LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - A former Nebraska volleyball player and eight other women have sued the university, alleging it did not properly investigate complaints of sexual assault and harassment.

The complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Nebraska outlines an alleged pattern of unresponsiveness, sloppiness and indifference by university employees in charge of investigating allegations of sexual misconduct.

Seven of the women say they were victims of rape or sexual assault and two others say they were victims of sexual harassment and stalking, all between 2015-18. One woman also alleged racial discrimination.

The volleyball player said she had been groped at a party in 2018 and later transferred to another school because of emotional distress. Two other women also left Nebraska.

"UNL's investigation and response to each of the Plaintiffs' sex discrimination complaints was insufficient and did not comply with basic due process requirements," the complaint said. "UNL's response to each of the Plaintiffs constituted sex discrimination in a variety of ways."

The complaint alleged violations of Title IX, the federal civil rights law ensuring equal opportunities for women in education, and that university training for students on sexual misconduct policies and investigation and reporting procedures are inadequate.

The women are seeking punitive damages to be determined at trial.

"The health and safety of all of our students, is of the upmost importance to us," the university said in a statement. "We have a strong Title IX process and are confident in it. Every case is difficult and investigated based on the information made available. We cannot comment on the specifics of any Title IX investigation or on pending litigation."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/8/1566237962536.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - A former Nebraska volleyball player and eight other women have sued the university, alleging it did not properly investigate complaints of sexual assault and harassment.The complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Nebraska outlines an alleged pattern of unresponsiveness, sloppiness and indifference by university employees in charge of investigating allegations of sexual misconduct.Seven of the women say they were victims of rape or sexual assault and two others say they were victims of sexual harassment and stalking, all between 2015-18. One woman also alleged racial discrimination.The volleyball player said she had been groped at a party in 2018 and later transferred to another school because of emotional distress. Two other women also left Nebraska."UNL's investigation and response to each of the Plaintiffs' sex discrimination complaints was insufficient and did not comply with basic due process requirements," the complaint said. "UNL's response to each of the Plaintiffs constituted sex discrimination in a variety of ways."The complaint alleged violations of Title IX, the federal civil rights law ensuring equal opportunities for women in education, and that university training for students on sexual misconduct policies and investigation and reporting procedures are inadequate.The women are seeking punitive damages to be determined at trial."The health and safety of all of our students, is of the upmost importance to us," the university said in a statement. "We have a strong Title IX process and are confident in it. Every case is difficult and investigated based on the information made available. We cannot comment on the specifics of any Title IX investigation or on pending litigation."

Former athlete, others sue Nebraska over assault claims

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - A bill that would prohibit Nebraska health care providers from charging patients higher, out-of-network rates for emergency services won final approval Tuesday in the Legislature.

Senators voted 47-0 to pass the measure through the last of three required votes. It now goes to Gov. Pete Ricketts.

Sen. Adam Morfeld, of Lincoln, proposed the bill to try to protect consumers from unexpected out-of-network costs during a medical emergency. Morfeld has argued that unexpected medical bills are a leading cause of personal bankruptcies.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - A bill that would prohibit Nebraska health care providers from charging patients higher, out-of-network rates for emergency services won final approval Tuesday in the Legislature.Senators voted 47-0 to pass the measure through the last of three required votes. It now goes to Gov. Pete Ricketts.Sen. Adam Morfeld, of Lincoln, proposed the bill to try to protect consumers from unexpected out-of-network costs during a medical emergency. Morfeld has argued that unexpected medical bills are a leading cause of personal bankruptcies.

Nebraska emergency medical services bill wins final approval

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - College athletes in Nebraska may soon be able to sign endorsement deals with sneaker companies, car dealerships and other sponsors under a bill approved by lawmakers on Tuesday.

Lawmakers gave the measure final approval with a 37-6 vote. It now heads to Gov. Pete Ricketts.

The measure would apply to student-athletes at the University of Nebraska and its smaller state colleges.

It would cover athletes in all sports, although Nebraska's football, basketball and volleyball players are likely to have the most money-making opportunities. Student athletes wouldn't get salaries but couldn't be punished for signing with an outside sponsor.

Sen. Megan Hunt, of Omaha, has said she introduced the bill to give student athletes a way to support themselves. She has argued that the athletes are essentially giving free labor to NCAA programs that generate millions of dollars a year, potentially at risk to their own health.

California last year became the first state to let college athletes use their status to make money, following criticism that universities and athletic sponsors are getting rich off the backs of athletes and not sharing the wealth. Other states are considering similar measures, even though the NCAA has taken steps to address it on a national level.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1595344647411.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - College athletes in Nebraska may soon be able to sign endorsement deals with sneaker companies, car dealerships and other sponsors under a bill approved by lawmakers on Tuesday.Lawmakers gave the measure final approval with a 37-6 vote. It now heads to Gov. Pete Ricketts.The measure would apply to student-athletes at the University of Nebraska and its smaller state colleges.It would cover athletes in all sports, although Nebraska's football, basketball and volleyball players are likely to have the most money-making opportunities. Student athletes wouldn't get salaries but couldn't be punished for signing with an outside sponsor.Sen. Megan Hunt, of Omaha, has said she introduced the bill to give student athletes a way to support themselves. She has argued that the athletes are essentially giving free labor to NCAA programs that generate millions of dollars a year, potentially at risk to their own health.California last year became the first state to let college athletes use their status to make money, following criticism that universities and athletic sponsors are getting rich off the backs of athletes and not sharing the wealth. Other states are considering similar measures, even though the NCAA has taken steps to address it on a national level.

Nebraska lawmakers OK endorsement deals for college athletes

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska Democrats endorsed a new U.S. Senate candidate in hopes of pressuring their current nominee to drop out of the race after he sent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/db5b8e0b714d76827262eb0381574312">sexually offensive text messages</a>&nbsp;to a campaign staffer.

The party’s state central committee voted Sunday to back Alisha Shelton, an Omaha mental health therapist, if nominee Chris Janicek withdraws his name from consideration.

Janicek has refused to resign from the race, and state law bars the party from removing him as their nominee without his consent. If Janicek doesn’t withdraw by Sept. 1, his name will remain on the ballot as the party’s nominee in November.

“Voters deserve a candidate we can be proud of and Alisha Shelton is a leader who will fight for those who need health care and good-paying jobs,” said Jane Kleeb, the party’s chairwoman.

Party leaders condemned Janicek, an Omaha cupcake bakery owner, after he made offensive comments in a group text with campaign staffers.

At one point after winning the nomination, Janicek wrote that he had gotten into an argument with a female staffer and asked whether the campaign should spend money on “getting her laid.” He also made crude references to group sex. The woman who was the target of his remarks was accidentally included on the group text and filed a complaint with the party.

Kleeb said Janicek has “no shot” at beating incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse, who is seeking a second term, and she argued that Shelton would do a better job of uniting voters. Even before the scandal, Janicek wasn’t likely to win in Republican-dominated Nebraska.

Shelton was the third-place finisher in the May 12 Democratic primary. After news broke about Janicek’s text messages, many Democrats coalesced around Shelton, including Angie Philips, who finished second in the primary.

However, her loss in the primary prevents her from even running as a write-in candidate unless Janicek withdraws.

“I am ready to fight for all Nebraskans and take on Sen. Sasse this November,” Shelton said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1595333949707.png" alt="Chris Janicek" />
 <figcaption>Chris Janicek</figcaption>
 </figure>By GRANT SCHULTE-Associated PressLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska Democrats endorsed a new U.S. Senate candidate in hopes of pressuring their current nominee to drop out of the race after he sent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/db5b8e0b714d76827262eb0381574312">sexually offensive text messages</a>&nbsp;to a campaign staffer.The party’s state central committee voted Sunday to back Alisha Shelton, an Omaha mental health therapist, if nominee Chris Janicek withdraws his name from consideration.Janicek has refused to resign from the race, and state law bars the party from removing him as their nominee without his consent. If Janicek doesn’t withdraw by Sept. 1, his name will remain on the ballot as the party’s nominee in November.“Voters deserve a candidate we can be proud of and Alisha Shelton is a leader who will fight for those who need health care and good-paying jobs,” said Jane Kleeb, the party’s chairwoman.Party leaders condemned Janicek, an Omaha cupcake bakery owner, after he made offensive comments in a group text with campaign staffers.At one point after winning the nomination, Janicek wrote that he had gotten into an argument with a female staffer and asked whether the campaign should spend money on “getting her laid.” He also made crude references to group sex. The woman who was the target of his remarks was accidentally included on the group text and filed a complaint with the party.Kleeb said Janicek has “no shot” at beating incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse, who is seeking a second term, and she argued that Shelton would do a better job of uniting voters. Even before the scandal, Janicek wasn’t likely to win in Republican-dominated Nebraska.Shelton was the third-place finisher in the May 12 Democratic primary. After news broke about Janicek’s text messages, many Democrats coalesced around Shelton, including Angie Philips, who finished second in the primary.However, her loss in the primary prevents her from even running as a write-in candidate unless Janicek withdraws.“I am ready to fight for all Nebraskans and take on Sen. Sasse this November,” Shelton said.

Nebraska Democrats endorse replacement for Senate nominee

This week, State Senators return to Lincoln to finish the remaining days of the 2020 legislative session.&nbsp; As they get back to business, there are a handful of key issues that will command much of the Legislature’s attention in the limited time remaining.&nbsp; As I wrote about last week, Nebraska’s top priority for this session is property tax relief.&nbsp; The property tax issue along with a few others will dominate the waning days of the session, which are sure to move at a fast pace. &nbsp;Here’s a short overview of what’s to come.

Financial Picture: &nbsp;The Legislature’s return comes as Nebraska remains in a relatively strong financial position, setting up the opportunity to deliver property tax relief.&nbsp; For the fiscal year that just ended on June 30th, the State of Nebraska exceeded its certified revenue forecast by over $10 million despite the impact of coronavirus.&nbsp; This is especially impressive since a significant portion of state income tax dollars originally forecasted for April 2020 will now be reported in July 2020.&nbsp; That shift is due to the change in the state’s income tax filing deadline from April 15th&nbsp;to July 15th.&nbsp; Additionally, the Nebraska Forecasting Advisory Board will meet this week to set a new forecast, which will help inform the Legislature’s work in the remaining days of session.

Property Tax Relief:&nbsp;&nbsp;Property tax relief is the top priority for Nebraskans as the Legislature returns to work.&nbsp; Over the last five years, the State has made progress in delivering relief from high local property taxes for hardworking Nebraskans.&nbsp; In 2019, Senators and I delivered significant tax relief by increasing the property tax credit relief fund by over 20 percent.&nbsp; That fund has nearly doubled during my time as Governor, from $140 million to $275 million per year.&nbsp;&nbsp;This year, Senator Linehan’s LB 1106 would provide millions of dollars in new support for K-12 schools in an effort to control local property tax growth.&nbsp; This bill is the vehicle for property tax relief this session.&nbsp; I will be working closely with Senators in the coming weeks to deliver this important relief for hardworking Nebraska families.

Business Tax Incentives:&nbsp;&nbsp;Passing a property tax bill is critical to the hopes of continuing Nebraska’s business tax incentives.&nbsp; Currently, Nebraska’s tax incentives are scheduled to expire at the end of 2020.&nbsp; Many Senators and I agree that we must deliver property tax relief before corporate tax incentives.&nbsp; Senator Mark Kolterman has introduced a bill (LB 720) to refine and extend the state’s tax incentive program.&nbsp; Unlike other state incentive programs, Nebraska’s tax incentives are performance-based.&nbsp; Tax benefits aren’t given in the hopes of future investment.&nbsp; They’re only earned by businesses that have already created verifiable jobs in our state.&nbsp; This feature ensures that incentives reward actual job creation in Nebraska.&nbsp; The incentives have helped attract major investments in the Cornhusker State.&nbsp; The incentives are part of the reason why Nebraska has ranked among the top three states in the nation for most new economic development projects per capita for five consecutive years.&nbsp;

UNMC NExT Project: &nbsp;The success of another major proposal is awaiting progress on property tax relief.&nbsp; Senator Kolterman also introduced LB 1084, which would support Nebraska’s bid for a major investment at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC).&nbsp; The proposed investment at UNMC would support an academic medical facility to help the United States address future pandemics and other public health events.&nbsp; Additionally, the project has the potential to create 8,700 great-paying jobs. &nbsp;

Veterans Tax Relief:&nbsp;&nbsp;Tax relief for veterans is a key part of our plan to make Nebraska the most veteran-friendly state in the nation.&nbsp; At my request, Senator John Lowe prioritized LB 153 earlier this year to provide tax relief for veterans.&nbsp; The bill would exempt 50 percent of military retirement benefit income from state income taxation. &nbsp; LB 153 keeps us competitive with other Midwestern states, most of which do not tax military retirement benefits at all. &nbsp;

Ban Dismemberment Abortions:&nbsp;&nbsp;Nebraska is a pro-life state, and it’s important that our laws reflect our values.&nbsp; Senator Suzanne Geist has introduced LB 814, a bill that further strengthens Nebraska’s pro-life policies.&nbsp; LB 814 would put an end to the brutal practice of dismemberment abortion in Nebraska.&nbsp; This type of abortion usually takes place between 13 and 24 weeks of pregnancy.&nbsp; The barbaric procedure literally rips apart a preborn child, piece-by-piece, to destroy the life of the baby.&nbsp; This summer, Senators can put a stop to this ruthless way of performing an abortion by passing this important bill.

From property tax relief to pro-life policy, Legislators have a full agenda in the coming days. &nbsp;The best way to share your perspective about these bills and others is to reach out to them directly.&nbsp; You can find contact information for your State Senator at&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nebraskalegislature.gov%2F&amp;data=02%7C01%7C%7Cb0cc899c4eeb4ad892ad08d82cf950b2%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637308796603157755&amp;sdata=8wirsSTcaojDd%2FOhBkzS5aqSahw9es4IuUHMKHvdxQY%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">www.NebraskaLegislature.gov</a>.&nbsp; If you would like more information on any of the bills I have written about here, please email&nbsp;<a href="mailto:pete.ricketts@nebraska.gov" target="_blank">pete.ricketts@nebraska.gov</a>&nbsp;or call 402-471-2244.&nbsp; We look forward to hearing from you!

Governor's Weekly ColumnBy Governor Pete RickettsThis week, State Senators return to Lincoln to finish the remaining days of the 2020 legislative session.&nbsp; As they get back to business, there are a handful of key issues that will command much of the Legislature’s attention in the limited time remaining.&nbsp; As I wrote about last week, Nebraska’s top priority for this session is property tax relief.&nbsp; The property tax issue along with a few others will dominate the waning days of the session, which are sure to move at a fast pace. &nbsp;Here’s a short overview of what’s to come.Financial Picture: &nbsp;The Legislature’s return comes as Nebraska remains in a relatively strong financial position, setting up the opportunity to deliver property tax relief.&nbsp; For the fiscal year that just ended on June 30th, the State of Nebraska exceeded its certified revenue forecast by over $10 million despite the impact of coronavirus.&nbsp; This is especially impressive since a significant portion of state income tax dollars originally forecasted for April 2020 will now be reported in July 2020.&nbsp; That shift is due to the change in the state’s income tax filing deadline from April 15th&nbsp;to July 15th.&nbsp; Additionally, the Nebraska Forecasting Advisory Board will meet this week to set a new forecast, which will help inform the Legislature’s work in the remaining days of session.Property Tax Relief:&nbsp;&nbsp;Property tax relief is the top priority for Nebraskans as the Legislature returns to work.&nbsp; Over the last five years, the State has made progress in delivering relief from high local property taxes for hardworking Nebraskans.&nbsp; In 2019, Senators and I delivered significant tax relief by increasing the property tax credit relief fund by over 20 percent.&nbsp; That fund has nearly doubled during my time as Governor, from $140 million to $275 million per year.&nbsp;&nbsp;This year, Senator Linehan’s LB 1106 would provide millions of dollars in new support for K-12 schools in an effort to control local property tax growth.&nbsp; This bill is the vehicle for property tax relief this session.&nbsp; I will be working closely with Senators in the coming weeks to deliver this important relief for hardworking Nebraska families.Business Tax Incentives:&nbsp;&nbsp;Passing a property tax bill is critical to the hopes of continuing Nebraska’s business tax incentives.&nbsp; Currently, Nebraska’s tax incentives are scheduled to expire at the end of 2020.&nbsp; Many Senators and I agree that we must deliver property tax relief before corporate tax incentives.&nbsp; Senator Mark Kolterman has introduced a bill (LB 720) to refine and extend the state’s tax incentive program.&nbsp; Unlike other state incentive programs, Nebraska’s tax incentives are performance-based.&nbsp; Tax benefits aren’t given in the hopes of future investment.&nbsp; They’re only earned by businesses that have already created verifiable jobs in our state.&nbsp; This feature ensures that incentives reward actual job creation in Nebraska.&nbsp; The incentives have helped attract major investments in the Cornhusker State.&nbsp; The incentives are part of the reason why Nebraska has ranked among the top three states in the nation for most new economic development projects per capita for five consecutive years.&nbsp;UNMC NExT Project: &nbsp;The success of another major proposal is awaiting progress on property tax relief.&nbsp; Senator Kolterman also introduced LB 1084, which would support Nebraska’s bid for a major investment at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC).&nbsp; The proposed investment at UNMC would support an academic medical facility to help the United States address future pandemics and other public health events.&nbsp; Additionally, the project has the potential to create 8,700 great-paying jobs. &nbsp;Veterans Tax Relief:&nbsp;&nbsp;Tax relief for veterans is a key part of our plan to make Nebraska the most veteran-friendly state in the nation.&nbsp; At my request, Senator John Lowe prioritized LB 153 earlier this year to provide tax relief for veterans.&nbsp; The bill would exempt 50 percent of military retirement benefit income from state income taxation. &nbsp; LB 153 keeps us competitive with other Midwestern states, most of which do not tax military retirement benefits at all. &nbsp;Ban Dismemberment Abortions:&nbsp;&nbsp;Nebraska is a pro-life state, and it’s important that our laws reflect our values.&nbsp; Senator Suzanne Geist has introduced LB 814, a bill that further strengthens Nebraska’s pro-life policies.&nbsp; LB 814 would put an end to the brutal practice of dismemberment abortion in Nebraska.&nbsp; This type of abortion usually takes place between 13 and 24 weeks of pregnancy.&nbsp; The barbaric procedure literally rips apart a preborn child, piece-by-piece, to destroy the life of the baby.&nbsp; This summer, Senators can put a stop to this ruthless way of performing an abortion by passing this important bill.From property tax relief to pro-life policy, Legislators have a full agenda in the coming days. &nbsp;The best way to share your perspective about these bills and others is to reach out to them directly.&nbsp; You can find contact information for your State Senator at&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nebraskalegislature.gov%2F&amp;data=02%7C01%7C%7Cb0cc899c4eeb4ad892ad08d82cf950b2%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637308796603157755&amp;sdata=8wirsSTcaojDd%2FOhBkzS5aqSahw9es4IuUHMKHvdxQY%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">www.NebraskaLegislature.gov</a>.&nbsp; If you would like more information on any of the bills I have written about here, please email&nbsp;<a href="mailto:pete.ricketts@nebraska.gov" target="_blank">pete.ricketts@nebraska.gov</a>&nbsp;or call 402-471-2244.&nbsp; We look forward to hearing from you!

Gov. Ricketts: Back to Business

It’s ok to be influenced by past experiences as long as you don’t let them define who you are.

The Sutherland woman has been selected as this year’s student commencement speaker at North Platte Community College. When she walks across the stage to accept her degrees – one an Associate of Arts, the other an Associate of Science – she will be accomplishing something huge.

“Not only will I be receiving two degrees, but I will be doing so as the first person in my immediate family to go to college,” Kreber said. “It’s super exciting.”

It’s also the first step on the path to a bright future - one she wasn’t always so optimistic about.

“My mom passed away when I was really young, and my dad remarried,” Kreber said. “I grew up with a tough home life - domestic abuse, drugs, alcohol, you name it. It’s part of who I am, and I’m not ashamed of that.”

The circumstances, along with her Christian faith, did play a part in who she wants to become.

“I have really big goals,” Kreber said. “Growing up, I had to choose between two different paths - the one my family members were on, or the high road. I chose the high road, because I don’t want to live the other lifestyle. At times, that was a very challenging decision to make. It has also been empowering to finally reach the point that I’m at now.”

Kreber graduated from Sutherland High School in 2018 then enrolled at NPCC – about 20 miles down the road.

“I decided I couldn’t go very far away because I still had two younger siblings at home, and I wanted to be close to them,” Kreber said. “The biggest reason I chose NPCC, was because I wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted to do after I graduated, and I thought going to a community college would be a less expensive option for getting my generals out of the way. After I got offered a scholarship to play volleyball at NPCC, it was a no-brainer.”

Volleyball had been a tremendous outlet for Kreber while she was in high school, so she was thrilled to be able to continue playing at the college level.

She soon found herself falling in love with everything about NPCC – from its small class sizes to its family-like atmosphere.

“Everything happens for a reason,” Kreber said. “NPCC was just what I needed, when I needed it. Coming from a small school, I think I would have struggled my first two years if I would have gone to a larger four-year college or university. NPCC prepared me for that transition.”

Not only did Kreber find a strong support system in her volleyball teammates and coaches, but the instructors were consistently there for her as well.

“The instructors have been a big part of why my experience was so great at NPCC,” Kreber said. “I’ve become close with so many of them that it’s going to be hard to say goodbye. The instructors really are what makes the college so unique and a first-choice school.”

Kreber will transfer to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the fall. The next time she starts classes, it will be with a clear direction.

“I kind of found myself at NPCC,” Kreber said. “I tell everyone that I want to be Dr. Phil.”

She plans to earn a bachelor’s degree in child and family studies with a minor in psychology at UNL. After that, her goal is to immediately enter grad school to pursue a master’s degree in community counseling.

“I would love to eventually open up my own clinic and do some family and marriage counseling,” Kreber said. “I’ve decided that my passion is helping people. I had a great support network in the Sutherland community members. They are the ones who raised me and made me who I am. I want to be that for somebody someday.”

Kreber will share more of her story during NPCC’s commencement program July 31. The ceremony will begin at 3 p.m. in the McDonald-Belton Gymnasium on NPCC’s South Campus, 601 W. State Farm Rd.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1595281046265.png" alt="Haiden Kreber" />
 <figcaption>Haiden Kreber</figcaption>
 </figure>By Heather Johnson-MPCCIt’s ok to be influenced by past experiences as long as you don’t let them define who you are.That’s Haiden Kreber’s philosophy.The Sutherland woman has been selected as this year’s student commencement speaker at North Platte Community College. When she walks across the stage to accept her degrees – one an Associate of Arts, the other an Associate of Science – she will be accomplishing something huge.“Not only will I be receiving two degrees, but I will be doing so as the first person in my immediate family to go to college,” Kreber said. “It’s super exciting.”It’s also the first step on the path to a bright future - one she wasn’t always so optimistic about.“My mom passed away when I was really young, and my dad remarried,” Kreber said. “I grew up with a tough home life - domestic abuse, drugs, alcohol, you name it. It’s part of who I am, and I’m not ashamed of that.”The circumstances, along with her Christian faith, did play a part in who she wants to become.“I have really big goals,” Kreber said. “Growing up, I had to choose between two different paths - the one my family members were on, or the high road. I chose the high road, because I don’t want to live the other lifestyle. At times, that was a very challenging decision to make. It has also been empowering to finally reach the point that I’m at now.”Kreber graduated from Sutherland High School in 2018 then enrolled at NPCC – about 20 miles down the road.“I decided I couldn’t go very far away because I still had two younger siblings at home, and I wanted to be close to them,” Kreber said. “The biggest reason I chose NPCC, was because I wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted to do after I graduated, and I thought going to a community college would be a less expensive option for getting my generals out of the way. After I got offered a scholarship to play volleyball at NPCC, it was a no-brainer.”Volleyball had been a tremendous outlet for Kreber while she was in high school, so she was thrilled to be able to continue playing at the college level.She soon found herself falling in love with everything about NPCC – from its small class sizes to its family-like atmosphere.“Everything happens for a reason,” Kreber said. “NPCC was just what I needed, when I needed it. Coming from a small school, I think I would have struggled my first two years if I would have gone to a larger four-year college or university. NPCC prepared me for that transition.”Not only did Kreber find a strong support system in her volleyball teammates and coaches, but the instructors were consistently there for her as well.“The instructors have been a big part of why my experience was so great at NPCC,” Kreber said. “I’ve become close with so many of them that it’s going to be hard to say goodbye. The instructors really are what makes the college so unique and a first-choice school.”Kreber will transfer to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the fall. The next time she starts classes, it will be with a clear direction.“I kind of found myself at NPCC,” Kreber said. “I tell everyone that I want to be Dr. Phil.”She plans to earn a bachelor’s degree in child and family studies with a minor in psychology at UNL. After that, her goal is to immediately enter grad school to pursue a master’s degree in community counseling.“I would love to eventually open up my own clinic and do some family and marriage counseling,” Kreber said. “I’ve decided that my passion is helping people. I had a great support network in the Sutherland community members. They are the ones who raised me and made me who I am. I want to be that for somebody someday.”Kreber will share more of her story during NPCC’s commencement program July 31. The ceremony will begin at 3 p.m. in the McDonald-Belton Gymnasium on NPCC’s South Campus, 601 W. State Farm Rd.

Sutherland woman rises above to become NPCC commencement speaker

LINCOLN, Neb. – Medicine Creek Reservoir’s Trail 4 boat ramp has been closed temporarily due to receding water from irrigation releases.

The ramp should be back in service in September or October, depending on inflows back into the Frontier County reservoir after releases are shut down.

“The closing of this ramp is typical for this time of year with irrigation releases from the reservoir,” said Aric Riggins, southwest regional park superintendent for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. “It happens most every year and usually in July or August.”

Riggins said there are boat ramps available on Trail 1 and Trail 3 on the west side of Medicine Creek. Both will remain open during the drawdowns.

“The closed Trail 4 ramp does not have the length of concrete surface required to keep in service with drawdowns due to the quick drop in lake elevation at the existing end of the ramp,” Riggins said. “Using the ramp at this time could result in dropping the boat trailer off the end of the ramp during launch or load, and damage to that trailer would be possible.”

Similar irrigation releases are occurring at Swanson and Red Willow reservoirs, in Hitchcock and Frontier counties, respectively. The releases should not affect the use of all three ramps at Red Willow. At Swanson, two of the four boat ramps – Macklin Bay and Spring Canyon South – are closed during the releases. They likely will not be in use again until late spring/summer of next year.

A park entry permit is required of each vehicle entering the state recreation areas at Medicine Creek, Swanson and Red Willow.

To view an interactive map of boat ramps on waters across Nebraska, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA3MjAuMjQ2MzkzMjEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL21hcHMub3V0ZG9vcm5lYnJhc2thLmdvdi9Cb2F0aW5nLyJ9.Nna7b7GHi48Jv2e67GE2g6gmUrjoUTmWSvYC8pir2VY/s/497221905/br/81268218030-l" target="_blank">Maps.OutdoorNebraska.gov/Boating</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1595278884927.png" alt="Photo: <a href="http://outdoornebraska.gov/medicinecreek/">www.outdoornebraska.gov</a>" />
 <figcaption>Photo: <a href="http://outdoornebraska.gov/medicinecreek/">www.outdoornebraska.gov</a></figcaption>
 </figure>LINCOLN, Neb. – Medicine Creek Reservoir’s Trail 4 boat ramp has been closed temporarily due to receding water from irrigation releases.The ramp should be back in service in September or October, depending on inflows back into the Frontier County reservoir after releases are shut down.“The closing of this ramp is typical for this time of year with irrigation releases from the reservoir,” said Aric Riggins, southwest regional park superintendent for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. “It happens most every year and usually in July or August.”Riggins said there are boat ramps available on Trail 1 and Trail 3 on the west side of Medicine Creek. Both will remain open during the drawdowns.“The closed Trail 4 ramp does not have the length of concrete surface required to keep in service with drawdowns due to the quick drop in lake elevation at the existing end of the ramp,” Riggins said. “Using the ramp at this time could result in dropping the boat trailer off the end of the ramp during launch or load, and damage to that trailer would be possible.”Similar irrigation releases are occurring at Swanson and Red Willow reservoirs, in Hitchcock and Frontier counties, respectively. The releases should not affect the use of all three ramps at Red Willow. At Swanson, two of the four boat ramps – Macklin Bay and Spring Canyon South – are closed during the releases. They likely will not be in use again until late spring/summer of next year.A park entry permit is required of each vehicle entering the state recreation areas at Medicine Creek, Swanson and Red Willow.To view an interactive map of boat ramps on waters across Nebraska, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA3MjAuMjQ2MzkzMjEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL21hcHMub3V0ZG9vcm5lYnJhc2thLmdvdi9Cb2F0aW5nLyJ9.Nna7b7GHi48Jv2e67GE2g6gmUrjoUTmWSvYC8pir2VY/s/497221905/br/81268218030-l" target="_blank">Maps.OutdoorNebraska.gov/Boating</a>.

Medicine Creek’s Trail 4 boat ramp closed during irrigation releases

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1595278472195.png" alt="This information provided by the North Platte Police Department" />
 <figcaption>This information provided by the North Platte Police Department</figcaption>
 </figure>

North Platte Police Call Log (July 17-20, 2020)

LINCOLN, Neb. –&nbsp;Nebraska has climbed from #12 to #9 in the Annie E. Casey Foundation's 2020 state rankings of child well-being.&nbsp;According to the foundation's 2020 Kids Count Profile, Nebraska is the fourth-best state for children's economic well-being.&nbsp;Nebraska also ranked in the top third for each of the other categories measured: education, health, and family and community.

The foundation annually measures child well-being nationwide by studying educational, economic, social, and health outcomes. This report based on the latest available data from 16 key indicators from average birth weight to the proficiency of eighth-graders in math.

Nebraska's rankings in all 16 key indicators can be found&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aecf.org/m/databook/2020KC_profile_NE.pdf" target="_blank">here.&nbsp;</a>

To create the 2020 Kids Count Profile, the Annie E. Casey Foundation partnered with a local non-profit, Voices for Children in Nebraska, which uses data and research to help policymakers and communities make informed decisions on issues impacting children in Nebraska.

The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is committed to helping people live better lives, and part of that mission includes maintaining and improving the child welfare system in Nebraska. With the outbreak of COVID-19 in the State, the Division of Children and Family Services (CFS) continues to work tirelessly to ensure child welfare providers, partners, and families continue to receive updated guidance necessary to continue supporting children in Nebraska.

Child care providers can apply for funds to help offset the costs of staying open during the pandemic while providers who closed due to the pandemic can apply for incentive to reopen funds to help reopen their child care center. CFS is also awarding maximum allotments to SNAP recipients to help offset economic hardship caused by the pandemic.

CFS Director Stephanie Beasley believes Nebraska can climb even higher in the rankings. “I am very happy with the growth shown from efforts in the recent years. Nebraska's commitment to the wellbeing of children and families is reflected in the rankings. Many partners across Nebraska ensure families continue to get the supports they need and we will continue in these efforts," she said.

Child welfare providers and families are encouraged to visit&nbsp;<a href="http://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Coronavirus.aspx">covid.ne.gov</a>&nbsp;to receive guidance on how to stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

News Release DHHSLINCOLN, Neb. –&nbsp;Nebraska has climbed from #12 to #9 in the Annie E. Casey Foundation's 2020 state rankings of child well-being.&nbsp;According to the foundation's 2020 Kids Count Profile, Nebraska is the fourth-best state for children's economic well-being.&nbsp;Nebraska also ranked in the top third for each of the other categories measured: education, health, and family and community.The foundation annually measures child well-being nationwide by studying educational, economic, social, and health outcomes. This report based on the latest available data from 16 key indicators from average birth weight to the proficiency of eighth-graders in math.Nebraska's rankings in all 16 key indicators can be found&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aecf.org/m/databook/2020KC_profile_NE.pdf" target="_blank">here.&nbsp;</a>To create the 2020 Kids Count Profile, the Annie E. Casey Foundation partnered with a local non-profit, Voices for Children in Nebraska, which uses data and research to help policymakers and communities make informed decisions on issues impacting children in Nebraska.The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is committed to helping people live better lives, and part of that mission includes maintaining and improving the child welfare system in Nebraska. With the outbreak of COVID-19 in the State, the Division of Children and Family Services (CFS) continues to work tirelessly to ensure child welfare providers, partners, and families continue to receive updated guidance necessary to continue supporting children in Nebraska.Child care providers can apply for funds to help offset the costs of staying open during the pandemic while providers who closed due to the pandemic can apply for incentive to reopen funds to help reopen their child care center. CFS is also awarding maximum allotments to SNAP recipients to help offset economic hardship caused by the pandemic.CFS Director Stephanie Beasley believes Nebraska can climb even higher in the rankings. “I am very happy with the growth shown from efforts in the recent years. Nebraska's commitment to the wellbeing of children and families is reflected in the rankings. Many partners across Nebraska ensure families continue to get the supports they need and we will continue in these efforts," she said.Child welfare providers and families are encouraged to visit&nbsp;<a href="http://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Coronavirus.aspx">covid.ne.gov</a>&nbsp;to receive guidance on how to stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nebraska ranks in top 10 for child well-being

Weather permitting, a cold milling project will begin July 28 on US-6, according to the Nebraska Department of Transportation. Cold milling is a process of removing deteriorated asphalt in preparation of placing a chip seal to improve the roadway surface and drivability.

State maintenance forces will be performing the cold milling and chip seal from Reference Post 24.17 to Reference Post 34.38, from Imperial to Enders. 

The cold milling work is anticipated to take 6 days. The chip seal will be performed in late August. One-lane traffic will be maintained with the use of a pilot car and flaggers.

Motorists are reminded to drive cautiously in and near work zones, to buckle up, and put phones down. 

Weather permitting, a cold milling project will begin July 28 on US-6, according to the Nebraska Department of Transportation. Cold milling is a process of removing deteriorated asphalt in preparation of placing a chip seal to improve the roadway surface and drivability.State maintenance forces will be performing the cold milling and chip seal from Reference Post 24.17 to Reference Post 34.38, from Imperial to Enders. The cold milling work is anticipated to take 6 days. The chip seal will be performed in late August. One-lane traffic will be maintained with the use of a pilot car and flaggers.Motorists are reminded to drive cautiously in and near work zones, to buckle up, and put phones down.

Work to begin on US Highway 6 near Imperial

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Nebraska lawmakers returned to their session Monday with lingering concerns about the coronavirus and extra safety precautions that will likely remain in place until they adjourn for the year.

The 60-day session resumed with plexiglass barriers separating lawmakers in the legislative chamber, mandatory temperature checks to enter and tougher restrictions on who can access the room.

Lawmakers took the highly unusual step of suspending their session on March 25 to try to keep the virus from spreading after they passed an emergency coronavirus funding bill to cover the state's pandemic response. They took no other action for nearly four months but still have 17 scheduled work days remaining this year.

"A lot has changed and we still have a lot to do," said Speaker of the Legislature Jim Scheer.

Scheer extended his sympathies to state Sen. Tony Vargas, of Omaha, whose father died from the COVID-19 virus in April.

Another lawmaker, state Sen. Mike Moser, of Columbus, was hospitalized and put on a ventilator after contracting the virus, but has since recovered. Moser, a conservative Republican in the ostensibly nonpartisan Legislature, urged his colleagues to don a mask to protect one another. At several points Monday, roughly one-third of the Legislature wasn't wearing a face covering.

"I'd encourage you to set aside your apprehensions and reluctance to go along with the crowd," Moser said in a floor speech to his colleagues. "This is one of those times when I think we should pay attention to science and not take those chances."

Lawmakers will get a better sense of the state's financial outlook on Thursday, when the Nebraska Economic Forecasting Advisory Board meets to update its state revenue projections. Some senators have expressed optimism that Nebraska's economy has fared better than other states, given that its unemployment rate is still among the lowest nationwide.

Property taxes and the incentives bill are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/7ca0e89622596e207f8040ac2eefdfa1" target="_blank">arguably the most high-profile issues</a>&nbsp;senators will confront, along with the potential impact of the coronavirus on the state. Lawmakers are also expected to consider legislation to further clamp down on abortion rights and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/a59494aa551cc64f5456fdd4e69ad6a0" target="_blank">impose anti-bias training requirements</a>&nbsp;for police. The training bill was on their radar before several high-profile police killings of Black citizens, but it's likely to gain new significance in the wake of Black Lives Matter protests.

This session could also be the last for Sen. Ernie Chambers, the state's longest-serving and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/6dec5663aa7b4a0a9d332897d366aff7" target="_blank">best-known lawmaker</a>, who will have to leave the Legislature for at least four years before he can run again. Chambers is famous for his ability to single-handedly filibuster bills, often bringing the Legislature to a standstill.

Chambers was forced out of office for four years in 2009 due to newly enacted term limits, but returned to his old seat in January 2013. He served two more terms and will be forced out of office again in January 2021.

State law restricts lawmakers to two consecutive four-year terms, but allows them to return after sitting out for one term. Chambers, now 83, hasn't said whether he'll run again.

"You, believe it or not, are going to miss me when I'm gone," Chambers said in a floor speech.

Lawmakers are scheduled to adjourn for the year on Aug. 13.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1595275453389.png" alt="Photo:&nbsp;<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:Capitolist&amp;action=edit&amp;redlink=1">Capitolist</a>&nbsp;(Wikimedia Creative Commons)" />
 <figcaption>Photo:&nbsp;<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:Capitolist&amp;action=edit&amp;redlink=1">Capitolist</a>&nbsp;(Wikimedia Creative Commons)</figcaption>
 </figure>By GRANT SCHULTE-Associated Press LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Nebraska lawmakers returned to their session Monday with lingering concerns about the coronavirus and extra safety precautions that will likely remain in place until they adjourn for the year.The 60-day session resumed with plexiglass barriers separating lawmakers in the legislative chamber, mandatory temperature checks to enter and tougher restrictions on who can access the room.Lawmakers took the highly unusual step of suspending their session on March 25 to try to keep the virus from spreading after they passed an emergency coronavirus funding bill to cover the state's pandemic response. They took no other action for nearly four months but still have 17 scheduled work days remaining this year."A lot has changed and we still have a lot to do," said Speaker of the Legislature Jim Scheer.Scheer extended his sympathies to state Sen. Tony Vargas, of Omaha, whose father died from the COVID-19 virus in April.Another lawmaker, state Sen. Mike Moser, of Columbus, was hospitalized and put on a ventilator after contracting the virus, but has since recovered. Moser, a conservative Republican in the ostensibly nonpartisan Legislature, urged his colleagues to don a mask to protect one another. At several points Monday, roughly one-third of the Legislature wasn't wearing a face covering."I'd encourage you to set aside your apprehensions and reluctance to go along with the crowd," Moser said in a floor speech to his colleagues. "This is one of those times when I think we should pay attention to science and not take those chances."Lawmakers will get a better sense of the state's financial outlook on Thursday, when the Nebraska Economic Forecasting Advisory Board meets to update its state revenue projections. Some senators have expressed optimism that Nebraska's economy has fared better than other states, given that its unemployment rate is still among the lowest nationwide.Property taxes and the incentives bill are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/7ca0e89622596e207f8040ac2eefdfa1" target="_blank">arguably the most high-profile issues</a>&nbsp;senators will confront, along with the potential impact of the coronavirus on the state. Lawmakers are also expected to consider legislation to further clamp down on abortion rights and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/a59494aa551cc64f5456fdd4e69ad6a0" target="_blank">impose anti-bias training requirements</a>&nbsp;for police. The training bill was on their radar before several high-profile police killings of Black citizens, but it's likely to gain new significance in the wake of Black Lives Matter protests.This session could also be the last for Sen. Ernie Chambers, the state's longest-serving and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/6dec5663aa7b4a0a9d332897d366aff7" target="_blank">best-known lawmaker</a>, who will have to leave the Legislature for at least four years before he can run again. Chambers is famous for his ability to single-handedly filibuster bills, often bringing the Legislature to a standstill.Chambers was forced out of office for four years in 2009 due to newly enacted term limits, but returned to his old seat in January 2013. He served two more terms and will be forced out of office again in January 2021.State law restricts lawmakers to two consecutive four-year terms, but allows them to return after sitting out for one term. Chambers, now 83, hasn't said whether he'll run again."You, believe it or not, are going to miss me when I'm gone," Chambers said in a floor speech.Lawmakers are scheduled to adjourn for the year on Aug. 13.

Nebraska lawmakers resume session with virus in mind

LINCOLN, Neb.-Nebraska State Troopers have completed Operation Safe Driver Week, resulting in dozens of citations for excessive speeding and more than 20 arrests for impaired driving.

Operation Safe Driver Week is an annual campaign, coordinated by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA). Law enforcement agencies throughout North America participate in the annual operation to raise awareness and focus enforcement efforts on issues related to commercial motor vehicles and traffic around those vehicles. This year, the CVSA identified excessive speeding as an issue of concern throughout the United States.

During the campaign, which ran from Sunday, July 12, through Saturday, July 18, troopers participated in a Trooper in a Truck event and performed high-visibility patrols throughout the state. Last week, troopers issued 34 speeding citations for drivers clocked at 100 miles per hour or more.

In total, troopers issued 624 citations for speeding. Troopers also arrested 21 people for driving under the influence of alcohol and performed 295 motorist assists throughout the week.

“The dramatic reduction in traffic due to COVID-19 response has led to fewer fatalities than recent years on Nebraska roads,” said Colonel John Bolduc, Superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol. “But as traffic volume increases, motorists needs to practice safe driving to keep the trend moving in the right direction and keep Nebraska roads safe.”

The Nebraska State Patrol also partnered with the state law enforcement agencies of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Arkansas this weekend to raise awareness of the dangers of excessive speeding. In the four months since Nebraska’s first directed health measures were issued, troopers have cited 425 drivers for speeding at or above 100 miles per hour. That figure is 200 above the average of 225 similar citations issued during the same time frame from 2015-2019.

LINCOLN, Neb.-Nebraska State Troopers have completed Operation Safe Driver Week, resulting in dozens of citations for excessive speeding and more than 20 arrests for impaired driving.Operation Safe Driver Week is an annual campaign, coordinated by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA). Law enforcement agencies throughout North America participate in the annual operation to raise awareness and focus enforcement efforts on issues related to commercial motor vehicles and traffic around those vehicles. This year, the CVSA identified excessive speeding as an issue of concern throughout the United States.During the campaign, which ran from Sunday, July 12, through Saturday, July 18, troopers participated in a Trooper in a Truck event and performed high-visibility patrols throughout the state. Last week, troopers issued 34 speeding citations for drivers clocked at 100 miles per hour or more.In total, troopers issued 624 citations for speeding. Troopers also arrested 21 people for driving under the influence of alcohol and performed 295 motorist assists throughout the week.“The dramatic reduction in traffic due to COVID-19 response has led to fewer fatalities than recent years on Nebraska roads,” said Colonel John Bolduc, Superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol. “But as traffic volume increases, motorists needs to practice safe driving to keep the trend moving in the right direction and keep Nebraska roads safe.”The Nebraska State Patrol also partnered with the state law enforcement agencies of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Arkansas this weekend to raise awareness of the dangers of excessive speeding. In the four months since Nebraska’s first directed health measures were issued, troopers have cited 425 drivers for speeding at or above 100 miles per hour. That figure is 200 above the average of 225 similar citations issued during the same time frame from 2015-2019.

Troopers wrap-up 'Operation Safe Driver Week'

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Numbers gathered by Nebraska health officials show another day of more than 100 cases of coronavirus confirmed in the state.

Nebraska's&nbsp;<a href="https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/ece0db09da4d4ca68252c3967aa1e9dd" target="_blank">online coronavirus tracker&nbsp;</a>shows 102 cases were confirmed Sunday, bringing the state's total to 22,583 since the outbreak began. The state's total number of deaths remained unchanged at 301.

Nebraska's relatively steady numbers of the virus have run counter to other states across the nation that have seen surges in cases and deaths in recent weeks. Data collected by John Hopkins University shows more than 3.7 million confirmed cases in the U.S. and more than 140,000 deaths in the country from COVID-19.

The Nebraska numbers also show space available for new patients in Nebraska hospitals remained relatively stable. According to the tracker, Nebraska hospitals had 38% of the state's hospital beds available Monday, 42% of the intensive care beds available and 78% of the ventilators still available.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Numbers gathered by Nebraska health officials show another day of more than 100 cases of coronavirus confirmed in the state.Nebraska's&nbsp;<a href="https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/ece0db09da4d4ca68252c3967aa1e9dd" target="_blank">online coronavirus tracker&nbsp;</a>shows 102 cases were confirmed Sunday, bringing the state's total to 22,583 since the outbreak began. The state's total number of deaths remained unchanged at 301.Nebraska's relatively steady numbers of the virus have run counter to other states across the nation that have seen surges in cases and deaths in recent weeks. Data collected by John Hopkins University shows more than 3.7 million confirmed cases in the U.S. and more than 140,000 deaths in the country from COVID-19.The Nebraska numbers also show space available for new patients in Nebraska hospitals remained relatively stable. According to the tracker, Nebraska hospitals had 38% of the state's hospital beds available Monday, 42% of the intensive care beds available and 78% of the ventilators still available.

Nebraska sees another day of 100-plus coronavirus cases

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Nebraska residents who qualify for expanded Medicaid under the federal health care law can start enrolling next month, Gov. Pete Ricketts said Monday as he defended the state's nearly two-year time frame to offer coverage after voters approved it.

Ricketts said Nebraska will open enrollment on Aug. 1, and coverage will begin as scheduled on Oct. 1.

The roll-out begins nearly two years after Nebraska voters approved a measure to expand Medicaid coverage in the November 2018 election over the objections of Ricketts and conservative groups. Nebraska lawmakers and governors repeatedly rejected attempts to expand coverage, prompting a statewide ballot campaign that won with 54% support, mostly from the Omaha and Lincoln areas.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/ad6a5d4d307d4459849be1b2166dc5e6" target="_blank">unusually slow implementation</a>&nbsp;has drawn criticism and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/4de131e510c346cba29d3c1876eeba8e" target="_blank">lawsuits</a>&nbsp;from supporters of Medicaid expansion, which will cover an estimated 90,000 low-income adults in Nebraska. Supporters argue that the nearly two-year wait since the election left many residents in limbo as they waited for coverage. They also say Nebraska lost out on federal matching dollars that the state would have received with an earlier implementation.

Ricketts defended the implementation period at a news conference to announce the enrollment date, saying he wanted to avoid the fate of states including California, which enrolled more than 366,000 people who weren't eligible.

State officials took their time to ensure "that we're putting the people who are supposed to be in the program in there and not the people who don't belong there," Ricketts said.

Nebraska Medicaid Interim Director Jeremy Brunssen said the state has hired an additional 68 employees to help determine whether applicants are eligible for coverage, plus another 55 call center agents who will help process claims. Brunssen said he expects to be able to launch the program without further delays.

"We feel very confident that we're in a great position to process applications," he said.

Once in place, the expansion will cover adults ages 19 to 64 who earn up to 138% of the federal poverty level - about $17,600 a year for one person and $36,150 annually for a family of four.

Some of the skepticism in Nebraska stems from Republicans' long objections to expanding Medicaid under the federal health care law championed by Democratic former President Barack Obama. Medicaid, which provides health coverage for lower-income and disabled Americans, is funded jointly by states and the federal government. The 2010 Affordable Care Act encouraged states to expand Medicaid by promising that the federal government would cover most of the cost.

Shortly after Nebraska voters approved Medicaid expansion, state officials announced a two-tiered system of coverage, with a "basic" plan for all newly qualified recipients and a "premium" plan for people who are working, in school, volunteering or caring for a relative.

The basic plan includes coverage for hospitalizations, emergency care, prescription drugs, lab tests, maternity care and other services. The premium plan offers those benefits as well but adds coverage for dental and vision services, and over-the-counter drugs.

By GRANT SCHULTE-Associated Press LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Nebraska residents who qualify for expanded Medicaid under the federal health care law can start enrolling next month, Gov. Pete Ricketts said Monday as he defended the state's nearly two-year time frame to offer coverage after voters approved it.Ricketts said Nebraska will open enrollment on Aug. 1, and coverage will begin as scheduled on Oct. 1.The roll-out begins nearly two years after Nebraska voters approved a measure to expand Medicaid coverage in the November 2018 election over the objections of Ricketts and conservative groups. Nebraska lawmakers and governors repeatedly rejected attempts to expand coverage, prompting a statewide ballot campaign that won with 54% support, mostly from the Omaha and Lincoln areas.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/ad6a5d4d307d4459849be1b2166dc5e6" target="_blank">unusually slow implementation</a>&nbsp;has drawn criticism and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/4de131e510c346cba29d3c1876eeba8e" target="_blank">lawsuits</a>&nbsp;from supporters of Medicaid expansion, which will cover an estimated 90,000 low-income adults in Nebraska. Supporters argue that the nearly two-year wait since the election left many residents in limbo as they waited for coverage. They also say Nebraska lost out on federal matching dollars that the state would have received with an earlier implementation.Ricketts defended the implementation period at a news conference to announce the enrollment date, saying he wanted to avoid the fate of states including California, which enrolled more than 366,000 people who weren't eligible.State officials took their time to ensure "that we're putting the people who are supposed to be in the program in there and not the people who don't belong there," Ricketts said.Nebraska Medicaid Interim Director Jeremy Brunssen said the state has hired an additional 68 employees to help determine whether applicants are eligible for coverage, plus another 55 call center agents who will help process claims. Brunssen said he expects to be able to launch the program without further delays."We feel very confident that we're in a great position to process applications," he said.Once in place, the expansion will cover adults ages 19 to 64 who earn up to 138% of the federal poverty level - about $17,600 a year for one person and $36,150 annually for a family of four.Some of the skepticism in Nebraska stems from Republicans' long objections to expanding Medicaid under the federal health care law championed by Democratic former President Barack Obama. Medicaid, which provides health coverage for lower-income and disabled Americans, is funded jointly by states and the federal government. The 2010 Affordable Care Act encouraged states to expand Medicaid by promising that the federal government would cover most of the cost.Shortly after Nebraska voters approved Medicaid expansion, state officials announced a two-tiered system of coverage, with a "basic" plan for all newly qualified recipients and a "premium" plan for people who are working, in school, volunteering or caring for a relative.The basic plan includes coverage for hospitalizations, emergency care, prescription drugs, lab tests, maternity care and other services. The premium plan offers those benefits as well but adds coverage for dental and vision services, and over-the-counter drugs.

Gov. Ricketts defends 2-year delay to expand Medicaid

Today is Monday, July 20, the 202nd day of 2020. There are 164 days left in the year.

On July 20, 1969, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin became the first men to walk on the moon after reaching the surface in their Apollo 11 lunar module.

In 1923, Mexican revolutionary leader Pancho Villa was assassinated by gunmen in Parral.

In 1944, an attempt by a group of German officials to assassinate Adolf Hitler with a bomb failed as the explosion only wounded the Nazi leader. President Franklin D. Roosevelt was nominated for a fourth term of office at the Democratic convention in Chicago.

In 1951, Jordan’s King Abdullah I was assassinated in Jerusalem by a Palestinian gunman who was shot dead on the spot by security.

In 1960, a pair of Polaris missiles were fired from the submerged USS George Washington off Cape Canaveral, Fla., at a target more than 1,100 miles away.

In 1965, the Bob Dylan single “Like a Rolling Stone” was released by Columbia Records.

In 1968, the first International Special Olympics Summer Games, organized by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, were held at Soldier Field in Chicago.

In 1976, America’s Viking 1 robot spacecraft made a successful, first-ever landing on Mars.

In 1977, a flash flood hit Johnstown, Pennsylvania, killing more than 80 people and causing $350 million worth of damage. The U.N. Security Council voted to admit Vietnam to the world body.

In 1990, Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan, one of the court’s most liberal voices, announced he was stepping down.

In 1993, White House deputy counsel Vincent Foster Jr., 48, was found shot to death in a park near Washington, D.C.; his death was ruled a suicide.

In 2007, President George W. Bush signed an executive order prohibiting cruel and inhuman treatment, including humiliation or denigration of religious beliefs, in the detention and interrogation of terrorism suspects.

In 2012, gunman James Holmes opened fire inside a crowded movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, during a midnight showing of “The Dark Knight Rises,” killing 12 people and wounding 70 others. (Holmes was later convicted of murder and attempted murder, and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.)

Ten years ago: The Senate Judiciary Committee voted almost totally along party lines, 13-6, to approve Elena Kagan to be the Supreme Court’s fourth female justice. Actress Lindsay Lohan began a 14-day jail sentence — reduced from 90 due to overcrowding — for violating probation in 2007 drug case.

Five years ago: The United States and Cuba restored full diplomatic relations after more than five decades of frosty relations rooted in the Cold War. The U.N. Security Council unanimously endorsed a landmark deal to rein in Iran’s nuclear program. Banks in Greece finally reopened after being closed for three weeks. Zach Johnson won the British Open. Songwriter Wayne Carson, 72, died in Nashville, Tennessee. “Archie” cartoonist Tom Moore, 86, died in El Paso, Texas.

One year ago: Americans marked the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing; Buzz Aldrin, the second man to set foot on the moon, showed Vice President Mike Pence the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center where the historic flight began. A heat wave that spread from Texas to Maine canceled festivals, horse races and other events.

Today’s Birthdays: Actress-singer Sally Ann Howes is 90. Author Cormac McCarthy is 87. Former Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski, D-Md., is 84. Actress Diana Rigg is 82. Artist Judy Chicago is 81. Rock musician John Lodge (The Moody Blues) is 77. Country singer T.G. Sheppard is 76. Singer Kim Carnes is 75. Rock musician Carlos Santana is 73. Rock musician Jay Jay French (Twisted Sister) is 68. Rock musician Paul Cook (The Sex Pistols, Man Raze) is 64. Actress Donna Dixon is 63. Rock musician Mick McNeil (Simple Minds) is 62. Country singer Radney Foster is 61. Actor Frank Whaley is 57. Actor Dean Winters is 56. Rock musician Stone Gossard (Pearl Jam) is 54. Actor Reed Diamond is 53. Actor Josh Holloway is 51. Singer Vitamin C is 51. Actress Sandra Oh is 49. Actor Omar Epps is 47. Actor Simon Rex is 46. Actress Judy Greer is 45. Actor Charlie Korsmo is 42. Singer Elliott Yamin (yah-MEEN’) (American Idol) is 42. Supermodel Gisele Bundchen is 40. Rock musician Mike Kennerty (The All-American Rejects) is 40. Actor Percy Daggs III is 38. Actor John Francis Daley is 35. Country singer Hannah Blaylock (Edens Edge) is 34. Dancer-singer-actress Julianne Hough is 32. Washington Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg is 32. Actress Billi Bruno is 24.

Today in HistoryToday is Monday, July 20, the 202nd day of 2020. There are 164 days left in the year.Today’s Highlight in History:On July 20, 1969, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin became the first men to walk on the moon after reaching the surface in their Apollo 11 lunar module.On this date:In 1923, Mexican revolutionary leader Pancho Villa was assassinated by gunmen in Parral.In 1944, an attempt by a group of German officials to assassinate Adolf Hitler with a bomb failed as the explosion only wounded the Nazi leader. President Franklin D. Roosevelt was nominated for a fourth term of office at the Democratic convention in Chicago.In 1951, Jordan’s King Abdullah I was assassinated in Jerusalem by a Palestinian gunman who was shot dead on the spot by security.In 1960, a pair of Polaris missiles were fired from the submerged USS George Washington off Cape Canaveral, Fla., at a target more than 1,100 miles away.In 1965, the Bob Dylan single “Like a Rolling Stone” was released by Columbia Records.In 1968, the first International Special Olympics Summer Games, organized by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, were held at Soldier Field in Chicago.In 1976, America’s Viking 1 robot spacecraft made a successful, first-ever landing on Mars.In 1977, a flash flood hit Johnstown, Pennsylvania, killing more than 80 people and causing $350 million worth of damage. The U.N. Security Council voted to admit Vietnam to the world body.In 1990, Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan, one of the court’s most liberal voices, announced he was stepping down.In 1993, White House deputy counsel Vincent Foster Jr., 48, was found shot to death in a park near Washington, D.C.; his death was ruled a suicide.In 2007, President George W. Bush signed an executive order prohibiting cruel and inhuman treatment, including humiliation or denigration of religious beliefs, in the detention and interrogation of terrorism suspects.In 2012, gunman James Holmes opened fire inside a crowded movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, during a midnight showing of “The Dark Knight Rises,” killing 12 people and wounding 70 others. (Holmes was later convicted of murder and attempted murder, and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.)Ten years ago: The Senate Judiciary Committee voted almost totally along party lines, 13-6, to approve Elena Kagan to be the Supreme Court’s fourth female justice. Actress Lindsay Lohan began a 14-day jail sentence — reduced from 90 due to overcrowding — for violating probation in 2007 drug case.Five years ago: The United States and Cuba restored full diplomatic relations after more than five decades of frosty relations rooted in the Cold War. The U.N. Security Council unanimously endorsed a landmark deal to rein in Iran’s nuclear program. Banks in Greece finally reopened after being closed for three weeks. Zach Johnson won the British Open. Songwriter Wayne Carson, 72, died in Nashville, Tennessee. “Archie” cartoonist Tom Moore, 86, died in El Paso, Texas.One year ago: Americans marked the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing; Buzz Aldrin, the second man to set foot on the moon, showed Vice President Mike Pence the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center where the historic flight began. A heat wave that spread from Texas to Maine canceled festivals, horse races and other events.Today’s Birthdays: Actress-singer Sally Ann Howes is 90. Author Cormac McCarthy is 87. Former Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski, D-Md., is 84. Actress Diana Rigg is 82. Artist Judy Chicago is 81. Rock musician John Lodge (The Moody Blues) is 77. Country singer T.G. Sheppard is 76. Singer Kim Carnes is 75. Rock musician Carlos Santana is 73. Rock musician Jay Jay French (Twisted Sister) is 68. Rock musician Paul Cook (The Sex Pistols, Man Raze) is 64. Actress Donna Dixon is 63. Rock musician Mick McNeil (Simple Minds) is 62. Country singer Radney Foster is 61. Actor Frank Whaley is 57. Actor Dean Winters is 56. Rock musician Stone Gossard (Pearl Jam) is 54. Actor Reed Diamond is 53. Actor Josh Holloway is 51. Singer Vitamin C is 51. Actress Sandra Oh is 49. Actor Omar Epps is 47. Actor Simon Rex is 46. Actress Judy Greer is 45. Actor Charlie Korsmo is 42. Singer Elliott Yamin (yah-MEEN’) (American Idol) is 42. Supermodel Gisele Bundchen is 40. Rock musician Mike Kennerty (The All-American Rejects) is 40. Actor Percy Daggs III is 38. Actor John Francis Daley is 35. Country singer Hannah Blaylock (Edens Edge) is 34. Dancer-singer-actress Julianne Hough is 32. Washington Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg is 32. Actress Billi Bruno is 24.

Today in History-July 20

There’s a bit of an intellectual fistfight going on these days about free expression — and we all have a stake in the outcome.

The early rounds have been going on for years: in essence, a theory 
that pops up periodically in history that some ideas simply are too 
dangerous to allow them to be voiced in public. The opponent to that 
theory: The longtime belief in the “marketplace of ideas,” where any 
person may advance any idea — however repugnant, vile or even evil — and
 be subject to the review, and perhaps revile, of all others.

Critics of the marketplace approach have several arguments. American 
critics note the amendment was adopted in 1791, carrying forward ideas 
about free expression that even then were centuries old, and thus see it
 as out of place in a modern world.

Another objection is that the internet, with its instant and global 
reach, makes ineffective the expected marketplace interplay of speaker 
and responder, through which the hope is bad ideas fail, good ideas 
improve and best ideas thrive.

Yet another criticism of the marketplace concept is that money, 
technology and power have created an elite group (or groups) in control 
of most meaningful communication (and perhaps content) across the web, 
rendering criticism, counterviews, unpopular or unconventional ideas — 
and certainly revolutionary ones — unable to reach a mass audience.

Critical race theorists believe that American jurisprudence 
essentially has elevated the liberty interests of the First Amendment 
over the equality interests of the 14th Amendment.

And finally, there is the claim that some ideas simply are too 
dangerous or misleading or manipulative to be allowed into the 
marketplace at all — from race, ethnic and religious hatred to sexual 
exploitation and abuse to commercial messaging and political 
misinformation — now aided and abetted by hidden algorithms and those in
 charge of a handful of private tech companies more intent on profits 
than seeking truth.

Whew. That’s a pretty strong set of arguments that some things need 
fixing when it comes to free expression in the early years of the 21st century. Most of us likely would agree with many, if not all of them — on first glance.

Interestingly, the sides in this dispute don’t automatically align 
along our current political fractures. Some liberals and conservatives 
see the web as too wide open, allowing dangerous ideas and speakers 
access to audiences that can be influenced; while others view the web as
 a tightly controlled funnel of filtered information combined with 
manipulation that blocks voices (either too conservative or too liberal —
 take your pick) with a goal of shaping public opinion.

The current battle is not just over the criticisms, but over the 
solutions as well. Twitter and other sites gain praise and scorn for 
blocking some users for alleged violations of those sites’ terms of 
service, ranging from foul language to misleading health claims to 
personal attacks and what the sites deem deliberate misinformation. Tech
 firms can block, tag and take down posted content, in a bit of irony to
 some, because they have their own First Amendment rights as private 
companies.

So, some on either side of this dispute would bring government into 
the ring, where First Amendment freedoms would apply — one side seeking 
exceptions to free speech protections for things such as violent 
content, or racist views, or demeaning portrayals of women, or LGBTQ 
persons; and the other combatants asking government to oversee and 
override those private companies’ decisions, in the name of protecting 
conservative voices they see as all-too-often excluded from public 
discourse.

Who are the combatants of late? In one corner, signatories to an open
 letter titled, “A Letter on Justice and Open Debate,” published July 7 
in Harper’s Magazine, include a number of the world’s best-known creative minds, such as J.K. Rowling, Wynton Marsalis, Gloria Steinem, Salman Rushdie and about 150 other authors, journalists, publishers and artists.

In the other corner of this particular bout are those who signed this
 week onto another letter published on the online commentary site The 
Objective — which self-identifies as a place with information and views 
by and for “historically ignored communities” — another group of 
literary, media and artists. This missive entered the fray acknowledging
 the fight even reaches into its signatures area, noting some could be 
identified only generally, usually by professional occupation and place 
of work, because of fears of “workplace retaliation” by the established 
communication masters for whom some work.

Their view of the Harper’s letter, in a piece titled, “A 
More Specific Letter on Justice and Open Debate” explains, “Nowhere in 
it do the signatories mention how marginalized voices have been silenced
 for generations in journalism, academia and publishing …” and “the 
letter does not deal with the problem of power: Who has it and who does 
not.”

To be sure, many of latest blows in this intellectual boxing match 
have been struck via high-concept review of the theories of human 
communication and in well-founded critiques of who had and has access to
 tools of speaking out in public — news media, book publishers, 
broadcasters and now social media companies.

But in the early rounds, the heavyweights punched the outmoded model 
of the marketplace of ideas for two reasons: One, that it never worked 
as intended because many minority groups, however defined, were denied 
access to speak and be heard — a stark truth that cannot be denied; and 
two, there is such a thing as truth, and to knowingly permit non-truth 
is counter-productive to society and should not be permitted.

Boil it all down and it comes to a very simple First Amendment 
question: Is the response to speech you consider untruthful, disgusting 
or misleading more speech or less speech? If the former, what do you do 
as, with lightning speed and wide public acceptance by the unknowing, 
the web is flooded with true threats to public health, hate speech from 
white supremacists or deliberately misleading political ads and 
fraudulent electioneering from world adversaries?

If the latter, who gets to be the national nanny, defining truth, 
excluding some voices while inviting in others and monitoring the 
billions of social media posts each day — all while remaining 
nonpartisan and apolitical in today’s hyper-divided nation?

Wiser minds — including, with hope, most of us — will need to parse 
those questions and more as the First Amendment’s five freedoms 
(religion, speech, press, assembly and petition) are tested in court, on
 the street and occasionally on the pages of online magazines.

As for me, I theorize the nation’s founders would chuckle at the idea
 that all of this is new. The mechanisms of communications were 
different, but the goals in 1791 were the same: The exchange of ideas 
for a better life for us all, many at the time deemed too dangerous for 
society to hear — ideas like “all men are created equal” and that 
democracy was favorable over monarchy.

While this fistfight is mainly staged in the mind, there are real-world examples of the cost of the fight. New York Times op-ed editor Bari Weiss
 resigned the other day, saying in a letter she self-published that she 
was “hired with the goal of bringing in voices that would not otherwise 
appear in your pages: first-time writers, centrists, conservatives and 
others who would not naturally think of the Times as their home.”

In leaving the paper after about three years, she said, “ … a new 
consensus has emerged in the press, but perhaps especially at this 
paper: that truth isn’t a process of collective discovery, but an 
orthodoxy already known to an enlightened few whose job is to inform 
everyone else.”

Weiss concludes her resignation by noting founder Adolph Ochs’ 1896 statement “to make of the columns of The New York Times
 a forum for the consideration of all questions of public importance, 
and to that end to invite intelligent discussion from all shades of 
opinion.”

“Ochs’s idea is one of the best I’ve encountered,” Weiss continues. 
“And I’ve always comforted myself with the notion that the best ideas 
win out. But ideas cannot win on their own. They need a voice. They need
 a hearing. Above all, they must be backed by people willing to live by 
them.”

More of us need to make our voices heard in this latest fight over 
the meaning of the First Amendment’s 45 words, lest we see them reshaped
 — or lost — without having ever set foot in the ring.

Gene Policinski is a senior fellow for the First Amendment at the
 Freedom Forum, and president and chief operating officer of the Freedom
 Forum Institute. He can be reached at <a href="mailto:gpolicinski@freedomforum.org" target="_blank">gpolicinski@freedomforum.org</a>, or follow him on Twitter at&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/@genefac" target="_blank">@genefac</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1593729871227.png" alt="Gene Policinski is a senior fellow for the First Amendment at the Freedom Forum, and president and chief operating officer of the Freedom Forum Institute. " />
 <figcaption>Gene Policinski is a senior fellow for the First Amendment at the Freedom Forum, and president and chief operating officer of the Freedom Forum Institute. </figcaption>
 </figure>There’s a bit of an intellectual fistfight going on these days about free expression — and we all have a stake in the outcome.The early rounds have been going on for years: in essence, a theory 
that pops up periodically in history that some ideas simply are too 
dangerous to allow them to be voiced in public. The opponent to that 
theory: The longtime belief in the “marketplace of ideas,” where any 
person may advance any idea — however repugnant, vile or even evil — and
 be subject to the review, and perhaps revile, of all others.Critics of the marketplace approach have several arguments. American 
critics note the amendment was adopted in 1791, carrying forward ideas 
about free expression that even then were centuries old, and thus see it
 as out of place in a modern world.Another objection is that the internet, with its instant and global 
reach, makes ineffective the expected marketplace interplay of speaker 
and responder, through which the hope is bad ideas fail, good ideas 
improve and best ideas thrive.Yet another criticism of the marketplace concept is that money, 
technology and power have created an elite group (or groups) in control 
of most meaningful communication (and perhaps content) across the web, 
rendering criticism, counterviews, unpopular or unconventional ideas — 
and certainly revolutionary ones — unable to reach a mass audience.Critical race theorists believe that American jurisprudence 
essentially has elevated the liberty interests of the First Amendment 
over the equality interests of the 14th Amendment.And finally, there is the claim that some ideas simply are too 
dangerous or misleading or manipulative to be allowed into the 
marketplace at all — from race, ethnic and religious hatred to sexual 
exploitation and abuse to commercial messaging and political 
misinformation — now aided and abetted by hidden algorithms and those in
 charge of a handful of private tech companies more intent on profits 
than seeking truth.Whew. That’s a pretty strong set of arguments that some things need 
fixing when it comes to free expression in the early years of the 21st century. Most of us likely would agree with many, if not all of them — on first glance.Interestingly, the sides in this dispute don’t automatically align 
along our current political fractures. Some liberals and conservatives 
see the web as too wide open, allowing dangerous ideas and speakers 
access to audiences that can be influenced; while others view the web as
 a tightly controlled funnel of filtered information combined with 
manipulation that blocks voices (either too conservative or too liberal —
 take your pick) with a goal of shaping public opinion.The current battle is not just over the criticisms, but over the 
solutions as well. Twitter and other sites gain praise and scorn for 
blocking some users for alleged violations of those sites’ terms of 
service, ranging from foul language to misleading health claims to 
personal attacks and what the sites deem deliberate misinformation. Tech
 firms can block, tag and take down posted content, in a bit of irony to
 some, because they have their own First Amendment rights as private 
companies.So, some on either side of this dispute would bring government into 
the ring, where First Amendment freedoms would apply — one side seeking 
exceptions to free speech protections for things such as violent 
content, or racist views, or demeaning portrayals of women, or LGBTQ 
persons; and the other combatants asking government to oversee and 
override those private companies’ decisions, in the name of protecting 
conservative voices they see as all-too-often excluded from public 
discourse.Who are the combatants of late? In one corner, signatories to an open
 letter titled, “A Letter on Justice and Open Debate,” published July 7 
in Harper’s Magazine, include a number of the world’s best-known creative minds, such as J.K. Rowling, Wynton Marsalis, Gloria Steinem, Salman Rushdie and about 150 other authors, journalists, publishers and artists.In the other corner of this particular bout are those who signed this
 week onto another letter published on the online commentary site The 
Objective — which self-identifies as a place with information and views 
by and for “historically ignored communities” — another group of 
literary, media and artists. This missive entered the fray acknowledging
 the fight even reaches into its signatures area, noting some could be 
identified only generally, usually by professional occupation and place 
of work, because of fears of “workplace retaliation” by the established 
communication masters for whom some work.Their view of the Harper’s letter, in a piece titled, “A 
More Specific Letter on Justice and Open Debate” explains, “Nowhere in 
it do the signatories mention how marginalized voices have been silenced
 for generations in journalism, academia and publishing …” and “the 
letter does not deal with the problem of power: Who has it and who does 
not.”To be sure, many of latest blows in this intellectual boxing match 
have been struck via high-concept review of the theories of human 
communication and in well-founded critiques of who had and has access to
 tools of speaking out in public — news media, book publishers, 
broadcasters and now social media companies.But in the early rounds, the heavyweights punched the outmoded model 
of the marketplace of ideas for two reasons: One, that it never worked 
as intended because many minority groups, however defined, were denied 
access to speak and be heard — a stark truth that cannot be denied; and 
two, there is such a thing as truth, and to knowingly permit non-truth 
is counter-productive to society and should not be permitted.Boil it all down and it comes to a very simple First Amendment 
question: Is the response to speech you consider untruthful, disgusting 
or misleading more speech or less speech? If the former, what do you do 
as, with lightning speed and wide public acceptance by the unknowing, 
the web is flooded with true threats to public health, hate speech from 
white supremacists or deliberately misleading political ads and 
fraudulent electioneering from world adversaries?If the latter, who gets to be the national nanny, defining truth, 
excluding some voices while inviting in others and monitoring the 
billions of social media posts each day — all while remaining 
nonpartisan and apolitical in today’s hyper-divided nation?Wiser minds — including, with hope, most of us — will need to parse 
those questions and more as the First Amendment’s five freedoms 
(religion, speech, press, assembly and petition) are tested in court, on
 the street and occasionally on the pages of online magazines.As for me, I theorize the nation’s founders would chuckle at the idea
 that all of this is new. The mechanisms of communications were 
different, but the goals in 1791 were the same: The exchange of ideas 
for a better life for us all, many at the time deemed too dangerous for 
society to hear — ideas like “all men are created equal” and that 
democracy was favorable over monarchy.While this fistfight is mainly staged in the mind, there are real-world examples of the cost of the fight. New York Times op-ed editor Bari Weiss
 resigned the other day, saying in a letter she self-published that she 
was “hired with the goal of bringing in voices that would not otherwise 
appear in your pages: first-time writers, centrists, conservatives and 
others who would not naturally think of the Times as their home.”In leaving the paper after about three years, she said, “ … a new 
consensus has emerged in the press, but perhaps especially at this 
paper: that truth isn’t a process of collective discovery, but an 
orthodoxy already known to an enlightened few whose job is to inform 
everyone else.”Weiss concludes her resignation by noting founder Adolph Ochs’ 1896 statement “to make of the columns of The New York Times
 a forum for the consideration of all questions of public importance, 
and to that end to invite intelligent discussion from all shades of 
opinion.”“Ochs’s idea is one of the best I’ve encountered,” Weiss continues. 
“And I’ve always comforted myself with the notion that the best ideas 
win out. But ideas cannot win on their own. They need a voice. They need
 a hearing. Above all, they must be backed by people willing to live by 
them.”More of us need to make our voices heard in this latest fight over 
the meaning of the First Amendment’s 45 words, lest we see them reshaped
 — or lost — without having ever set foot in the ring.Gene Policinski is a senior fellow for the First Amendment at the
 Freedom Forum, and president and chief operating officer of the Freedom
 Forum Institute. He can be reached at <a href="mailto:gpolicinski@freedomforum.org" target="_blank">gpolicinski@freedomforum.org</a>, or follow him on Twitter at&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/@genefac" target="_blank">@genefac</a>.

FIRST FIVE: Fighting over the meaning of First Amendment freedoms

New confirmed case of COVID-19 reported in Lincoln County on Sunday

Severe weather possible Sunday evening 

Traffic is backed up on Interstate 80 between Big Springs and Brule due to a semi that appears to have lost items from its trailer on the roadway. We are working to gather more details. Video courtesy of Brendan Young.

Traffic is backed up on Interstate 80 between Big Springs and Brule due to a semi that appears to have lost items from its trailer on the roadway. We are working to gather more details. Video courtesy of Brendan Young.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SkYTALUoquo" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">108 I-80 WB CLOSED DUE TO A TRAILER LOSING ITEMS ONTO ROADWAY.&mdash; NSP Troop D (@NSP_TroopD) <a href="https://twitter.com/NSP_TroopD/status/1284908421100253186?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 19, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">TRAFFIC BEING DIVERTED AT #117 BRULE INTERCHANGE TO US HWY 30.&mdash; NSP Troop D (@NSP_TroopD) <a href="https://twitter.com/NSP_TroopD/status/1284910060121006082?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 19, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">LEFT LANE (LANE 1) IS OPEN. USE CAUTION IN THE AREA.&mdash; NSP Troop D (@NSP_TroopD) <a href="https://twitter.com/NSP_TroopD/status/1284915470420901889?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 19, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">TROOPERS ARE CONDUCTING ROLLING ROADBLOCKS TO SLOW DOWN TRAFFIC.&mdash; NSP Troop D (@NSP_TroopD) <a href="https://twitter.com/NSP_TroopD/status/1284916968517242880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 19, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥 Accident on I-80 backs up traffic between Big Springs and Brule

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Nebraska lawmakers will return to their legislative session Monday for the first time in almost four months with most of the same challenges they faced back in March, plus new questions about how the coronavirus will squeeze the state budget.

Most lawmakers still want to lower property taxes and pass a new tax incentive program for businesses, although they acknowledge that one won't pass without the other because neither measure has enough backing to advance by itself. Rural lawmakers are pushing for the property tax measure to ease pressure on farmers and ranchers, while the business incentives are mostly of interest to Omaha and Lincoln senators.

"If we can get enough people to coalesce around a specific proposal, we'll be fortunate," said Speaker of the Legislature Jim Scheer. "If not, we'll walk away empty-handed."

Property taxes and the incentives bill are arguably the most high-profile issues senators will confront, along with the potential impact of the coronavirus on the state. Lawmakers are also expected to consider legislation to further clamp down on abortion rights and impose anti-bias training requirements for police. The training bill was on their radar before several high-profile police killings of Black citizens, but it's likely to gain new significance in the wake of Black Lives Matter protests.

Lawmakers were forced to suspend their session on March 25 after passing an emergency coronavirus funding bill. It was the 43rd day of their 60-day session, and lawmakers are now bracing for long days and late nights until their new scheduled adjournment on Aug. 13.

"We only have 17 days left and we still have some heavy lifting to do," said Sen. Mark Kolterman, of Seward.

The property tax measure would pump millions of state dollars into local school districts while putting new restrictions on how those districts can generate through local property taxes. The business incentives bill would replace the state's current tax program for businesses, which is set to expire at the end of this year.

Sen. Lou Ann Linehan, chairwoman of the tax-focused Revenue Committee, said she's concerned that lawmakers will end up gridlocked and little else will get done if they don't address property taxes in this year's session.

"Property taxes affect the vast majority of Nebraskans, and it's a crisis in our rural communities," she said.

By GRANT SCHULTE-Associated Press OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Nebraska lawmakers will return to their legislative session Monday for the first time in almost four months with most of the same challenges they faced back in March, plus new questions about how the coronavirus will squeeze the state budget.Most lawmakers still want to lower property taxes and pass a new tax incentive program for businesses, although they acknowledge that one won't pass without the other because neither measure has enough backing to advance by itself. Rural lawmakers are pushing for the property tax measure to ease pressure on farmers and ranchers, while the business incentives are mostly of interest to Omaha and Lincoln senators."If we can get enough people to coalesce around a specific proposal, we'll be fortunate," said Speaker of the Legislature Jim Scheer. "If not, we'll walk away empty-handed."Property taxes and the incentives bill are arguably the most high-profile issues senators will confront, along with the potential impact of the coronavirus on the state. Lawmakers are also expected to consider legislation to further clamp down on abortion rights and impose anti-bias training requirements for police. The training bill was on their radar before several high-profile police killings of Black citizens, but it's likely to gain new significance in the wake of Black Lives Matter protests.Lawmakers were forced to suspend their session on March 25 after passing an emergency coronavirus funding bill. It was the 43rd day of their 60-day session, and lawmakers are now bracing for long days and late nights until their new scheduled adjournment on Aug. 13."We only have 17 days left and we still have some heavy lifting to do," said Sen. Mark Kolterman, of Seward.The property tax measure would pump millions of state dollars into local school districts while putting new restrictions on how those districts can generate through local property taxes. The business incentives bill would replace the state's current tax program for businesses, which is set to expire at the end of this year.Sen. Lou Ann Linehan, chairwoman of the tax-focused Revenue Committee, said she's concerned that lawmakers will end up gridlocked and little else will get done if they don't address property taxes in this year's session."Property taxes affect the vast majority of Nebraskans, and it's a crisis in our rural communities," she said.The coronavirus triggered widespread layoffs and a surge in unemployment in Nebraska as in other parts of the country, but so far it appears the state's tax collections&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/0a9b5c56353792317cc1e8089f2ae997" target="_blank">aren't as dire as initially feared</a>.Lawmakers will get a better idea of how much money they'll have available on Thursday, when the Nebraska Economic Forecasting Advisory Board meets to set new tax revenue projections."I'm cautiously optimistic from a revenue standpoint that we'll be in a workable situation," said Sen. John Stinner, chairman of the budget-writing Appropriations Committee.But one tax-policy think tank warned that the situation could change quickly."Given the tremendous uncertainty about the pandemic's impact on our state and its economy, legislators should be cautious about passing new measures that increase the state's spending obligations," unless it's related to the pandemic, said Renee Fry, executive director of the OpenSky Policy Institute.

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