - 3:00am

Emotions have flared since the U.S. Supreme Court last year struck down the constitutional right to abortion. Omahans rallied in support of abortion rights at 90th and Dodge in the wake of the Supreme Court decision. (Josie Charron / The Daily Record)

LINCOLN — A legislative committee, after a few testy exchanges, advanced bills Wednesday evening to make abortion less accessible and ban minors from obtaining gender-altering procedures.

The votes were both 4-2, with one senator, Lynne Walz of Fremont, absent for the executive session.

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Tracy Hightower-Henne Launches Campaign To Represent District 13 In Nebraska Legislature

Published by Nikki Palmer on Fri, 02/24/2023 - 2:00am

Omaha, NE – Today, Tracy Hightower-Henne launched her campaign to represent District 13 in the Nebraska Legislature. An attorney and community activist, Hightower-Henne has been an advocate for equal access to justice and reproductive freedom.

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California And Nevada May Ban Forced Prison Labor, Servitude

Published by jason@omahadail... on Mon, 02/20/2023 - 1:14pm

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Lawmakers in Nevada and California are advancing legislation to remove "involuntary servitude" from their states' constitutions, a move that follows four states' bans on forced labor that passed in ballot measures last fall.

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Civic Nebraska Says State’s 2022 General Election Was ‘Safe’ And ‘Secure’

Published by jason@omahadail... on Mon, 02/20/2023 - 1:12pm

OMAHA — A voting rights group that monitors Nebraska’s elections identified a handful of issues during the state’s 2022 general election but deemed the election “safe and secure.”

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Is It Time For Teachers To Get A Raise?

Published by jason@omahadail... on Mon, 02/20/2023 - 1:09pm

In his 2023 State of the Union address, President Joe Biden called for public school teachers to get a raise but offered no specifics on how that could be done. Here, Michael Addonizio, an education policy expert at Wayne State University, provides insight on the current state of teacher salaries, whether a collective raise is in order and how one might be achieved.

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Nebraska 6-Week Abortion Ban On Doorstep Of Becoming Law, Tally Shows

Published by jason@omahadail... on Mon, 02/20/2023 - 1:04pm

Based on interviews, public comments, endorsements and previous votes, at least 31 Nebraska state senators are likely to support a proposal to ban abortions after cardiac activity is detected (roughly six weeks). It would need 33 votes to overcome a filibuster, clearing the way for its passage.
(Justin Wan / Lincoln Journal Star via AP Photo)

The Nebraska Legislature stands at the precipice of passing a six-week abortion ban.

Based on interviews and a tally by the Flatwater Free Press, the bill appears to need just two Republican votes to have enough support to become law.

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The Pandemic Missing: The Kids Who Didn’t Go Back To School

Published by Nikki Palmer on Mon, 02/13/2023 - 5:00am

She’d be a senior right now, preparing for graduation in a few months, probably leading her school’s modern dance troupe and taking art classes.

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Proposed Gender-Alteration Ban For Minors Draws Hundreds To Nebraska Capitol

Published by Nikki Palmer on Mon, 02/13/2023 - 3:00am

State Sen. Kathleen Kauth of Omaha introduces her bill to restrict gender-altering care to those older than 19. She appeared at a hearing on Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023, in Lincoln, Neb.
(Zach Wendling / Nebraska Examiner)

LINCOLN — Supporters and opponents testified for about seven hours Wednesday on State Sen. Kathleen Kauth’s proposal to ban gender-altering care for minors in Nebraska.