Voters nationwide approved seven of 10 ballot initiatives preserving abortion rights.
Read the full storyReferendums: Abortion Measures Pass in Seven States
Tag: Nebraska
Nebraska Senate Race Tightens as Election Day Draws Closer
Republican Sen. Deb Fischer has a narrow lead in the Nebraska Senate race against independent opponent Dan Osborn with just eight days left until the election, according to a New York Times/Siena College poll released Monday.
Fischer is leading by two percentage points at 48% percent to Osborn’s 46%, according to the poll. Among likely voters surveyed in Nebraska, 5% either refused to answer or said that they were undecided voters, according to the poll.
Read the full storyTim Walz Welcomed Chinese Communist Party Officials into His Nebraska Classroom
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, welcomed Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials into his Nebraska classroom while working as a teacher in the 1990s, a Daily Caller News Foundation investigation found.
In February 1996, a delegation of three “educators” from southeast China visited Walz’s Alliance High School social studies class “to study the education system,” according to an unearthed Alliance Times-Herald article. However, the delegation included CCP officials who at the time worked for an institute serving a Chinese influence and intelligence agency, according to a DCNF review of Chinese government records.
Read the full storyWalz Said He Was in Hong Kong During Tiananmen Square Protests, but Records Show He Was in Nebraska
Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz once claimed he was in Hong Kong during the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre in China, though local news outlets showed he was in Nebraska at the time.
1989’s demonstrations saw protesters gather in Tiananmen Square from April 15-June 4 of that year demanding democratic reforms to the Chinese communist system. The demonstrations ended when the government dispatched troops to clear the square.
Read the full storyWalz’s Former National Guard Colleague Alleges Classified Nuclear Manual Went Missing in Nebraska During His Tenure
It was September 1995, and Tim Walz’s Nebraska National Guard unit, the 1-168th Field Artillery, upgraded to the M109A5 self-propelled howitzer. One of its capabilities was firing nuclear artillery shells.
Read the full storyACLU to Spend $25 Million on November Elections, Pro-Abortion Measures
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) plans to spend more than $25 million on the November elections and will particularly focus on pro-abortion state constitutional amendments.
This year, the ACLU is spending the largest amount of money it ever has on elections, Deirdre Schifeling, ACLU’s chief political and advocacy officer, told NBC News.
Read the full storyCommentary: Tax Relief Is Coming to Millions of Red-State Residents in Ohio, Connecticut, and More
July marked the beginning of Fiscal Year 2024 for 46 of the 50 states. It also closes the books on most state legislative sessions in what was an incredible 2023 for hard-working taxpayers.
In recent years, we’ve seen significant income tax relief in the states. Notably, 10 states – Kentucky, West Virginia, Montana, Utah, Arkansas, North Dakota, Indiana, Nebraska, Connecticut, and Ohio – have cut personal income taxes (PIT) in 2023. With the new addition of West Virginia, North Dakota, and Connecticut, 22 states have cut personal income taxes since 2021, with several of these states cutting taxes multiple times during that period.
Read the full storyCalifornia Adds Missouri, Nebraska, Wyoming to Those Banned for State-Paid Travel, over LGBTQ+ Bills
California is adding Missouri, Nebraska and Wyoming to its list of states to which government-paid travel is restricted, over legislation considered to be anti-LGBTQ+.
A 2016 California law banned state-funded travel to any state determined by the California Justice Department to be discriminatory against the LGBTQ community. And state Attorney General Rob Bonta must maintain and post a list of such states whose total numbers is now at or nearing 26, according to The Center Square.
Read the full storyChinese Intelligence Arm Quietly Operates ‘Service Centers’ in Seven U.S. Cities
by Philip Lenczycki A Chinese intelligence agency quietly operates “service centers” in seven American cities, all of which have had contact with Beijing’s national police authority, according to state media reports and government records reviewed by the Daily Caller News Foundation. The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) United Front Work Department (UFWD) — which at least one U.S. government commission has characterized as a “Chinese intelligence service” — operates so-called “Overseas Chinese Service Centers” (OCSCs) that are housed within various U.S.-based nonprofits. OCSCs were ostensibly set up to promote Chinese culture and assist Chinese citizens living abroad, according to Chinese government records. State media reports, Chinese government records and social media posts show that during a 2018 trip to China, U.S.-based OCSC representatives met with Ministry of Public Security (MPS) officials. During the meeting, state security officials demonstrated how they’re leveraging new technology to conduct “cross-border remote justice services” overseas. MPS is China’s national police authority and has been referred to as “China’s FBI” by China experts. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) says MPS also conducts covert “intelligence and national security operations far beyond China’s borders,” including “illicit, transnational repression schemes” on U.S. soil. In April 2023, the DOJ charged two men for allegedly opening a secret police station…
Read the full storyNearly Half of U.S. States Now Have Measures Limiting Transgender Surgery for Minors, but Lawsuits Abound
At least 20 states have either restricted or banned transgender procedures for minors, with many of them facing lawsuits and temporary blocks by courts as a result, while future litigation is possible in states considering adopting such laws.
The states that have enacted legislation against such procedures are: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and West Virginia – essentially all conservative-leaning.
Read the full storyDrug Manufacturers, CVS, Walgreens Settle Another Opioid Lawsuit with 22 States for $17.3 Billion
Thirteen attorneys general announced settlements with opioid manufacturers Teva and Allergan on Friday, while 18 states settled with CVS and Walgreens for a total of $17.3 billion.
The attorneys general said settlement funds will start flowing into state and local governments by the end of this year and will be used for prevention and treatment of opioid addiction.
Read the full story17 State Attorneys General Declare Support for Florida Trans Guidance
by Eric Lendrum On April 7th, an amicus brief was filed in favor of Florida’s current ban on using state funds to support “transgender” treatments, with 17 state attorneys general voicing their support for the law. According to the Daily Caller, the brief’s filing was part of an ongoing legal battle in the state of Florida, where far-left, pro-transgender activists have teamed up with several pseudo-medical organizations to file a lawsuit against the law. The groups involved include the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), the Endocrine Society, and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The law in question states that Medicaid funds cannot be used to cover any transgender operations, including sex change surgery, cross-sex hormones, and puberty blockers. The 17 states that have filed in support of Florida are: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Virginia. In their filing, the AGs argue that the organizations involved in the lawsuit have “prioritized politics over science.” “The amici States submit this brief in support of Florida’s right to regulate medicine and determine appropriate treatments for Medicaid coverage,” the brief states. “Moreover, there is particular reason to…
Read the full storyNebraska Names TDOE Chief Academic Officer as Finalist for State’s Top Education Position
The architect behind Tennessee’s revision of English Language Arts (ELA) instruction, Tennessee Department of Education(TDOE) Chief Academic Officer Dr. Lisa Coons, has been named a finalist for the top education job in Nebraska. The search for a new superintendent was prompted by Matt Blomstedt stepping down as commissioner in January, after 9 years of service, to join a Washington D.C. Education Advocacy Group.
An ad hoc search committee of the Nebraska State Board of Education (NDE) named four finalists for Nebraska’s next Commissioner of Education, and Coons’s name is among them.
Read the full storyTennessee, Georgia, and Virginia Among 18 States Banning Social Media App TikTok from State Devices
Following South Dakota GOP Gov. Kristi Noem’s lead, nearly half of U.S. states have put restrictions on or banned the use of Chinese-based social media app TikTok.
At least 19 states have banned TikTok on government-issued devices – Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Idaho, Iowa, Maryland, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utha, Virginia and West Virginia.
Read the full storyArizona Among 11 States Cutting Individual Income Taxes in 2023
Eleven states will reduce their individual income tax rates on Jan. 1.
Arizona, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, and North Carolina will cut the individual income tax rate on New Year’s Day, according to the Tax Foundation. Over the past two years, more than 20 states have cut individual income tax rates.
Read the full storyNine Texas and Nebraska Cities Became ‘Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn’ on Election Day
Four Texas cities and six villages in Nebraska voted on Election Day on ballot measures that would outlaw abortion within their jurisdictions.
Of the 10 ballot measures, only one was rejected by voters, reported Mark Lee Dickson, founder of the Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn Initiative, at Live Action News.
Read the full storyNebraska Voters Overwhelmingly Pass Major Voter ID Measure
Nebraska voters on Tuesday voted overwhelmingly to institute a new voter identification measure, amending the state’s constitution to require valid photographic ID in all elections moving forward.
The measure “amend[s] the Nebraska Constitution to require that, before casting a ballot in any election, a qualified voter shall present valid photographic identification in a manner specified by the Legislature,” according to state general election ballots.
Read the full storyAfter Unanimous Vote, Nebraska U.S. Senator Ben Sasse on Track to Become University of Florida President
Nebraska Senator Dr. Ben Sasse will potentially be stepping down from his office to become the next University of Florida (UF) president.
On Thursday, UF, located in Gainseville, announced that its Presidential Search Committee unanimously voted to recommend Senator Sasse to the Board of Trustees for the “13th president of the University of Florida.”
Read the full storyGOP Sen. Sasse Expected to Resign from the Senate: Report
Nebraska Republican Sen. Ben Sasse is expected to step down in favor an educational role.
Politico reports that the senator would then become the next president of the University of Florida.
Read the full storyIowa Joins Coalition of States Including Minnesota, Wisconsin, to Sue China-Owned Subsidiary Syngenta and Indiana-Based Corteva
The State of Iowa is suing pesticide manufacturers Syngenta and Corteva.
Ten states and the Federal Trade Commission filed a complaint Thursday in the U.S. District Court in the Middle District of North Carolina.
Read the full storyGeorgia Among the 20 States Freed from Federal Transgender Sports, Bathroom Guidance
A federal judge in Tennessee ruled in favor of Tennessee, Georgia, and 18 other states in their effort to block federal guidelines on transgender athletes and school locker rooms.
The lawsuit, brought by Tennessee, challenged guidance from the United States Department of Education and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that would allow athletes who were marked as males on their birth certificates to compete in girls and women’s sports. The federal guidance also would have prohibited student shower and locker room access from being determined by birth gender and provided guidance on required pronoun use.
Read the full story21 States Join Lawsuit to End Federal Mask Mandate on Airplanes, Public Transportation
Twenty-one states have filed a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s continued mask mandate on public transportation, including on airplanes.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Attorney General Ashley Moody are leading the effort. Moody filed the suit in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida along with 20 other attorneys general. DeSantis said the mask mandate was misguided and heavy-handed.
Read the full storyState Attorney Generals Launch Investigation into Instagram’s Effects on Kids
A bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general launched a probe into Instagram on Thursday to examine whether the company violated state-level consumer protection laws.
The states are investigating whether Meta (formerly known as Facebook), which owns Instagram, promoted the image-sharing platform “to children and young adults” despite being aware of its negative effects, according to statements from the attorneys general. The probe cites internal Facebook communications and research leaked by former Facebook employee Frances Haugen and published by The Wall Street Journal showing Meta was aware that use of Instagram could contribute to body image and mental health issues among teens.
“When social media platforms treat our children as mere commodities to manipulate for longer screen time engagement and data extraction, it becomes imperative for state attorneys general to engage our investigative authority under our consumer protection laws,” Republican Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson said in a statement.
Read the full story21 States Sue Biden Admin for Revoking Keystone XL Permit
A group of red states sued President Biden and members of his administration on Wednesday over his decision to revoke a key permit for the Keystone XL oil pipeline, The Hill reported.
The lawsuit is led by Montana and Texas, and backed by 19 other states, including Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
Read the full storyAngel Mom Michelle Root Who Lost Her Daughter to Illegal Immigrant Says, ‘Angel Families Are the End Result of Open Borders’
On Thursday’s Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Leahy welcomed Angel Mom Michelle Root to the show to speak about the death of her daughter by the hand of a Honduran illegal immigrant who at the time of incident had a previous warrant for his arrest but was still let off on bond.
Read the full storyNebraska State Senator Joni Albrecht Introduces Bill Mandating Clinics Tell Women About Abortion Reversal Pill
by Grace Carr The Nebraska Legislature is considering mandating doctors inform women seeking medication abortions that the abortive process can be reversed, after a state senator introduced a bill to the state legislature Friday. Nebraska Sen. Joni Albrecht introduced a bill requiring doctors to inform women that they can reverse their abortion if they choose not to go through with the medication abortion midway through the process, ABC7 reported Saturday. The abortion reversal pill aims to reverse the effects of a chemically induced abortion within the first 24 hours of taking mifepristone or RU-486 by flooding the woman’s body with progesterone, according to the abortion reversal pill’s website. Abortion reversal has a 55 percent success rate of saving pregnancies, according to the site. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists maintains, however, that there is no medically accepted evidence saying “abortion reversal” is legitimate. “Every day I wake up so grateful for my second chance at choice and that’s exactly what this bill provides for women,” 24-year-old Rebekah Hagan said, applauding the bill, ABC7 reported. Medication abortions account for 55 percent of abortions in Nebraska, according to the Lincoln Journal Star. The proposal comes after Idaho passed a bill in May requiring doctors to provide women seeking medicinal abortions with information telling…
Read the full storyDept. of Homeland Security Agents Conduct Massive Worksite Raid In Two States, Arrest Business Owners For Employing Illegal Aliens
by Will Racke Federal agents conducted a multi-state worksite raid at several Midwestern agricultural businesses on Wednesday, arresting more than 100 people including owners and supervisors who allegedly conspired to employ illegal aliens at the expense of American workers. Homeland Security Investigations — the investigative arm of Immigration and Customs Enforcement — led the operation against at least 11 companies in Nebraska and Minnesota, the Grand Island Independent reported. Along with more than 130 suspected illegal workers, agents arrested 14 business owners and managers for allegedly using bogus social security numbers to build a workforce of underpaid, exploitable illegal immigrants. Three other people involved in the scheme were also indicted but not taken into custody during the operation. The operation was one of the largest worksite raids in HSI’s 15-year history, according to Tracy Cormier, the special agent-in-charge of the agency’s St. Paul field office, which covers Minnesota and Nebraska. “I would say the amount of criminal warrants that are being executed will be one of the largest for HSI,” Cormier said, according to the Associated Press. “I’m not aware of a bigger one.” Wednesday’s operation is notable because is targeted business ownership and management, not just illegal workers. Two of HSI’s…
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