Fall rain and snow are good for wheat and next year’s crops, but it does have its drawbacks.&nbsp;&nbsp; One challenge is its impact on corn stalk feed quality.

While some parts of Nebraska have been dry&nbsp;this fall, other areas of the state have received some rain and consistent snow over the past several weeks.&nbsp; Rain reduces corn stalk quality several ways.&nbsp; Most easily noticed is&nbsp;how fast stalks can get soiled or trampled into the ground if the fields become muddy.

Less noticeable are nutritional changes.&nbsp; Rain or melting snow soaks into dry corn stalk residue and leaches out some of the soluble nutrients.&nbsp; Most serious is the loss of sugars and other energy-dense nutrients, which lowers the TDN or energy value of the stalks.&nbsp; These same nutrients also disappear if stalks begin to mold or rot in the field.&nbsp; Then palatability and intake also decline.

Another factor that affects cornstalk grazing is wind.&nbsp; Throughout the fall, there always seems to be those days where excessively high winds will easily blow corn leaves and husks off the field.&nbsp; This of course, can impact the amount of feed, and after grain, those leaves and husks contain the highest nutritional quality.

There is little you can do to prevent these losses.&nbsp; What you can do, though, is to closely monitor cow and field conditions while adjusting your supplementation program accordingly.&nbsp; Since weathering by rain reduces TDN more than it reduces protein, consider the energy value of your supplements as well as its protein content.

Weathered corn stalks still are economical feeds.&nbsp; Just supplement them accordingly.&nbsp;

By Jerry Volesky<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1745851907586.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Fall rain and snow are good for wheat and next year’s crops, but it does have its drawbacks.&nbsp;&nbsp; One challenge is its impact on corn stalk feed quality.While some parts of Nebraska have been dry&nbsp;this fall, other areas of the state have received some rain and consistent snow over the past several weeks.&nbsp; Rain reduces corn stalk quality several ways.&nbsp; Most easily noticed is&nbsp;how fast stalks can get soiled or trampled into the ground if the fields become muddy.Less noticeable are nutritional changes.&nbsp; Rain or melting snow soaks into dry corn stalk residue and leaches out some of the soluble nutrients.&nbsp; Most serious is the loss of sugars and other energy-dense nutrients, which lowers the TDN or energy value of the stalks.&nbsp; These same nutrients also disappear if stalks begin to mold or rot in the field.&nbsp; Then palatability and intake also decline.Another factor that affects cornstalk grazing is wind.&nbsp; Throughout the fall, there always seems to be those days where excessively high winds will easily blow corn leaves and husks off the field.&nbsp; This of course, can impact the amount of feed, and after grain, those leaves and husks contain the highest nutritional quality.There is little you can do to prevent these losses.&nbsp; What you can do, though, is to closely monitor cow and field conditions while adjusting your supplementation program accordingly.&nbsp; Since weathering by rain reduces TDN more than it reduces protein, consider the energy value of your supplements as well as its protein content.Weathered corn stalks still are economical feeds.&nbsp; Just supplement them accordingly.&nbsp;

Forage Minute: Corn Stalk Quality After Weathering

December 18, 2025 (North Platte, Neb.)&nbsp;&nbsp;— The Nebraska State Patrol is conducting a death investigation after a deceased person was found in rural Furnas County.

The body was discovered Wednesday on a rural farm in northeast Furnas County, north of Oxford. A representative of the farm’s owners was inspecting the property in preparation for sale and found the body in an outbuilding in one of the fields. The Furnas County Sheriff’s Office has asked the Nebraska State Patrol to conduct the death investigation.

NSP crime scene investigators documented the scene and are working to positively identify the deceased person. It was apparent that the person had been deceased for some time. Investigators believe there is no threat to the public.

NSP was assisted on scene by the Furnas County Sheriff’s Office, Oxford Volunteer Fire Department, Nebraska Attorney General’s Office, and a forensic entomologist. The investigation remains ongoing. An autopsy is scheduled for Friday.

For Immediate Release<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/7/1562084161517.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>December 18, 2025 (North Platte, Neb.)&nbsp;&nbsp;— The Nebraska State Patrol is conducting a death investigation after a deceased person was found in rural Furnas County.The body was discovered Wednesday on a rural farm in northeast Furnas County, north of Oxford. A representative of the farm’s owners was inspecting the property in preparation for sale and found the body in an outbuilding in one of the fields. The Furnas County Sheriff’s Office has asked the Nebraska State Patrol to conduct the death investigation.NSP crime scene investigators documented the scene and are working to positively identify the deceased person. It was apparent that the person had been deceased for some time. Investigators believe there is no threat to the public.NSP was assisted on scene by the Furnas County Sheriff’s Office, Oxford Volunteer Fire Department, Nebraska Attorney General’s Office, and a forensic entomologist. The investigation remains ongoing. An autopsy is scheduled for Friday.

NSP Investigating After Body Found in Furnas County

LINCOLN — Nebraska’s general fund tax receipts for November grew modestly above recent projections, but it may not help fill the budget hole state lawmakers are tasked with filling in January.

Nebraska’s November tax receipts show a net growth of 3.1% over what Nebraska’s Economic Forecasting Advisory Board predicted in October, according to the state Department of Revenue.

That equates to just under $18 million in extra revenue into the state’s coffers. However, Legislative Fiscal Analyst Keisha Patent said those dollars won’t go directly into Nebraska’s general fund.

By state statute, the extra revenue will go into the state’s cash reserve or the School District Property Tax Relief Credit Fund, depending on how much the amount ends up above forecasts.

Nebraska’s projected&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/11/19/nebraskas-projected-budget-deficit-grows-to-471-million-ahead-of-2026-legislative-session/">budget deficit currently stands at $471 million</a>, which lawmakers are tasked with filling before the 2026 legislative session concludes. Lawmakers grappled with a fluctuating budget shortfall that at one point grew to $432 million during the 90-day session this spring.

Most specific tax revenues came in modestly above projections, including individual income taxes, sales and use taxes and miscellaneous taxes. The sole outlier was corporate income taxes, which came in roughly 78% below forecasts.

Patent said she wasn’t sure why corporate income taxes came in low, but noted the corporate tax returns tracked with October’s general fund receipts. She said she expects corporate tax revenues will bounce back in December, as historically the month has brought in high revenues for the state.

State Sen. Rob Clements of Elmwood, who chairs the Nebraska Legislature’s Appropriations Committee, said he was “encouraged” by November’s tax receipts, calling it a signal that Neraska’s economy is stable.

As for how the additional revenue will impact the budget deficit, Clements said he is open to using rainy day funds to fill the shortfall, but he expects he and other lawmakers will be stingier with the cash reserve compared to other funds.

Nebraska’s cash reserve is estimated to be at about $669 million by the end of the current budget cycle.

Last year, Gov. Jim Pillen’s budget proposal and state lawmakers swept funding from dozens of different cash funds in order to fill the projected deficit, but Clements said some cash funds were unaffected.

By Erin Bamer | Nebraska Examiner<figure>
 <img src="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/state-capitol_ZJW_091225-01-1536x1024.jpg" alt="&nbsp;The Nebraska State Capitol. Sept. 12, 2025. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;The Nebraska State Capitol. Sept. 12, 2025. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>LINCOLN — Nebraska’s general fund tax receipts for November grew modestly above recent projections, but it may not help fill the budget hole state lawmakers are tasked with filling in January.Nebraska’s November tax receipts show a net growth of 3.1% over what Nebraska’s Economic Forecasting Advisory Board predicted in October, according to the state Department of Revenue.That equates to just under $18 million in extra revenue into the state’s coffers. However, Legislative Fiscal Analyst Keisha Patent said those dollars won’t go directly into Nebraska’s general fund.By state statute, the extra revenue will go into the state’s cash reserve or the School District Property Tax Relief Credit Fund, depending on how much the amount ends up above forecasts.Nebraska’s projected&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/11/19/nebraskas-projected-budget-deficit-grows-to-471-million-ahead-of-2026-legislative-session/">budget deficit currently stands at $471 million</a>, which lawmakers are tasked with filling before the 2026 legislative session concludes. Lawmakers grappled with a fluctuating budget shortfall that at one point grew to $432 million during the 90-day session this spring.Most specific tax revenues came in modestly above projections, including individual income taxes, sales and use taxes and miscellaneous taxes. The sole outlier was corporate income taxes, which came in roughly 78% below forecasts.Patent said she wasn’t sure why corporate income taxes came in low, but noted the corporate tax returns tracked with October’s general fund receipts. She said she expects corporate tax revenues will bounce back in December, as historically the month has brought in high revenues for the state.State Sen. Rob Clements of Elmwood, who chairs the Nebraska Legislature’s Appropriations Committee, said he was “encouraged” by November’s tax receipts, calling it a signal that Neraska’s economy is stable.As for how the additional revenue will impact the budget deficit, Clements said he is open to using rainy day funds to fill the shortfall, but he expects he and other lawmakers will be stingier with the cash reserve compared to other funds.Nebraska’s cash reserve is estimated to be at about $669 million by the end of the current budget cycle.Last year, Gov. Jim Pillen’s budget proposal and state lawmakers swept funding from dozens of different cash funds in order to fill the projected deficit, but Clements said some cash funds were unaffected.Those may be tapped in 2026, he said.

Nebraska tax revenues inch above projections ahead of 60-day session

By:<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/elisha-brown/">Elisha Brown</a>

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning four major retailers about compliance with a recall of infant formula that has been linked to botulism.&nbsp;

Ann Oxenham, the FDA’s top compliance officer for the human foods program, sent letters to Albertsons, Kroger, Target and Walmart Friday about ByHeart Whole Nutrition formula products remaining on some store’s retail shelves as late as Nov. 26.&nbsp;

“These warning letters highlight the critical responsibility that retailers have in effectuating a recall, particularly when dealing with products that pose serious health risks to our most vulnerable populations, such as infants,” the agency said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-takes-action-improve-recall-effectiveness-following-infant-botulism-outbreak-investigation" target="_blank">statement</a>&nbsp;released Monday.&nbsp;

No infant deaths attributed to the outbreak have been&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/botulism/outbreaks-investigations/infant-formula-nov-2025/index.html" target="_blank">reported</a>. At least 51 cases across 19 states resulted in infant hospitalizations as of Dec. 10, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2025/2025-cdcs-rapid-response-helps-solve-first-infant-botulism-outbreak-linked-to-formula.html" target="_blank">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a>.

ByHeart issued a recall of the formula on Nov. 8. The company expanded the recall three days later to include all of its products, including unexpired formula cans and single-serve “anywhere pack” sticks, according to an agency&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-takes-action-improve-recall-effectiveness-following-infant-botulism-outbreak-investigation" target="_blank">news release</a>.&nbsp;

When the agency’s state and local partners made 4,000 visits to retail stores in the weeks after the initial recall, they found the formula stocked at more than 175 locations across 36 states.&nbsp;

“Food safety is a shared responsibility, and it is of utmost importance that all parties in the supply chain act swiftly and vigilantly to protect our nation’s children from unsafe food,” FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-takes-action-improve-recall-effectiveness-following-infant-botulism-outbreak-investigation" target="_blank">statement</a>.&nbsp;

Botulism in babies occurs when a baby swallows Clostridium botulinum bacteria, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/botulism/outbreaks-investigations/infant-formula-nov-2025/index.html" target="_blank">CDC</a>. Symptoms can take weeks to develop, but they include constipation, poor feeding, loss of head control and difficulty swallowing.&nbsp;

The ByHeart formula products were found at Walmart stores in 21 states from Nov. 12 to Nov. 26, according to the FDA warning&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/walmart-inc-720400-12122025" target="_blank">letter</a>&nbsp;to CEO Doug McMillon.&nbsp;

“As a participant in the supply chain, your firm should take prompt and effective action when notified of a product recall,” Oxenham wrote.&nbsp;

A Walmart spokesperson told States Newsroom that the health and safety of their customers is “always a top priority.”&nbsp;

“When notified of the recall, we moved swiftly to issue a sales restriction and removed this product from our impacted stores and clubs and online. We take all reports of inaction seriously and will respond to the letter,” the spokesperson said.&nbsp;

Even though Target told the FDA that the big-box store put a block on bar codes for cans of ByHeart formula and the single-serve packs on Nov. 11, an investigator found the formula at a New Hampshire location five days later, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/target-corporation-720399-12122025" target="_blank">warning letter</a>.&nbsp;

A larger agency audit discovered the recalled formula was still on Target shelves across 20 states from Nov. 12 to Nov. 20. Associates told state and local FDA partners that they were not aware of the recall or confused about the scope of which products were potentially affected by the contamination, among other explanations.&nbsp;

An auditor even found the single-serve formula packs marked down at an Arkansas Target with a $2 discount weeks after the nationwide recall, the letter states.&nbsp;

Target did not immediately respond to a request for comment.&nbsp;

The recalled formula was found at several Albertsons stores, including Acme and Safeway, across 11 states from Nov. 12 to Nov. 19, according to an FDA&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/albertsons-companies-incorporated-720465-12122025" target="_blank">letter</a>&nbsp;sent to CEO Susan Morris.

Agency officials had a call with the company’s leadership on Nov. 20 asking for a plan about the issue, but Oxenham wrote that the company did not deliver one.

In a statement provided to States Newsroom, a spokesperson for the company said “they are committed to the health and safety of our customers.”&nbsp;

“We have procedures to address product recalls, including working closely with suppliers and regulators to identify and remove affected items and communicate guidance to customers,” a spokesperson said. “ByHeart infant formula products have been removed from our store shelves.”&nbsp;

The FDA&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/kroger-company-720464-12122025" target="_blank">wrote</a>&nbsp;to Kroger interim CEO Ronald Sargent on Friday, too, saying that the formula was found at the company’s stores across 10 states “well after the recall was initiated and subsequently expanded.” Kroger did not immediately respond to a request for comment.&nbsp;

ByHeart is issuing refunds for all products purchased on or after Aug. 1 from their website, and parents or caregivers can also get their money back if they purchased the formula from retailers, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://byheart.com/?srsltid=AfmBOopkBi2iv35zHMHcBDwt-rPRyDbkPv4SGFQXfFmeRMyJNPDBwS-C" target="_blank">statement</a>.&nbsp;

The company has had safety issues recently: A Pennsylvania plant closed this year after inspectors found mold, dead insects and a leaking roof in a formula production area,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/13/health/infant-formula-botulism.html?unlocked_article_code=1.9E8.jBCf.M35fWHv5QoeC&amp;smid=url-share" target="_blank">The New York Times</a>&nbsp;reported last month.&nbsp;

Two years ago, a hazardous&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/foodborne-pathogens/cronobacter-sakazakii" target="_blank">bacterium that can cause sepsis and meningitis in infants</a>&nbsp;was found in a processing area of the same plant and in finished formula shortly after, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/13/health/infant-formula-botulism.html?unlocked_article_code=1.9E8.jBCf.M35fWHv5QoeC&amp;smid=url-share" target="_blank">Times</a>.&nbsp;

Health officials in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/idaho-infant-hospitalized-suspected-botulism-after-baby-formula-recall" target="_blank">Idaho</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/louisiana-health-officials-say-stop-using-byhealth-baby-formula" target="_blank">Louisiana</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/byheart-baby-formula-linked-13-cases-infant-botulism-including-1-minnesota" target="_blank">Minnesota</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/nm-health-department-issues-botulism-warning-over-infant-formula" target="_blank">New Mexico</a>&nbsp;and countless other states have issued warnings about the ByHeart formula recall.

This story was originally produced by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/major-retailers-slow-remove-recalled-infant-formula-shelves-fda-says" target="_blank">News From The States</a>, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network which includes Nebraska Examiner, and is supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762681537657.png" alt="FDA image" />
 <figcaption>FDA image</figcaption>
 </figure>By:<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/elisha-brown/">Elisha Brown</a>The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning four major retailers about compliance with a recall of infant formula that has been linked to botulism.&nbsp;Ann Oxenham, the FDA’s top compliance officer for the human foods program, sent letters to Albertsons, Kroger, Target and Walmart Friday about ByHeart Whole Nutrition formula products remaining on some store’s retail shelves as late as Nov. 26.&nbsp;“These warning letters highlight the critical responsibility that retailers have in effectuating a recall, particularly when dealing with products that pose serious health risks to our most vulnerable populations, such as infants,” the agency said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-takes-action-improve-recall-effectiveness-following-infant-botulism-outbreak-investigation" target="_blank">statement</a>&nbsp;released Monday.&nbsp;No infant deaths attributed to the outbreak have been&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/botulism/outbreaks-investigations/infant-formula-nov-2025/index.html" target="_blank">reported</a>. At least 51 cases across 19 states resulted in infant hospitalizations as of Dec. 10, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2025/2025-cdcs-rapid-response-helps-solve-first-infant-botulism-outbreak-linked-to-formula.html" target="_blank">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a>.ByHeart issued a recall of the formula on Nov. 8. The company expanded the recall three days later to include all of its products, including unexpired formula cans and single-serve “anywhere pack” sticks, according to an agency&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-takes-action-improve-recall-effectiveness-following-infant-botulism-outbreak-investigation" target="_blank">news release</a>.&nbsp;When the agency’s state and local partners made 4,000 visits to retail stores in the weeks after the initial recall, they found the formula stocked at more than 175 locations across 36 states.&nbsp;“Food safety is a shared responsibility, and it is of utmost importance that all parties in the supply chain act swiftly and vigilantly to protect our nation’s children from unsafe food,” FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-takes-action-improve-recall-effectiveness-following-infant-botulism-outbreak-investigation" target="_blank">statement</a>.&nbsp;Botulism in babies occurs when a baby swallows Clostridium botulinum bacteria, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/botulism/outbreaks-investigations/infant-formula-nov-2025/index.html" target="_blank">CDC</a>. Symptoms can take weeks to develop, but they include constipation, poor feeding, loss of head control and difficulty swallowing.&nbsp;The ByHeart formula products were found at Walmart stores in 21 states from Nov. 12 to Nov. 26, according to the FDA warning&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/walmart-inc-720400-12122025" target="_blank">letter</a>&nbsp;to CEO Doug McMillon.&nbsp;“As a participant in the supply chain, your firm should take prompt and effective action when notified of a product recall,” Oxenham wrote.&nbsp;A Walmart spokesperson told States Newsroom that the health and safety of their customers is “always a top priority.”&nbsp;“When notified of the recall, we moved swiftly to issue a sales restriction and removed this product from our impacted stores and clubs and online. We take all reports of inaction seriously and will respond to the letter,” the spokesperson said.&nbsp;Even though Target told the FDA that the big-box store put a block on bar codes for cans of ByHeart formula and the single-serve packs on Nov. 11, an investigator found the formula at a New Hampshire location five days later, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/target-corporation-720399-12122025" target="_blank">warning letter</a>.&nbsp;A larger agency audit discovered the recalled formula was still on Target shelves across 20 states from Nov. 12 to Nov. 20. Associates told state and local FDA partners that they were not aware of the recall or confused about the scope of which products were potentially affected by the contamination, among other explanations.&nbsp;An auditor even found the single-serve formula packs marked down at an Arkansas Target with a $2 discount weeks after the nationwide recall, the letter states.&nbsp;Target did not immediately respond to a request for comment.&nbsp;The recalled formula was found at several Albertsons stores, including Acme and Safeway, across 11 states from Nov. 12 to Nov. 19, according to an FDA&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/albertsons-companies-incorporated-720465-12122025" target="_blank">letter</a>&nbsp;sent to CEO Susan Morris.Agency officials had a call with the company’s leadership on Nov. 20 asking for a plan about the issue, but Oxenham wrote that the company did not deliver one.In a statement provided to States Newsroom, a spokesperson for the company said “they are committed to the health and safety of our customers.”&nbsp;“We have procedures to address product recalls, including working closely with suppliers and regulators to identify and remove affected items and communicate guidance to customers,” a spokesperson said. “ByHeart infant formula products have been removed from our store shelves.”&nbsp;The FDA&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/kroger-company-720464-12122025" target="_blank">wrote</a>&nbsp;to Kroger interim CEO Ronald Sargent on Friday, too, saying that the formula was found at the company’s stores across 10 states “well after the recall was initiated and subsequently expanded.” Kroger did not immediately respond to a request for comment.&nbsp;ByHeart is issuing refunds for all products purchased on or after Aug. 1 from their website, and parents or caregivers can also get their money back if they purchased the formula from retailers, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://byheart.com/?srsltid=AfmBOopkBi2iv35zHMHcBDwt-rPRyDbkPv4SGFQXfFmeRMyJNPDBwS-C" target="_blank">statement</a>.&nbsp;The company has had safety issues recently: A Pennsylvania plant closed this year after inspectors found mold, dead insects and a leaking roof in a formula production area,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/13/health/infant-formula-botulism.html?unlocked_article_code=1.9E8.jBCf.M35fWHv5QoeC&amp;smid=url-share" target="_blank">The New York Times</a>&nbsp;reported last month.&nbsp;Two years ago, a hazardous&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/foodborne-pathogens/cronobacter-sakazakii" target="_blank">bacterium that can cause sepsis and meningitis in infants</a>&nbsp;was found in a processing area of the same plant and in finished formula shortly after, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/13/health/infant-formula-botulism.html?unlocked_article_code=1.9E8.jBCf.M35fWHv5QoeC&amp;smid=url-share" target="_blank">Times</a>.&nbsp;Health officials in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/idaho-infant-hospitalized-suspected-botulism-after-baby-formula-recall" target="_blank">Idaho</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/louisiana-health-officials-say-stop-using-byhealth-baby-formula" target="_blank">Louisiana</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/byheart-baby-formula-linked-13-cases-infant-botulism-including-1-minnesota" target="_blank">Minnesota</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/nm-health-department-issues-botulism-warning-over-infant-formula" target="_blank">New Mexico</a>&nbsp;and countless other states have issued warnings about the ByHeart formula recall.This story was originally produced by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/major-retailers-slow-remove-recalled-infant-formula-shelves-fda-says" target="_blank">News From The States</a>, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network which includes Nebraska Examiner, and is supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.

FDA: Major retailers slow to remove recalled infant formula from shelves

Officials are now looking for a person who walked by the person of interest in Brown University mass shooting

By:<a href="https://rhodeislandcurrent.com/author/nancy-lavin/">Nancy Lavin</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://rhodeislandcurrent.com/author/janine-weisman/">Janine L. Weisman</a> <a href="https://rhodeislandcurrent.com/">Rhode Island Current</a>

Investigators are widening their search as the hunt for the man believed responsible for the Brown University mass shooting that&nbsp;<a href="https://rhodeislandcurrent.com/2025/12/15/two-brown-university-students-who-lost-their-lives-in-campus-shooting-identified/">killed two students</a>&nbsp;and injured nine others enters its fifth day.

Providence Police on Wednesday released&nbsp;<a href="https://www.providenceri.gov/tips/" target="_blank">new images</a>&nbsp;of a&nbsp;<a href="https://rhodeislandcurrent.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/ID-4.png">second person</a>&nbsp;who was walking through the East Side neighborhood at the same time as the suspected shooter on Saturday, along with&nbsp;<a href="https://rhodeislandcurrent.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/map.png">a map</a>&nbsp;of a focus area stretching 10 blocks south of the Barus and Holley engineering building where the fatal shooting occurred.

Officials&nbsp;<a href="https://rhodeislandcurrent.com/2025/12/16/investigators-are-counting-on-the-public-to-id-their-person-of-interest-so-far-theyre-getting-it/">are again</a>&nbsp;calling upon the public for help in identifying the second person, shown wearing a dark jacket with a tan sweatshirt underneath, hood pulled up, and carrying a tan bag, believed to have been close to the 5-foot-8 man with a stocky build previously identified as the main “person of interest” in the shooting.

“Videos don’t speak,” Col. Oscar Perez, Providence Police chief, said during a press conference Wednesday afternoon. “I wish the video could speak, and then I’d have the answers I need.”

Perez declined to answer whether the second person was connected to the person of interest.&nbsp;

Nearly 100 hours have passed since the fatal shooting at the campus engineering building at 4 p.m. Saturday. More than 200 tips, including photo and video evidence from property security systems and vehicle dash cameras, have poured in as local, state, and federal investigators searched for physical evidence in the surrounding neighborhood.

“This is a very intensive investigation,” Perez said. “It’s going to take public assistance. It’s going to take 21st century policing involving technology, but it’s also going to take good old fashioned police work, which is knocking on doors, going through yards.”

Perez said later, “A person is going to get caught. We’re not going to stop until they do.”

The area of focus has expanded beyond the intersection of Ives and Pitman streets, where the gunman was last detected on video footage after the crime, stretching south into Fox Point, almost reaching the Washington Bridge, according to the new map.

“We want to make sure we don’t miss anything,” Perez said.

Concentric circles growing outward is standard practice for investigations, and Perez said the team is ready to follow tips and leads across and beyond state lines, too.

Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha offered new insight into officials’ decision to keep key details of the investigation under wraps, including videos from inside the building that show students fleeing after the gunman opened fire with what officials have said was a 9 millimeter gun. They have not confirmed whether the weapon has been found.

“These are not facts that advance the investigation,” Neronha said of the video recorded inside Barus and Holley showing students fleeing. “As we interview witnesses, we don’t want them to learn facts from these press conferences. We’re being careful about the facts that we are sharing for that reason.”

The collaboration of nine federal agencies and state and local investigators appears somewhat disjointed, with the FBI releasing videos and images separately from Providence police on Tuesday. Yet officials presented a united front, stressing teamwork and partnership, including with Brown University.

University officials faced more questions from reporters Wednesday about the lack of camera footage in the part of the academic building where the shooting took place at the end of a review session for an economics final. University Provost Francis Doyle in response said that all evidence had been turned over to law enforcement, while noting that it would be “counterproductive” to reveal the locations of the university’s 1,200 camera security system.

The vacuum of information and images has left the&nbsp;<a href="https://rhodeislandcurrent.com/2025/12/14/a-community-in-grief-gathers-to-hold-light-in-one-of-providences-darkest-times/">capital city on edge</a>&nbsp;and fueled speculation and misinformation on social media. Brown in a statement Tuesday night warned about harmful doxxing activity toward at least one member of the university.

“Accusations, speculation and conspiracies we’re seeing on social media and in some news reports are irresponsible, harmful, and in some cases dangerous for the safety of individuals in our community” the university said. “It is not unusual as a safety measure to take steps to protect an individual’s safety when this kind of activity happens, including in regard to their online presence.

Mayor Brett Smiley cautioned against AI-generated images being circulated online. Officials have created an online repository of verified photos and videos of the suspect, the second person, and the map area, available on the&nbsp;<a href="http://providenceri.gov/tips" target="_blank">city website</a>.

No additional updates are expected until Thursday when another briefing is scheduled for 4 p.m., Smiley said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1766058464325.png" alt="Providence Police on Wednesday released&nbsp;<a href="https://www.providenceri.gov/tips/" target="_blank">new images</a>&nbsp;of a&nbsp;<a href="https://rhodeislandcurrent.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/ID-4.png">second person</a>&nbsp;who was walking through the East Side neighborhood at the same time as the suspected shooter-Photo Providence Police" />
 <figcaption>Providence Police on Wednesday released&nbsp;<a href="https://www.providenceri.gov/tips/" target="_blank">new images</a>&nbsp;of a&nbsp;<a href="https://rhodeislandcurrent.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/ID-4.png">second person</a>&nbsp;who was walking through the East Side neighborhood at the same time as the suspected shooter-Photo Providence Police</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Officials are now looking for a person who walked by the person of interest in Brown University mass shooting</h2>By:<a href="https://rhodeislandcurrent.com/author/nancy-lavin/">Nancy Lavin</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://rhodeislandcurrent.com/author/janine-weisman/">Janine L. Weisman</a> <a href="https://rhodeislandcurrent.com/">Rhode Island Current</a>Investigators are widening their search as the hunt for the man believed responsible for the Brown University mass shooting that&nbsp;<a href="https://rhodeislandcurrent.com/2025/12/15/two-brown-university-students-who-lost-their-lives-in-campus-shooting-identified/">killed two students</a>&nbsp;and injured nine others enters its fifth day.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1766058449910.png" alt="Providence police released this image of a person who walked by the person of interest on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025. (Courtesy of Providence Police)" />
 <figcaption>Providence police released this image of a person who walked by the person of interest on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025. (Courtesy of Providence Police)</figcaption>
 </figure>Providence Police on Wednesday released&nbsp;<a href="https://www.providenceri.gov/tips/" target="_blank">new images</a>&nbsp;of a&nbsp;<a href="https://rhodeislandcurrent.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/ID-4.png">second person</a>&nbsp;who was walking through the East Side neighborhood at the same time as the suspected shooter on Saturday, along with&nbsp;<a href="https://rhodeislandcurrent.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/map.png">a map</a>&nbsp;of a focus area stretching 10 blocks south of the Barus and Holley engineering building where the fatal shooting occurred.Officials&nbsp;<a href="https://rhodeislandcurrent.com/2025/12/16/investigators-are-counting-on-the-public-to-id-their-person-of-interest-so-far-theyre-getting-it/">are again</a>&nbsp;calling upon the public for help in identifying the second person, shown wearing a dark jacket with a tan sweatshirt underneath, hood pulled up, and carrying a tan bag, believed to have been close to the 5-foot-8 man with a stocky build previously identified as the main “person of interest” in the shooting.“Videos don’t speak,” Col. Oscar Perez, Providence Police chief, said during a press conference Wednesday afternoon. “I wish the video could speak, and then I’d have the answers I need.”Perez declined to answer whether the second person was connected to the person of interest.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">ENHANCED VIDEO: We are releasing an enhanced video of the person of interest in the Brown University incident. Footage was captured on the East Side of Providence on Saturday afternoon before the incident. Please share widely and contact the official tip line if you have… <a href="https://t.co/mewBSflOiO">pic.twitter.com/mewBSflOiO</a>&mdash; Providence Police (@ProvidenceRIPD) <a href="https://twitter.com/ProvidenceRIPD/status/2001035754898653196?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Nearly 100 hours have passed since the fatal shooting at the campus engineering building at 4 p.m. Saturday. More than 200 tips, including photo and video evidence from property security systems and vehicle dash cameras, have poured in as local, state, and federal investigators searched for physical evidence in the surrounding neighborhood.“This is a very intensive investigation,” Perez said. “It’s going to take public assistance. It’s going to take 21st century policing involving technology, but it’s also going to take good old fashioned police work, which is knocking on doors, going through yards.”Perez said later, “A person is going to get caught. We’re not going to stop until they do.”The area of focus has expanded beyond the intersection of Ives and Pitman streets, where the gunman was last detected on video footage after the crime, stretching south into Fox Point, almost reaching the Washington Bridge, according to the new map.“We want to make sure we don’t miss anything,” Perez said.<h2>Expanding circles</h2>Concentric circles growing outward is standard practice for investigations, and Perez said the team is ready to follow tips and leads across and beyond state lines, too.Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha offered new insight into officials’ decision to keep key details of the investigation under wraps, including videos from inside the building that show students fleeing after the gunman opened fire with what officials have said was a 9 millimeter gun. They have not confirmed whether the weapon has been found.“These are not facts that advance the investigation,” Neronha said of the video recorded inside Barus and Holley showing students fleeing. “As we interview witnesses, we don’t want them to learn facts from these press conferences. We’re being careful about the facts that we are sharing for that reason.”The collaboration of nine federal agencies and state and local investigators appears somewhat disjointed, with the FBI releasing videos and images separately from Providence police on Tuesday. Yet officials presented a united front, stressing teamwork and partnership, including with Brown University.University officials faced more questions from reporters Wednesday about the lack of camera footage in the part of the academic building where the shooting took place at the end of a review session for an economics final. University Provost Francis Doyle in response said that all evidence had been turned over to law enforcement, while noting that it would be “counterproductive” to reveal the locations of the university’s 1,200 camera security system.The vacuum of information and images has left the&nbsp;<a href="https://rhodeislandcurrent.com/2025/12/14/a-community-in-grief-gathers-to-hold-light-in-one-of-providences-darkest-times/">capital city on edge</a>&nbsp;and fueled speculation and misinformation on social media. Brown in a statement Tuesday night warned about harmful doxxing activity toward at least one member of the university.“Accusations, speculation and conspiracies we’re seeing on social media and in some news reports are irresponsible, harmful, and in some cases dangerous for the safety of individuals in our community” the university said. “It is not unusual as a safety measure to take steps to protect an individual’s safety when this kind of activity happens, including in regard to their online presence.Mayor Brett Smiley cautioned against AI-generated images being circulated online. Officials have created an online repository of verified photos and videos of the suspect, the second person, and the map area, available on the&nbsp;<a href="http://providenceri.gov/tips" target="_blank">city website</a>.No additional updates are expected until Thursday when another briefing is scheduled for 4 p.m., Smiley said.

Still no name, motive or weapon: Brown University manhunt continues

By Allison Peck | North Platte Post/Sandhills Post

WASHINGTON, D.C., Dec. 15, 2025 — President Donald J. Trump has issued an executive order designating illicit fentanyl and its core precursor chemicals as Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), citing the drug as both a public health and national security threat.

In the order, Trump emphasized the extreme lethality of fentanyl, noting that just two milligrams — roughly the size of 10 to 15 grains of table salt — can be fatal. “Hundreds of thousands of Americans have died from fentanyl overdoses,” the order states.

The directive frames the manufacture and distribution of fentanyl as a threat to U.S. security, pointing to the involvement of organized criminal networks and foreign terrorist organizations. According to the order, these groups use fentanyl sales to fund operations that include violent crime, assassinations, terrorist acts, and insurgencies worldwide. The order also highlights ongoing cartel violence over territory and the potential for fentanyl to be used in large-scale terror attacks.

To address the threat, the order outlines several key actions:

The executive order defines illicit fentanyl as fentanyl produced or distributed in violation of federal law and identifies core precursor chemicals, such as Piperidone-based substances, as key components in its manufacture.

The order notes that it does not create enforceable rights for private parties and will be implemented consistent with applicable law and available funding. The Department of Justice will cover the costs of publishing the order.

“As President of the United States, my highest duty is the defense of the country and its citizens,” the order states, underscoring the administration’s approach of treating fentanyl as not just a drug crisis, but a national security concern.

By Allison Peck | North Platte Post/Sandhills Post<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765991793027.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON, D.C., Dec. 15, 2025 — President Donald J. Trump has issued an executive order designating illicit fentanyl and its core precursor chemicals as Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), citing the drug as both a public health and national security threat.In the order, Trump emphasized the extreme lethality of fentanyl, noting that just two milligrams — roughly the size of 10 to 15 grains of table salt — can be fatal. “Hundreds of thousands of Americans have died from fentanyl overdoses,” the order states.The directive frames the manufacture and distribution of fentanyl as a threat to U.S. security, pointing to the involvement of organized criminal networks and foreign terrorist organizations. According to the order, these groups use fentanyl sales to fund operations that include violent crime, assassinations, terrorist acts, and insurgencies worldwide. The order also highlights ongoing cartel violence over territory and the potential for fentanyl to be used in large-scale terror attacks.To address the threat, the order outlines several key actions:<ul>
 <li>Law Enforcement: The Attorney General will immediately pursue investigations and prosecutions related to fentanyl trafficking, including criminal charges and sentencing enhancements.
</li><li>Financial Measures: The Secretaries of State and Treasury are tasked with targeting assets and financial institutions tied to the manufacture and sale of illicit fentanyl.
</li><li>Military Support: The Secretary of War, in consultation with Homeland Security, will update Armed Forces directives for chemical incidents to include fentanyl. Military resources may also be made available to the Department of Justice for enforcement purposes.
</li><li>Intelligence and Homeland Security: Homeland Security will work with other agencies to identify fentanyl-related threat networks using WMD and nonproliferation intelligence.
</li>
 </ul>The executive order defines illicit fentanyl as fentanyl produced or distributed in violation of federal law and identifies core precursor chemicals, such as Piperidone-based substances, as key components in its manufacture.The order notes that it does not create enforceable rights for private parties and will be implemented consistent with applicable law and available funding. The Department of Justice will cover the costs of publishing the order.“As President of the United States, my highest duty is the defense of the country and its citizens,” the order states, underscoring the administration’s approach of treating fentanyl as not just a drug crisis, but a national security concern.

Trump Designates Illicit Fentanyl as a Weapon of Mass Destruction

By Alli Peck, North Platte Post / Sandhills Post

LINCOLN — Nebraska has taken a first-in-the-nation step toward requiring work or community engagement as a condition of Medicaid coverage for able-bodied adults, Gov. Jim Pillen announced Wednesday. The governor was joined by Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services (CMS), along with senior state health officials for the announcement at the Nebraska State Capitol.&nbsp;

Under the plan, Nebraska will pursue implementation of work requirements for Medicaid expansion members beginning May 1, 2026, months ahead of the federal deadline. Pillen signed a letter of intent to CMS outlining the state’s timeline and strategy.&nbsp;

“This policy will help Nebraskans achieve greater self-sufficiency through employment and other meaningful activities,” Pillen said, describing the program as a way to build stronger community ties and promote long-term independence.&nbsp;

Beginning next spring, able-bodied Medicaid enrollees ages 19–64 who are part of Nebraska’s Medicaid expansion population must complete at least 80 hours per month of qualifying activities to maintain their coverage, unless exempt. Qualifying activities include:

State officials estimate that roughly 30,000 Nebraskans could be subject to the new requirements.&nbsp;

CMS Administrator Dr. Oz said Nebraska’s move marks a national milestone. “Nebraska is leading the way … and we congratulate Governor Pillen and his team for their commitment to helping more Nebraskans move toward greater independence and opportunity,” he said. Federal officials plan to work with Nebraska and other states to ensure the program is implemented smoothly and in compliance with federal law.&nbsp;

The plan includes a range of exemptions for populations that federal and state officials said should not be subject to the requirement. Exempt groups include:

Officials also highlighted resources available through the Nebraska Department of Labor’s NEworks job service for beneficiaries seeking employment support.&nbsp;

Current Medicaid expansion members in Nebraska will be assessed for compliance with the new requirements at their next regularly scheduled renewal after the May 1 implementation date. New applicants on or after that date will need to verify participation in qualifying activities or demonstrate an exemption when applying.&nbsp;

State Department of Health and Human Services officials said notices will go out by mail, email, or text to beneficiaries who must participate in community engagement or qualify for exemptions, and more detailed information will be available on the DHHS website.&nbsp;

Supporters of work requirements say the policy encourages employment and community involvement and can strengthen economic stability for individuals and families. Opponents in other states where similar policies have been introduced have raised concerns about coverage loss and administrative challenges, though state officials say Nebraska’s plan includes safeguards and exemptions.

By Alli Peck, North Platte Post / Sandhills Post<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762962035768.jpeg" alt=" The Nebraska State Capitol Building. (Rebecca S. Gratz for Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption> The Nebraska State Capitol Building. (Rebecca S. Gratz for Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>LINCOLN — Nebraska has taken a first-in-the-nation step toward requiring work or community engagement as a condition of Medicaid coverage for able-bodied adults, Gov. Jim Pillen announced Wednesday. The governor was joined by Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services (CMS), along with senior state health officials for the announcement at the Nebraska State Capitol.&nbsp;Under the plan, Nebraska will pursue implementation of work requirements for Medicaid expansion members beginning May 1, 2026, months ahead of the federal deadline. Pillen signed a letter of intent to CMS outlining the state’s timeline and strategy.&nbsp;“This policy will help Nebraskans achieve greater self-sufficiency through employment and other meaningful activities,” Pillen said, describing the program as a way to build stronger community ties and promote long-term independence.&nbsp;<h2>What the Requirements Entail</h2>Beginning next spring, able-bodied Medicaid enrollees ages 19–64 who are part of Nebraska’s Medicaid expansion population must complete at least 80 hours per month of qualifying activities to maintain their coverage, unless exempt. Qualifying activities include:<ul>
 <li>Employment
</li><li>Attendance in school or apprenticeship programs
</li><li>Participation in approved work programs
</li><li>Volunteering in the community&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>State officials estimate that roughly 30,000 Nebraskans could be subject to the new requirements.&nbsp;CMS Administrator Dr. Oz said Nebraska’s move marks a national milestone. “Nebraska is leading the way … and we congratulate Governor Pillen and his team for their commitment to helping more Nebraskans move toward greater independence and opportunity,” he said. Federal officials plan to work with Nebraska and other states to ensure the program is implemented smoothly and in compliance with federal law.&nbsp;<h2>Exemptions and Support</h2>The plan includes a range of exemptions for populations that federal and state officials said should not be subject to the requirement. Exempt groups include:<ul>
 <li>People who are disabled or medically frail
</li><li>Individuals currently in or under age 26 who have aged out of foster care
</li><li>Members of recognized Native American tribes
</li><li>Pregnant women
</li><li>Parents or guardians of children up to age 13
</li><li>Caregivers of people with disabilities
</li><li>Disabled veterans
</li><li>Those compliant with work requirements under SNAP or TANF
</li><li>People receiving substance use treatment
</li><li>People incarcerated within the last 90 days
</li><li>Individuals eligible for Medicare Part A or B&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>Officials also highlighted resources available through the Nebraska Department of Labor’s NEworks job service for beneficiaries seeking employment support.&nbsp;<h2>Next Steps for Nebraska Medicaid Members</h2>Current Medicaid expansion members in Nebraska will be assessed for compliance with the new requirements at their next regularly scheduled renewal after the May 1 implementation date. New applicants on or after that date will need to verify participation in qualifying activities or demonstrate an exemption when applying.&nbsp;State Department of Health and Human Services officials said notices will go out by mail, email, or text to beneficiaries who must participate in community engagement or qualify for exemptions, and more detailed information will be available on the DHHS website.&nbsp;<h2>What It Means Locally</h2>Supporters of work requirements say the policy encourages employment and community involvement and can strengthen economic stability for individuals and families. Opponents in other states where similar policies have been introduced have raised concerns about coverage loss and administrative challenges, though state officials say Nebraska’s plan includes safeguards and exemptions.

Nebraska First in Nation to Pursue Medicaid Work Requirements

On Dec. 17, at the direction of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist Organizations in international waters, according to a statement from the U.S. Southern Command.

 Intelligence confirmed that the vessel was transiting along a known narco-trafficking route in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations. A total of four male narco-terrorists were killed, and no U.S. military forces were harmed.&nbsp;

On Dec. 17, at the direction of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist Organizations in international waters, according to a statement from the U.S. Southern Command.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">On Dec. 17, at the direction of <a href="https://twitter.com/SecWar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecWar</a> Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist Organizations in international waters. Intelligence confirmed that the vessel was transiting along a known… <a href="https://t.co/Yhu3LSOyea">pic.twitter.com/Yhu3LSOyea</a>&mdash; U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/Southcom/status/2001464448750621120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div> Intelligence confirmed that the vessel was transiting along a known narco-trafficking route in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations. A total of four male narco-terrorists were killed, and no U.S. military forces were harmed.&nbsp;

U.S. military reports another deadly attack on a drug boat

The Powerball® jackpot has jumped to an estimated $1.5 billion for Saturday night’s drawing, extending the game’s holiday jackpot streak. The jackpot has an estimated cash value of $686.5 million, according to the Multi-State Lottery Association.

Saturday’s jackpot ranks as the fifth largest in the Powerball game and the seventh largest among U.S. lottery jackpots.

“This jackpot is set to deliver the ultimate windfall,” said Matt Strawn, Powerball Product Group Chair and Iowa Lottery CEO. “The jackpot grows with every $2 ticket sold, and a portion of each ticket supports local public programs and services. We encourage everyone to have fun and play responsibly.”

The jackpot rolled last night after no ticket matched all six numbers drawn – white balls 25, 33, 53, 62, 66 and red Powerball 17. The Power Play® multiplier was 4.

Although there was no jackpot winner, U.S. lotteries are reminding players to check their tickets carefully, as many tickets won cash prizes in last night’s drawing.

Nationwide, six tickets matched all five white balls to win $1 million prizes. The winning Match 5 tickets were sold in Connecticut, New York (3), Pennsylvania and Tennessee.

Two tickets, sold in Arizona and Massachusetts, matched all five white balls and, because the players added the Power Play® option for $1 more, the $1 million prize increased to $2 million for each ticket.

The drawing also produced 72 tickets that won $50,000 prizes and 14 tickets that won $200,000 prizes. Note: In California, prize payout amounts are pari-mutuel and determined by sales and the number of winners.

In the Double Play® drawing, a ticket in Florida won a $500,000 prize after matching all five black balls. Double Play is a $1 add-on feature that allows players to player their Powerball numbers, again, in a separate drawing for a chance to win up to $10 million. Double Play drawings are live streamed on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.powerball.com/watch-drawing">Powerball.com</a>following the main Powerball drawing.

Saturday’s Powerball drawing will be the 45th in the current jackpot run – a game record for the most drawings in a jackpot cycle. The Powerball jackpot was last won on Sept. 6 by two tickets in Missouri and Texas that split a $1.787 billion prize.

This marks only the second time in Powerball history that the game has produced back-to-back jackpots exceeding $1 billion. The only other occurrence was in 2023, when a $1.08 billion jackpot was won on July 19, followed by a $1.765 billion jackpot on Oct. 11. Both jackpots were won in California.

If a player wins Saturday’s jackpot, they will have the choice between an annuitized prize estimated at $1.5 billion or a lump sum payment estimated at $686.5 million. Both prize options are before taxes. If the winner selects the annuity option, they will receive one immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments that increase by 5-percent each year.

Powerball® tickets are $2 per play. Tickets are sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. More than half of all proceeds from the sale of a Powerball ticket remain in the jurisdiction where the ticket was sold. Since its first drawing in 1992, the Powerball game has helped generate more than $37 billion for good causes supported by U.S. lotteries.

Powerball drawings are broadcast live every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET from the Florida Lottery draw studio in Tallahassee, Fla. Powerball drawings are also live streamed on Powerball.com.

The overall odds of winning a prize are 1 in 24.9. The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million.

The Powerball® jackpot has jumped to an estimated $1.5 billion for Saturday night’s drawing, extending the game’s holiday jackpot streak. The jackpot has an estimated cash value of $686.5 million, according to the Multi-State Lottery Association.Saturday’s jackpot ranks as the fifth largest in the Powerball game and the seventh largest among U.S. lottery jackpots.“This jackpot is set to deliver the ultimate windfall,” said Matt Strawn, Powerball Product Group Chair and Iowa Lottery CEO. “The jackpot grows with every $2 ticket sold, and a portion of each ticket supports local public programs and services. We encourage everyone to have fun and play responsibly.”The jackpot rolled last night after no ticket matched all six numbers drawn – white balls 25, 33, 53, 62, 66 and red Powerball 17. The Power Play® multiplier was 4.Although there was no jackpot winner, U.S. lotteries are reminding players to check their tickets carefully, as many tickets won cash prizes in last night’s drawing.Nationwide, six tickets matched all five white balls to win $1 million prizes. The winning Match 5 tickets were sold in Connecticut, New York (3), Pennsylvania and Tennessee.Two tickets, sold in Arizona and Massachusetts, matched all five white balls and, because the players added the Power Play® option for $1 more, the $1 million prize increased to $2 million for each ticket.The drawing also produced 72 tickets that won $50,000 prizes and 14 tickets that won $200,000 prizes. Note: In California, prize payout amounts are pari-mutuel and determined by sales and the number of winners.In the Double Play® drawing, a ticket in Florida won a $500,000 prize after matching all five black balls. Double Play is a $1 add-on feature that allows players to player their Powerball numbers, again, in a separate drawing for a chance to win up to $10 million. Double Play drawings are live streamed on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.powerball.com/watch-drawing">Powerball.com</a>following the main Powerball drawing.Saturday’s Powerball drawing will be the 45th in the current jackpot run – a game record for the most drawings in a jackpot cycle. The Powerball jackpot was last won on Sept. 6 by two tickets in Missouri and Texas that split a $1.787 billion prize.This marks only the second time in Powerball history that the game has produced back-to-back jackpots exceeding $1 billion. The only other occurrence was in 2023, when a $1.08 billion jackpot was won on July 19, followed by a $1.765 billion jackpot on Oct. 11. Both jackpots were won in California.If a player wins Saturday’s jackpot, they will have the choice between an annuitized prize estimated at $1.5 billion or a lump sum payment estimated at $686.5 million. Both prize options are before taxes. If the winner selects the annuity option, they will receive one immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments that increase by 5-percent each year.Powerball® tickets are $2 per play. Tickets are sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. More than half of all proceeds from the sale of a Powerball ticket remain in the jurisdiction where the ticket was sold. Since its first drawing in 1992, the Powerball game has helped generate more than $37 billion for good causes supported by U.S. lotteries.Powerball drawings are broadcast live every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET from the Florida Lottery draw studio in Tallahassee, Fla. Powerball drawings are also live streamed on Powerball.com.The overall odds of winning a prize are 1 in 24.9. The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million.Top U.S. Lottery Jackpots<ol>
 <li>$2.04 Billion – Powerball – Nov. 7, 2022 – CA</li><li>$1.787 Billion – Powerball – Sept. 6, 2025 – MO, TX</li><li>$1.765 Billion – Powerball – Oct. 11, 2023 - CA</li><li>$1.602 Billion – Mega Millions – Aug. 8, 2023 - FL</li><li>$1.586 Billion – Powerball – Jan. 13, 2016 – CA, FL, TN</li><li>$1.537 Billion – Mega Millions – Oct. 23, 2018 – SC</li><li>$1.5 Billion est. – Powerball – Dec. 20, 2025</li><li>$1.348 Billion – Mega Millions – Jan. 13, 2023 – ME</li><li>$1.337 Billion – Mega Millions – July 29, 2022 – IL</li><li>$1.326 Billion – Powerball – April 6, 2024 – OR</li>
 </ol>

Powerball jackpot climbs to fifth-largest in game’s history

WASHINGTON — President&nbsp;Donald Trump delivered a speech from the White House Wednesday night.

WASHINGTON — President&nbsp;Donald Trump delivered a speech from the White House Wednesday night.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Trump Delivers an Address to the Nation <a href="https://t.co/MFdbVqP2Ty">https://t.co/MFdbVqP2Ty</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/2001472912063074380?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: Soon, we will host the World Cup, the Olympics, and most importantly, we will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. When the world looks at us next year, let them see a nation that is LOYAL to its citizens, FAITHFUL to its workers,… <a href="https://t.co/Bz8XoaGwq4">pic.twitter.com/Bz8XoaGwq4</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2001478813222338796?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">&quot;When the world looks at us next year, let them see a nation that is loyal to its citizens, faithful to its workers, confidant to its identity, certain to its destiny and the envy of the entire globe. We are respected again like we have never been respected before.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/L8iSdMiUKD">pic.twitter.com/L8iSdMiUKD</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/2001479523619975433?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Trump: &quot;I am also proud to announce that more than 1,450,000 military service members will receive a special Warrior Dividend before Christmas...We are sending every soldier $1,776...and the checks are already on the way.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/Sb2cVv8AK2">pic.twitter.com/Sb2cVv8AK2</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/2001477122934673907?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Trump: &quot;Do you remember when Joe Biden said that he needed Congress to pass legislation to help close the border? He was was always blaming Congress and everyone else. As it turned out we didn&#39;t need legislation. We just needed a new president.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/3QkVoQ2Jys">pic.twitter.com/3QkVoQ2Jys</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/2001475575001633178?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;Tonight, after 11 months, our border is secure, inflation is stopped, wages are up, prices are down, our nation is strong, America is respected, and our country is back... We&#39;re poised for an economic boom the likes of which the world has never seen.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/4VWkFR4159">pic.twitter.com/4VWkFR4159</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2001478813063024686?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;The last administration and their allies in Congress brought in millions of migrants, and gave them taxpayer-funded housing, while your rent and housing costs skyrocketed... For the first time in 50 years, we are now seeing reverse migration... leaving more housing and… <a href="https://t.co/GKETu3mjby">pic.twitter.com/GKETu3mjby</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2001478484552749428?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: For so long, the vast majority of good and decent Americans were forced to watch as corrupt politicians plundered the halls of power, exploited our taxpayers, and pillaged every system that makes civilized society function. NOT ANYMORE. We are putting AMERICA FIRST. <a href="https://t.co/Ioc4xMd3Du">pic.twitter.com/Ioc4xMd3Du</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2001478358803296599?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;The yearly cost of a typical new mortgage increased by $15,000 dollars under Democrat rule. In 11 months, I have already gotten that annual cost down by $3,000 dollars.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/2YWbxBIk8G">pic.twitter.com/2YWbxBIk8G</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2001477956955443563?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: For years, Radical Left Democrats exploited the Green Energy SCAM as an excuse to funnel billions into their own massive slush funds as their restrictions drastically drove up prices. Electricity costs surged 30 to 100% under Biden. On Day One, I declared a National… <a href="https://t.co/bnGx547Mf1">pic.twitter.com/bnGx547Mf1</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2001477919865213145?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;I&#39;m doing what no politician of either party has ever done—standing up to the special interests to dramatically reduce the price of prescription drugs... The first of these unprecedented price reductions will be available starting in January through a new website:… <a href="https://t.co/G1AtlYCXu6">pic.twitter.com/G1AtlYCXu6</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2001477670299681212?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;I&#39;m also taking on the gigantic health insurance companies that have gotten rich on billions of dollars of money that should go directly to the people... so they can buy their own health insurance, which will give far better benefits at much lower costs.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/TpKwqzCDzL">pic.twitter.com/TpKwqzCDzL</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2001477172108611796?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;Next year, you will also see the results of the largest tax cuts in American history... many families will be saving between $11,000 and $20,000 dollars a year, and next spring is projected to be the largest tax refund season of all time.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/MdzWRy3YMw">pic.twitter.com/MdzWRy3YMw</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2001476724564070471?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;Already, I&#39;ve secured a record-breaking $18 trillion dollars of investment into the United States—which means Jobs, wage increases, growth, factory openings, and far greater national security.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/tWiOGpm95y">pic.twitter.com/tWiOGpm95y</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2001476352315429273?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;Under the Biden administration, Car prices rose 22%, and in many states 30% or more. Gasoline rose 30 to 50%. Hotel rates rose 37%. Airfares rose 31%. Now, under our leadership, they are all coming down and coming down fast.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/RYvdHkiDxt">pic.twitter.com/RYvdHkiDxt</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2001475912643060084?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥Highlights of President Trump's address to the nation

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Rest in Peace, Heroes. 🙏🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/Gb73qEQyNl">pic.twitter.com/Gb73qEQyNl</a>&mdash; Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) <a href="https://twitter.com/MargoMartin47/status/2001385127511994405?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">President Biden, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Dan Caine and others participate in dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base of two Iowa National Guardsmen and an American civilian interpreter killed in Syria. (Note: Video has no audio) <a href="https://t.co/i37jEAiLAF">pic.twitter.com/i37jEAiLAF</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/2001387339805835338?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> witnesses the dignified transfer of the three American Patriots killed in Syria over the weekend. May God bless their families, may God bless our military, and may God bless the United States of America. <a href="https://t.co/1DUJLF0Wna">pic.twitter.com/1DUJLF0Wna</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2001380379098509806?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">May God bless the memory of these fallen American Patriots and may God be with their loved ones. Rest in Peace, Heroes. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/Uks0MyVWqS">pic.twitter.com/Uks0MyVWqS</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2001381519190003756?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

Trump pays respects to National Guardsmen, interpreter killed in Syria 

State lawmaker, also facing expulsion from Legislature, waives scheduled Wednesday arraignment

LINCOLN — After initially filing a plea of no contest that wasn’t accepted when he didn’t attend his hearing, State Sen. Dan McKeon of Amherst has changed course and now plans to fight the allegation against him.

On Tuesday, the day before his rescheduled arraignment on a misdemeanor charge of disturbing the peace, McKeon filed a new plea of not guilty and waived his formal arraignment. The court accepted the plea and set his next court date for Jan. 26, ordering him to show up.

A legislative staffer accused the state lawmaker of&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/10/31/nebraska-state-senator-cited-for-public-indecency-during-session-ending-party/">groping her at an end-of-session party in May</a>. The Nebraska State Patrol received a report in September that McKeon had allegedly “made inappropriate contact with her buttocks with his hand, over the top of her clothing,” Patrol spokesman Cody Thomas said.

McKeon’s second arraignment was scheduled for Wednesday morning after his arraignment was&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraska-state-sen-dan-mckeons-arraignment-delayed-due-to-absence/">delayed when he tried to file a no contest plea by written waiver</a>. Lancaster County Court Judge Matthew Acton said a no contest plea must be submitted in person and postponed the arraignment one week.

A no contest plea would have allowed McKeon to accept any criminal penalties without formally admitting guilt and would waive his right to a trial.

McKeon’s attorney Perry Pirsch at one point called the disturbing the peace charge “a victory,” as the charge had been&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/12/09/nebraska-lawmaker-charged-with-disturbing-the-peace-from-alleged-groping-incident/">downgraded from public indecency</a>, which the Patrol initially cited McKeon with.

Pirsch said disturbing the peace was more consistent with McKeon’s perspective of the incident and that he’d planned to plead no contest in hopes that he could put the matter behind him and focus on the upcoming legislative session.

Pirsch could not immediately be reached for comment about the changed plea.

McKeon has acknowledged that an exchange took place between him and a staffer after one of the Nebraska Legislature’s sine die parties this year, but argued his actions were not sexually charged. Pirsch has said McKeon “is guilty of nothing but a bad pun and pat on the back.”

The Examiner is aware of the alleged victim’s name but is not publishing it because it is the policy of States Newsroom and the Examiner not to identify people who say they have been abused unless they wish to talk publicly.

Her attorney, Kathleen Neary, declined to comment on McKeon’s new plea, but noted her client is preparing a civil lawsuit against the senator.

McKeon, a married father of four, is a registered Republican who was elected to the officially nonpartisan Legislature in 2024, replacing former State Sen. Fred Meyer of St. Paul.

Gov. Jim Pillen and other state officials have called for McKeon’s resignation, but McKeon has said he will not resign.

In the midst of his pending criminal trial, McKeon also faces possible expulsion from the Legislature.

The Legislature’s Executive Board, its group of 10 senators in charge of handling disciplinary procedures within the legislative branch,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/12/13/nebraska-lawmakers-recommend-sen-dan-mckeon-be-expelled-after-groping-allegations/">voted unanimously Saturday to recommend McKeon’s expulsion</a>.

Expulsion is the strongest disciplinary measure the board can recommend, but it requires a full vote of the Legislature to pass. This means the matter will likely come before lawmakers during the 60-day legislative session that begins in January. Expelling him would require the votes of 33 senators.

Executive Board Chair State Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair has said the board concluded the expulsion recommendation was necessary “in light of a demonstrated pattern of behavior by Senator McKeon and not in response to a single isolated incident.”

By Erin Bamer | Nebraska Examiner<h2>State lawmaker, also facing expulsion from Legislature, waives scheduled Wednesday arraignment</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/mckeon_ZJW_121324-01-1536x1213.jpg" alt="&nbsp;State Sen.-elect Dan McKeon of Amherst, center, talks with State Sen.-elect Dunixi Guereca at a legislative retreat in Kearney on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;State Sen.-elect Dan McKeon of Amherst, center, talks with State Sen.-elect Dunixi Guereca at a legislative retreat in Kearney on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>LINCOLN — After initially filing a plea of no contest that wasn’t accepted when he didn’t attend his hearing, State Sen. Dan McKeon of Amherst has changed course and now plans to fight the allegation against him.On Tuesday, the day before his rescheduled arraignment on a misdemeanor charge of disturbing the peace, McKeon filed a new plea of not guilty and waived his formal arraignment. The court accepted the plea and set his next court date for Jan. 26, ordering him to show up.<figure>
 <img src="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/mckeon-headshot-200x300.jpg" alt="State Sen. Dan McKeon of Amherst. (Courtesy of Nebraska Unicameral Information Office)" />
 <figcaption>State Sen. Dan McKeon of Amherst. (Courtesy of Nebraska Unicameral Information Office)</figcaption>
 </figure>A legislative staffer accused the state lawmaker of&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/10/31/nebraska-state-senator-cited-for-public-indecency-during-session-ending-party/">groping her at an end-of-session party in May</a>. The Nebraska State Patrol received a report in September that McKeon had allegedly “made inappropriate contact with her buttocks with his hand, over the top of her clothing,” Patrol spokesman Cody Thomas said.McKeon’s second arraignment was scheduled for Wednesday morning after his arraignment was&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraska-state-sen-dan-mckeons-arraignment-delayed-due-to-absence/">delayed when he tried to file a no contest plea by written waiver</a>. Lancaster County Court Judge Matthew Acton said a no contest plea must be submitted in person and postponed the arraignment one week.A no contest plea would have allowed McKeon to accept any criminal penalties without formally admitting guilt and would waive his right to a trial.McKeon’s attorney Perry Pirsch at one point called the disturbing the peace charge “a victory,” as the charge had been&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/12/09/nebraska-lawmaker-charged-with-disturbing-the-peace-from-alleged-groping-incident/">downgraded from public indecency</a>, which the Patrol initially cited McKeon with.Pirsch said disturbing the peace was more consistent with McKeon’s perspective of the incident and that he’d planned to plead no contest in hopes that he could put the matter behind him and focus on the upcoming legislative session.Pirsch could not immediately be reached for comment about the changed plea.McKeon has acknowledged that an exchange took place between him and a staffer after one of the Nebraska Legislature’s sine die parties this year, but argued his actions were not sexually charged. Pirsch has said McKeon “is guilty of nothing but a bad pun and pat on the back.”The Examiner is aware of the alleged victim’s name but is not publishing it because it is the policy of States Newsroom and the Examiner not to identify people who say they have been abused unless they wish to talk publicly.Her attorney, Kathleen Neary, declined to comment on McKeon’s new plea, but noted her client is preparing a civil lawsuit against the senator.McKeon, a married father of four, is a registered Republican who was elected to the officially nonpartisan Legislature in 2024, replacing former State Sen. Fred Meyer of St. Paul.Gov. Jim Pillen and other state officials have called for McKeon’s resignation, but McKeon has said he will not resign.In the midst of his pending criminal trial, McKeon also faces possible expulsion from the Legislature.The Legislature’s Executive Board, its group of 10 senators in charge of handling disciplinary procedures within the legislative branch,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/12/13/nebraska-lawmakers-recommend-sen-dan-mckeon-be-expelled-after-groping-allegations/">voted unanimously Saturday to recommend McKeon’s expulsion</a>.Expulsion is the strongest disciplinary measure the board can recommend, but it requires a full vote of the Legislature to pass. This means the matter will likely come before lawmakers during the 60-day legislative session that begins in January. Expelling him would require the votes of 33 senators.Executive Board Chair State Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair has said the board concluded the expulsion recommendation was necessary “in light of a demonstrated pattern of behavior by Senator McKeon and not in response to a single isolated incident.”

State Sen. Dan McKeon changes plea to not guilty on misdemeanor disturbing the peace charge

Visitors looking for ideas and inspiration to explore the Cornhusker State can now get their hands on the official 2026 Nebraska State Travel Guide.

The new guide highlights events and festivals, attractions organized by region and city, and scenic byway road trips across the state. Designed for both first-time visitors and returning travelers, the publication features vivid photography, descriptive storytelling and light humor to appeal to a wide range of audiences, from families and solo travelers to history buffs, outdoor enthusiasts, food lovers and shoppers.

This year’s edition also places a special emphasis on history in recognition of America’s upcoming 250th birthday. Readers will find Nebraska-focused trivia and a timeline highlighting notable events, influential figures and historic sites throughout the state, including references to well-known Nebraskans such as “Buffalo Bill” Cody and author Willa Cather.

The cover of the 2026 guide features original artwork by Lincoln artist Katie Nieland. The illustration showcases several iconic Nebraska attractions, including Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, the Lincoln Highway, Nebraska wildlife, dark night skies recognizing Merritt Reservoir State Recreation Area as Nebraska’s first International Dark Sky Park, Carhenge, Chimney Rock and the Cowboy Trail.

“We’re thrilled to release the new travel guide each year, and this edition is especially fun to share,” said Jenn Gjerde, marketing manager for Visit Nebraska. “It’s full of new photos and an added focus on Nebraska’s rich history and heritage. Plus, we’re especially proud that this year’s cover showcases original artwork from a Nebraska creator, a real, human touch that reflects the spirit of the places and people that make our state unforgettable.”

According to Visit Nebraska, the travel guide has been distributed to all 50 states and numerous countries in recent years, helping support a tourism industry that contributes $5.6 billion to Nebraska’s gross domestic product, supports more than 41,000 jobs and generates more than $1.1 billion in annual wages.

The 2026 Nebraska State Travel Guide is available for free and can be requested online, with a digital version also available for download. Printed guides can also be found at visitor centers and tourism destinations throughout the state.

By Allison Peck | North Platte Post/Sandhills Post<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765906978528.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Visitors looking for ideas and inspiration to explore the Cornhusker State can now get their hands on the official 2026 Nebraska State Travel Guide.The new guide highlights events and festivals, attractions organized by region and city, and scenic byway road trips across the state. Designed for both first-time visitors and returning travelers, the publication features vivid photography, descriptive storytelling and light humor to appeal to a wide range of audiences, from families and solo travelers to history buffs, outdoor enthusiasts, food lovers and shoppers.This year’s edition also places a special emphasis on history in recognition of America’s upcoming 250th birthday. Readers will find Nebraska-focused trivia and a timeline highlighting notable events, influential figures and historic sites throughout the state, including references to well-known Nebraskans such as “Buffalo Bill” Cody and author Willa Cather.The cover of the 2026 guide features original artwork by Lincoln artist Katie Nieland. The illustration showcases several iconic Nebraska attractions, including Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, the Lincoln Highway, Nebraska wildlife, dark night skies recognizing Merritt Reservoir State Recreation Area as Nebraska’s first International Dark Sky Park, Carhenge, Chimney Rock and the Cowboy Trail.“We’re thrilled to release the new travel guide each year, and this edition is especially fun to share,” said Jenn Gjerde, marketing manager for Visit Nebraska. “It’s full of new photos and an added focus on Nebraska’s rich history and heritage. Plus, we’re especially proud that this year’s cover showcases original artwork from a Nebraska creator, a real, human touch that reflects the spirit of the places and people that make our state unforgettable.”According to Visit Nebraska, the travel guide has been distributed to all 50 states and numerous countries in recent years, helping support a tourism industry that contributes $5.6 billion to Nebraska’s gross domestic product, supports more than 41,000 jobs and generates more than $1.1 billion in annual wages.The 2026 Nebraska State Travel Guide is available for free and can be requested online, with a digital version also available for download. Printed guides can also be found at visitor centers and tourism destinations throughout the state.

2026 Nebraska State Travel Guide now available

By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">Jennifer Shutt</a>

WASHINGTON — The Defense Department says it has upgraded its investigation into Arizona Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly over a video where he and other members of Congress told members of the military they didn’t need to follow illegal orders.&nbsp;

“The Office of the Secretary of War, in conjunction with the Department of War’s Office of the General Counsel, is escalating the preliminary review of Captain Mark Kelly, USN (Ret.), to an official Command Investigation,” a spokesperson for the department wrote in an email Monday night.&nbsp;

“Retired Captain Kelly is currently under investigation for serious allegations of misconduct,” the spokesperson continued. “Further official comments will be limited to preserve the integrity of the proceedings.”

Paul J. Fishman, an attorney at the Arnold &amp; Porter law firm who is representing Kelly, wrote in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/26379142-ltr-to-secretary-phelan-dec-15-2025/#document/p1" target="_blank">a Monday letter</a>&nbsp;to the secretary of the Navy that “there is no legitimate basis for any type of proceeding against Senator Kelly, and any such effort would be unconstitutional and an extraordinary abuse of power.”

“If the Executive Branch were to move forward in any forum—criminal, disciplinary, or administrative—we will take all appropriate legal action on Senator Kelly’s behalf to halt the Administration’s unprecedented and dangerous overreach,” Fishman wrote.&nbsp;

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had set Dec. 10 as the deadline for the secretary of the Navy to recommend what to do about Kelly’s appearance in the video, but that came and went without any public announcements.

Hegseth also remained silent on the matter after rebuking Kelly weeks ago for posting the video where he and five other Democrats warned against illegal orders.

Kelly said on Dec. 9, one day before the deadline, he hadn’t received any information from the Navy or other administration officials.&nbsp;

“Forget about an update. I haven’t heard anything from the guy,” Kelly told reporters. “That’s a good question for you guys to ask the Navy.”

The secretary of the Navy’s office did not respond to multiple requests for comment from States Newsroom.&nbsp;

The Department of Defense posted in late November that officials were&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/pentagon-investigates-arizona-sen-mark-kelly-after-he-appears-video-blasted-trump" target="_blank">looking into</a>&nbsp;“serious allegations of misconduct” against Kelly for appearing in the video.&nbsp;

It didn’t detail how Kelly might have violated the Uniform Code of Military Justice but stated that “a thorough review of these allegations has been initiated to determine further actions, which may include recall to active duty for court-martial proceedings or administrative measures.”&nbsp;

Hegseth&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/DeptofWar/status/1993436056008507865/photo/1" target="_blank">referred</a>&nbsp;the issue to Navy Secretary John Phelan for any “review, consideration, and disposition” he deemed appropriate. Hegseth then asked for a briefing on the outcome of the review “by no later than December 10.”

Kelly said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/arizonas-kelly-vows-stay-outspoken-despite-threats-over-illegal-order-video" target="_blank">during a press conference</a>&nbsp;in early December the military’s investigation and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/democrats-threatened-trump-over-video-say-theyre-now-being-probed-fbi" target="_blank">a separate one</a>&nbsp;by the FBI were designed to intimidate the six lawmakers in the video from speaking out against President Donald Trump.&nbsp;

The lawmakers in the&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/SenatorSlotkin/status/1990774492356902948" target="_blank">video</a>, who have backgrounds in the military or intelligence agencies, told members of those communities they “can” and “must refuse illegal orders.”

“No one has to carry out orders that violate the law or our Constitution. We know this is hard and that it’s a difficult time to be a public servant,” they said. “But whether you’re serving in the CIA, in the Army, or Navy, or the Air Force, your vigilance is critical.”

The other Democrats in the video — Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin, Colorado Rep. Jason Crow, Pennsylvania Reps. Chris Deluzio and Chrissy Houlahan, and New Hampshire Rep. Maggie Goodlander — are not subject to the military justice system.&nbsp;

Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-accuses-6-democratic-lawmakers-seditious-behavior-punishable-death" target="_blank">railed against the video</a>&nbsp;a couple days after it posted, saying the statements represented “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1764097679232.png" alt="Image from the controversial video" />
 <figcaption>Image from the controversial video</figcaption>
 </figure>By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">Jennifer Shutt</a>WASHINGTON — The Defense Department says it has upgraded its investigation into Arizona Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly over a video where he and other members of Congress told members of the military they didn’t need to follow illegal orders.&nbsp;“The Office of the Secretary of War, in conjunction with the Department of War’s Office of the General Counsel, is escalating the preliminary review of Captain Mark Kelly, USN (Ret.), to an official Command Investigation,” a spokesperson for the department wrote in an email Monday night.&nbsp;“Retired Captain Kelly is currently under investigation for serious allegations of misconduct,” the spokesperson continued. “Further official comments will be limited to preserve the integrity of the proceedings.”Paul J. Fishman, an attorney at the Arnold &amp; Porter law firm who is representing Kelly, wrote in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/26379142-ltr-to-secretary-phelan-dec-15-2025/#document/p1" target="_blank">a Monday letter</a>&nbsp;to the secretary of the Navy that “there is no legitimate basis for any type of proceeding against Senator Kelly, and any such effort would be unconstitutional and an extraordinary abuse of power.”“If the Executive Branch were to move forward in any forum—criminal, disciplinary, or administrative—we will take all appropriate legal action on Senator Kelly’s behalf to halt the Administration’s unprecedented and dangerous overreach,” Fishman wrote.&nbsp;Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had set Dec. 10 as the deadline for the secretary of the Navy to recommend what to do about Kelly’s appearance in the video, but that came and went without any public announcements.Hegseth also remained silent on the matter after rebuking Kelly weeks ago for posting the video where he and five other Democrats warned against illegal orders.Kelly said on Dec. 9, one day before the deadline, he hadn’t received any information from the Navy or other administration officials.&nbsp;“Forget about an update. I haven’t heard anything from the guy,” Kelly told reporters. “That’s a good question for you guys to ask the Navy.”The secretary of the Navy’s office did not respond to multiple requests for comment from States Newsroom.&nbsp;The Department of Defense posted in late November that officials were&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/pentagon-investigates-arizona-sen-mark-kelly-after-he-appears-video-blasted-trump" target="_blank">looking into</a>&nbsp;“serious allegations of misconduct” against Kelly for appearing in the video.&nbsp;It didn’t detail how Kelly might have violated the Uniform Code of Military Justice but stated that “a thorough review of these allegations has been initiated to determine further actions, which may include recall to active duty for court-martial proceedings or administrative measures.”&nbsp;Hegseth&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/DeptofWar/status/1993436056008507865/photo/1" target="_blank">referred</a>&nbsp;the issue to Navy Secretary John Phelan for any “review, consideration, and disposition” he deemed appropriate. Hegseth then asked for a briefing on the outcome of the review “by no later than December 10.”Kelly said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/arizonas-kelly-vows-stay-outspoken-despite-threats-over-illegal-order-video" target="_blank">during a press conference</a>&nbsp;in early December the military’s investigation and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/democrats-threatened-trump-over-video-say-theyre-now-being-probed-fbi" target="_blank">a separate one</a>&nbsp;by the FBI were designed to intimidate the six lawmakers in the video from speaking out against President Donald Trump.&nbsp;The lawmakers in the&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/SenatorSlotkin/status/1990774492356902948" target="_blank">video</a>, who have backgrounds in the military or intelligence agencies, told members of those communities they “can” and “must refuse illegal orders.”“No one has to carry out orders that violate the law or our Constitution. We know this is hard and that it’s a difficult time to be a public servant,” they said. “But whether you’re serving in the CIA, in the Army, or Navy, or the Air Force, your vigilance is critical.”The other Democrats in the video — Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin, Colorado Rep. Jason Crow, Pennsylvania Reps. Chris Deluzio and Chrissy Houlahan, and New Hampshire Rep. Maggie Goodlander — are not subject to the military justice system.&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-accuses-6-democratic-lawmakers-seditious-behavior-punishable-death" target="_blank">railed against the video</a>&nbsp;a couple days after it posted, saying the statements represented “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!”

Pentagon ‘escalating’ investigation into Sen. Kelly for illegal-orders video

Letter to federal officials seeks answers on what happens to state’s remaining $360 million in federal funds

By Aaron Sanderford | Nebraska Examiner

LINCOLN — Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen might find some federal help in his efforts to steer about $360 million in unspent funds Congress earmarked for rural broadband development in Nebraska toward other uses that his administration argues will boost connectivity.

Chief among Pillen’s ideas is boosting wireless connectivity in rural areas where modern farming and ranching needs require the kinds of internet connections that power precision agriculture demands in a rising age of artificial intelligence and agricultural technology.

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

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

The letter was organized by U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee’s Telecommunications and Media Subcommittee. Among the Nebraskans in Congress, she and U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., voted for the 2021 infrastructure bill. U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., and U.S. Reps. Mike Flood, R-Neb., and Adrian Smith, R-Neb., joined the letter this week.

Fischer, as part of the infrastructure bill that passed under the Biden administration, supported parts of the infrastructure law that focused on rural broadband, including the last mile between connection nodes and the people and businesses needing broadband. The letter cites language from the broader law to seek the funds.

The delegation letter calls for Roth and NTIA to clarify how states can use any funds not obligated under the state’s approved plan for the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment program, or BEAD. Some supporters of fiber broadband connections have questioned Nebraska’s approach.

“The statutory allocation framework assumes that funds are first applied toward deployment, and only after those priorities are satisfied do remaining resources become available for alternative, ‘non-deployment’ uses,” the delegation wrote.

“Given this structure and the express purpose of BEAD as a historic investment to close the digital divide, we request clarification on how NTIA intends to ensure that non-deployment funds are used appropriately to expand connectivity across the nation.”&nbsp;

The Pillen administration’s plan for the broadband funds, the broad outlines of which the federal government recently approved, would spend $44.5 million of the $405 million Nebraska was awarded through BEAD. The governor has said he would like the state to be able to spend the remaining funds on precision agriculture and other similar efforts. Doing so would require federal approval.

State officials have argued that rules for spending the broadband funds were tightened in the middle of the process, limiting which addresses they could help with built-out broadband, because some were served in other ways. Critics worry the state might lose the remaining funds.

Pillen and his team have argued the money should be made available for the last-mile connections that matter to farm and ranch families and people for whom traditional fiber broadband connections might be prohibitively expensive.

The plan’s critics have argued that his more reserved approach to spending the funds and his willingness to allow a mix of wireless and wireline broadband will leave some Nebraskans with second-class connections in a digital economy that demands access.

State Sens. Jana Hughes of Seward and Wendy DeBoer of Omaha joined a bipartisan group of more than 160 state lawmakers nationwide last week in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benton.org/blog/states-dc-hands-our-bead-money" target="_blank">similar letter to Roth and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick</a>&nbsp;to release the non-deployed BEAD funds.

“We respectfully ask that the Department of Commerce act swiftly to release non-deployment funds so that states can complete the job of closing the digital divide,” the Dec. 9 letter said. “Bipartisan leaders at every level — governors, members of Congress and state legislators — support unlocking these funds.&nbsp;

“To do otherwise would ignore the law and leave rural and disconnected Americans behind.”

Nebraska Examiner reporters Zach Wendling and Erin Bamer contributed to this report.

<h2>Letter to federal officials seeks answers on what happens to state’s remaining $360 million in federal funds</h2>By Aaron Sanderford | Nebraska Examiner <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765906746062.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>LINCOLN — Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen might find some federal help in his efforts to steer about $360 million in unspent funds Congress earmarked for rural broadband development in Nebraska toward other uses that his administration argues will boost connectivity.Chief among Pillen’s ideas is boosting wireless connectivity in rural areas where modern farming and ranching needs require the kinds of internet connections that power precision agriculture demands in a rising age of artificial intelligence and agricultural technology.<figure>
 <img src="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/GjERCFjbIAEBnch-300x225.jpeg" alt="Nebraska’s congressional delegation is shown in Washington. From left: U.S. Rep. Mike Flood, R-Neb., Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen, U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., U.S. Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb., U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., and U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb. Feb. 5, 2025. (Courtesy of Nebraska Governor’s Office)" />
 <figcaption>Nebraska’s congressional delegation is shown in Washington. From left: U.S. Rep. Mike Flood, R-Neb., Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen, U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., U.S. Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb., U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., and U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb. Feb. 5, 2025. (Courtesy of Nebraska Governor’s Office)</figcaption>
 </figure>The letter asks federal broadband funding officials to allow the funds to be used in precision agriculture, including livestock monitors, remote field and cattle management systems, sensors and guidance systems for automated agricultural equipment.All five members of Nebraska’s congressional delegation signed onto a letter Tuesday seeking agency help from Arielle Roth, assistant secretary of commerce for communications and information at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.The letter was organized by U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee’s Telecommunications and Media Subcommittee. Among the Nebraskans in Congress, she and U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., voted for the 2021 infrastructure bill. U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., and U.S. Reps. Mike Flood, R-Neb., and Adrian Smith, R-Neb., joined the letter this week.Fischer, as part of the infrastructure bill that passed under the Biden administration, supported parts of the infrastructure law that focused on rural broadband, including the last mile between connection nodes and the people and businesses needing broadband. The letter cites language from the broader law to seek the funds.The delegation letter calls for Roth and NTIA to clarify how states can use any funds not obligated under the state’s approved plan for the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment program, or BEAD. Some supporters of fiber broadband connections have questioned Nebraska’s approach.“The statutory allocation framework assumes that funds are first applied toward deployment, and only after those priorities are satisfied do remaining resources become available for alternative, ‘non-deployment’ uses,” the delegation wrote.“Given this structure and the express purpose of BEAD as a historic investment to close the digital divide, we request clarification on how NTIA intends to ensure that non-deployment funds are used appropriately to expand connectivity across the nation.”&nbsp;The Pillen administration’s plan for the broadband funds, the broad outlines of which the federal government recently approved, would spend $44.5 million of the $405 million Nebraska was awarded through BEAD. The governor has said he would like the state to be able to spend the remaining funds on precision agriculture and other similar efforts. Doing so would require federal approval.State officials have argued that rules for spending the broadband funds were tightened in the middle of the process, limiting which addresses they could help with built-out broadband, because some were served in other ways. Critics worry the state might lose the remaining funds.Pillen and his team have argued the money should be made available for the last-mile connections that matter to farm and ranch families and people for whom traditional fiber broadband connections might be prohibitively expensive.The plan’s critics have argued that his more reserved approach to spending the funds and his willingness to allow a mix of wireless and wireline broadband will leave some Nebraskans with second-class connections in a digital economy that demands access.State Sens. Jana Hughes of Seward and Wendy DeBoer of Omaha joined a bipartisan group of more than 160 state lawmakers nationwide last week in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benton.org/blog/states-dc-hands-our-bead-money" target="_blank">similar letter to Roth and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick</a>&nbsp;to release the non-deployed BEAD funds.“We respectfully ask that the Department of Commerce act swiftly to release non-deployment funds so that states can complete the job of closing the digital divide,” the Dec. 9 letter said. “Bipartisan leaders at every level — governors, members of Congress and state legislators — support unlocking these funds.&nbsp;“To do otherwise would ignore the law and leave rural and disconnected Americans behind.”Nebraska Examiner reporters Zach Wendling and Erin Bamer contributed to this report.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765906840832.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>

Nebraskans in Congress seek clarity on broadband funds not used by Pillen plan

By Emily Wolf | Flatwater Free Press

By Emily Wolf | Flatwater Free Press<figure>
 <img src="https://flatwaterfreepress.org/nitropack_static/dkZhxQMeDOAdoYuSYcsWIJsFvxeTKCnZ/assets/images/optimized/rev-0e0ec99/flatwaterfreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/FairburySupplyRoom-2240x1680.jpg" alt="Nebraska lawmakers earmarked $3 million for a statewide network of domestic violence service providers. But the fund lawmakers tapped doesn’t have enough money to cover all the priorities legislators approved. Photo by Emily Wolf / Flatwater Free Press" />
 <figcaption>Nebraska lawmakers earmarked $3 million for a statewide network of domestic violence service providers. But the fund lawmakers tapped doesn’t have enough money to cover all the priorities legislators approved. Photo by Emily Wolf / Flatwater Free Press</figcaption>
 </figure>Christon MacTaggart anxiously awaited the $3 million that the state had promised. It couldn’t come fast enough.&nbsp;Nebraska had already seen more than 15 killings by intimate partners this year when October arrived. During that time, the number of domestic violence survivors seeking help from providers across the state had soared, even as some of those providers had to scale back their services. She knew the state money would go a long way to helping those people.&nbsp;But it never came.&nbsp;As October passed, MacTaggart, executive director of the Nebraska Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence, reached out to the state to try to get an answer.&nbsp;“It has been hard to get a lot of good information,” she said. “No one seems particularly forthcoming with it.”The problem, according to interviews with lawmakers and a review of budget documents, is that the money was meant to come from the&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=68-996" target="_blank">Medicaid Managed Care Excess Profit Fund</a>. And that fund is stretched too thin.&nbsp;At the start of the 2026 fiscal year, the fund had&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/pdf/reports/fiscal/2025budget.pdf" target="_blank">around $20 million</a>&nbsp;in it — and $24.5 million in projected expenditures, including multiple programs and a $10 million general fund offset. Without clear legislative guidance on which programs to prioritize, the funding decision becomes an administrative one.“Generally, when available, Excess Profit Fund dollars are used to support Medicaid-related health programs,” DHHS Director of Communications Jeff Powell said in a written statement.MacTaggart is unsure if they ever will receive the money earmarked for domestic violence services. She’s not alone; multiple other projects and initiatives were slated to receive money from the Medicaid Managed Care Excess Profit Fund. Those include&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/bill-advances-to-expand-postpartum-at-home-nurse-visits-for-nebraska-mothers-on-medicaid/" target="_blank">postpartum at-home nurse visits</a>&nbsp;for new mothers and babies; reimbursements to area agencies on aging; and a&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=59016&amp;docnum=LB48&amp;leg=109" target="_blank">juvenile justice pilot program</a>.&nbsp;“There’s a lot of confusion surrounding the fund, and my goal is to make sure we get to the bottom of where that confusion lies and better understand what the future of the Excess Profit Fund looks like,” said State Sen. George Dungan, who has championed several programs supported by the fund.&nbsp;***The decision to pull money from the fund appeared to be an easy fix to a thorny problem. Two years ago, lawmakers appropriated $6 million over two years from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families reserve fund for domestic violence services — only to find out that the federal program’s strict reporting requirements ran afoul of the confidentiality requirements domestic violence service providers must follow.By the start of the 2025 legislative session, advocates were desperate. They had been&nbsp;<a href="https://flatwaterfreepress.org/gunned-down-in-broad-daylight-killings-spotlight-limitations-as-domestic-violence-spikes-in-nebraska/" target="_blank">unable to tap into</a>&nbsp;any of the $6 million, with dire results: organizations cut shelter capacity and laid off staff, and more cuts were on the horizon.&nbsp;The state was&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/11/19/nebraskas-projected-budget-deficit-grows-to-471-million-ahead-of-2026-legislative-session/" target="_blank">grappling with financial problems</a>&nbsp;of its own — a fluctuating budget deficit meant general fund dollars were more precious than ever, and senators were forced to get creative to fund their priorities. The Medicaid Managed Care Excess Profit Fund became the funding stream of choice for several initiatives during the 2025 legislative session, in addition to funding existing obligations from past legislative action.&nbsp;But the excess profit fund is, by its nature, prone to revenue fluctuations. The money comes primarily from excess profits generated by Nebraska’s managed care organizations, Molina Healthcare, Nebraska Total Care and UnitedHealthcare. The fund had total revenue of around $67 million in fiscal year 2023, $32 million in fiscal year 2024 and $22 million in fiscal year 2025. The state initially anticipated some revenue this year, but that changed in late spring.<figure>
 <img src="https://flatwaterfreepress.org/nitropack_static/dkZhxQMeDOAdoYuSYcsWIJsFvxeTKCnZ/assets/images/optimized/rev-0e0ec99/flatwaterfreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Carolyn-Bosn-1024x683.jpg" alt="State Sen. Carolyn Bosn, who introduced a floor amendment earmarking money for domestic violence services, said she reached out to the Governor’s Office for information when she heard that the money hadn’t been released. That’s when she learned there wasn’t enough money in the fund to go around. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>State Sen. Carolyn Bosn, who introduced a floor amendment earmarking money for domestic violence services, said she reached out to the Governor’s Office for information when she heard that the money hadn’t been released. That’s when she learned there wasn’t enough money in the fund to go around. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Powell said DHHS, which oversees the fund, has cautioned lawmakers about funding new initiatives through the fund given its volatility. One of those warnings came from DHHS’ chief financial officer during a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/109/PDF/Transcripts/Health/2025-02-19.pdf" target="_blank">February legislative committee hearing</a>, where he warned overutilizing the fund could make it unviable for ongoing programming.Despite those warnings, lawmakers have continued to use the fund to finance programs, Powell said. “For fiscal year 2026, the fund is over-obligated, so resources are not available to cover all legislative earmarks.”Sen. Carolyn Bosn, who introduced the amendment earmarking money for domestic violence services, said she immediately reached out to the Governor’s Office for information when she heard that the money hadn’t been released. That’s when she learned there wasn’t enough money in the fund to go around.&nbsp;“They informed us that the Governor’s office is prioritizing programs that would offset general fund dollars,” she wrote in an email. “We are still working to verify information and see what, if anything, can be done to secure any available funding for these programs.”&nbsp;***Sen. Terrell McKinney, whose juvenile justice pilot program is also supposed to be funded through the excess profit fund, said he was made aware of the over-obligation problem during the session. He attributed it, in part, to tapping money from the fund to help the state’s general fund budget crisis.&nbsp;“The fund never had this issue until we ended up in this budget crisis,” he said.&nbsp;McKinney said he probably will look to see what other funding sources are available, but it’s his understanding that because of the way his bill was written, DHHS is still obligated to find a way to fund it.<figure>
 <img src="https://flatwaterfreepress.org/nitropack_static/dkZhxQMeDOAdoYuSYcsWIJsFvxeTKCnZ/assets/images/optimized/rev-0e0ec99/flatwaterfreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Terrell-McKinney-1024x683.jpg" alt="Sen. Terrell McKinney, whose juvenile justice pilot program was supposed to be funded through the excess profit fund, said he was made aware of the over-obligation problem during the legislative session. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Sen. Terrell McKinney, whose juvenile justice pilot program was supposed to be funded through the excess profit fund, said he was made aware of the over-obligation problem during the legislative session. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>“I’m going to work to find ways to get my pilot program funded, and I think other senators as well are going to try to resolve the issue as much as possible,” he said. “It’s disappointing because we had very heated debates about juveniles and juvenile justice, and my pilot program is meant to try to address the issue by making sure juveniles get resources.”If the state continues to receive little to no excess profits from the managed care organizations over the next few years, the fund will quickly find itself millions of dollars in the red.&nbsp;In an&nbsp;<a href="https://das-nebs.ne.gov/public/faces/drdIndex.jsp" target="_blank">updated budget request</a>&nbsp;submitted in October, DHHS requested an additional $4.9 million from the general fund to pay for medical services in 2027 — money that was initially supposed to come from the excess profit fund.&nbsp;“The excess profit fund is projected to have a shortfall in state fiscal year 2027 and a general fund appropriation is needed to continue these services,” the request notes.&nbsp;Domestic violence providers across the state will feel the impact of the funding crunch this year. They have seen a 6% increase in the number of survivors served annually. At the same time, inflation continues to rise, MacTaggart said, increasing the cost of providing services.&nbsp; Two providers have had to close satellite offices in the past 18 months, and the majority aren’t fully staffed.“This funding was fully intended to allow them to maintain their capacity to serve survivors,” she said. “So it will mean that crucial services are cut, and it will also mean that staff will not be able to be rehired. And programs’ ability to fully serve survivors in their area could be impacted.”In a statement, Powell said DHHS continues to support domestic violence services through stable federal and state funding.&nbsp;MacTaggart worries that’s not enough. High-profile murder-suicides have captured public attention throughout the year, and by July, the state had&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskapublicmedia.org/documents/452/2025_DADRT_Annual_Report.pdf" target="_blank">surpassed last year’s total number</a>&nbsp;of domestic violence deaths. MacTaggart said providers are seeing a spike in need and an increase in the lethality of cases.“This money is crucial,” she said, “and so I think that without it, we are going to see more severe cases of domestic violence and potentially more people dying.”