WASHINGTON, July 10 -- The Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District, Holdrege, has submitted a public comment letter expressing its support for the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration's proposed rulemaking to designate and restrict the operation of unmanned aircraft systems near fixed-site critical infrastructure facilities. The public corporation submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Department of Transportation regarding the FAA's Notice No. 26-03, focusing on protections for infrastructure u more ST

WASHINGTON, July 10 -- Disability Rights Nebraska, Lincoln, has submitted a public comment letter expressing opposition to proposed amendments by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The changes could affect the ability of nonprofit organizations to conduct voter registration efforts, particularly within congregate living facilities for individuals with disabilities. Disability Rights Nebraska, the federally designated Protection and Advocacy organization for the state, highlights its unique authority to enforce laws protecting di more ST

WASHINGTON, July 10 -- Ho-Chunk Inc., Winnebago, Nebraska, submitted a public comment letter to the White House Office of Management and Budget Office of Federal Procurement Policy regarding the effects of Executive Order 14398 and a proposed Federal Acquisition Regulation clause aimed at addressing racial discrimination in federal contracting. The letter from Ho-Chunk, a wholly-owned tribal-entity of the Winnebago Tribe in Nebraska, expresses concerns about how the new rules could unintentionally affect tribal government contracting and econom more ST

WASHINGTON, July 7 -- Nebraska Appleseed, Omaha, has submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development expressing opposition to the proposed rule titled Equal Access to Housing in HUD Programs Revisions. The organization warned that the rule would roll back protections for LGBTQ+ families, particularly transgender individuals, in HUD-funded shelters and housing programs. Nebraska Appleseed highlighted that the rule would require shelters funded by HUD's Office of Community Planning and Development (CPD)  more ST

LINCOLN, Nebraska, July 4 -- The Nebraska Department of Water, Energy and Environment issued the following news release: * * * Nebraska SRF Program to surpass $2 billion in statewide water infrastructure commitments The Nebraska Department of Water, Energy, and Environment (DWEE) State Revolving Fund (SRF) program is on the verge of crossing the $2 billion threshold in total water infrastructure commitments made across the state. The Environmental Quality Council's recent approval of the FY2027 Clean Water and Drinking Water Intended Use P more PR

LINCOLN, Nebraska, July 1 -- The Nebraska Department of Education issued the following news release: * * * Nebraska Educators Rising Members Lead with Passion at National Conference More than 120 Nebraska student members, chapter teacher leaders, and adult chaperones attended the 2026 Educators Rising National Conference, held June 20-23 at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Oregon. The event brought together more than 3,200 attendees from across the country, creating a vibrant community of aspiring educators who engaged in competitiv more PR

PIERRE, South Dakota, July 9 -- South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley issued the following news release on July 8, 2026: * * * Attorney General Jackley Announces S.D. To Receive $410,964.38 In Settlement with Block Inc. for Deceptive Cash App Practices South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley announces that South Dakota will receive $410,946.38 as the state's share in a $45 million 46-state settlement with Block, Inc. The settlement resolves allegations that Block, Inc. misled consumers about the safety of Cash App, a peer-to-peer p more PR

PIERRE, South Dakota, July 9 -- South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley issued the following news release on July 8, 2026: * * * Attorney General Jackley Pushes Federal Communications Commission To Further Crack Down on Illegal Robocalls South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley and 48 other Attorneys General have called upon the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to strengthen rules that would cut off scammers' access to legitimate telephone numbers. "Without that access, scammers can't use real numbers to deceive and defraud ci more PR

LINCOLN, Nebraska, July 8 -- Gov. Jim Pillen, R-Nebraska, issued the following news release: * * * Gov. Pillen Issues Memo Directing Further Reductions in State Spending; Outlines Processes to Ensure Compliance * CONTACT: Laura Strimple, (402) 580-9495 LINCOLN, NE - Governor Jim Pillen is directing that state agencies, boards and commissions do their part in reducing state spending, to ensure that Nebraska taxpayers continue to receive the benefit of reduced income tax rates and investments into property tax relief. In fiscal year (FY)  more PR

WASHINGTON, July 4 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13064) on July 2, 2026. The white paper is written by transportation policy analyst Ali E. Lohman and public finance analysts Nicholas E. Buffie and Anthony A. Cilluffo: * * * Electric Vehicle Taxes and the Federal Highway Trust Fund Policymakers have debated imposing a federal tax on electric vehicles (EVs). Proponents argue that EVs use federally funded roads but do not incur federal fuels taxes. Opponents argue that EVs hav more PR

WASHINGTON, July 10 -- The Smithsonian Institution issued the following news release: * * * Hirshhorn Museum Partners with Art Bridges Foundation to Announce 51 Museums in Landmark National Loans Program "50 for 50" Will Place American Art from the Hirshhorn Collection in Every U.S. State and Puerto Rico Selected by Each Institution for Multiyear Loans - The Smithsonian's Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden and the Art Bridges Foundation have chosen the 51 institutions that will participate in "50 for 50," a national collection-sharing i more PR

WASHINGTON, July 9 -- The League of Women Voters issued the following news release on July 7, 2026: * * * League of Women Voters Elects Sania Irwin as National Board President Following the League of Women Voters' 57th Biennial National Convention in Columbus, Ohio, the League announced its newly elected national leadership for the 2026-2028 biennium, with Sania Irwin at the helm as president of the national Board of Directors. Together, the new Board will help lead the League's nationwide movement to empower voters, defend and strengthen de more PR

WASHINGTON, July 4 -- The National Education Association issued the following news release: * * * NEA Recognizes Ten Exceptional Individuals and Organizations 2026 NEA Human and Civil Rights Award recipients speak out, show up, and refuse to leave anyone behind - DENVER--Advancing educational equity, advocating for civil rights, and strengthening underserved communities are just a few of the accomplishments of this year's NEA Human and Civil Rights (HCR) Award recipients. Rooted in NEA's 1966 merger with the American Teachers Association ( more PR

WASHINGTON, July 9 (TNSFR) -- The Federal Reserve System issued a notice stating that an application has been filed seeking approval for Nebraska Bankshares, Inc., Farnam, to acquire Foundations First Corporation and indirectly acquire Foundation One Bank. Comments are due on August 10, 2026. The filing seeks approval under the Bank Holding Company Act for Nebraska Bankshares, Inc. and its subsidiary, First Gothenburg Bancshares, Inc., of Gothenburg, Nebraska, to acquire Omaha-based Foundations First Corporation and its subsidiary, Foundation  more PR

WASHINGTON, July 10 -- Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Arkansas, chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, issued the following news release on July 9, 2026: * * * Crawford Announces Open Full Committee Hearing to Examine States on the Frontlines of Counterintelligence Today, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Rick Crawford (AR-01) announced an open full Committee hearing for Wednesday, July 15 at 2:00 PM ET to examine how states across the country are seeing counterintelligence (CI) threats at the state  more PR

LINCOLN, Nebraska, July 7 -- NRC Health, a provider of customer intelligence in healthcare, issued the following statement on July 6, 2026: * * * The ROI of Patient Experience Is Bigger Than You Think For years, patient experience lived in the "nice to have" column of the hospital P&L. Leaders gave it a nod. They believed in it. But when it came time to defend the budget, experienced teams were often asked the same question as the wellness program: what's the ROI? That question deserves a better answer than it gets. And the data we sit on  more PR

WASHINGTON, July 13 -- The Redress Movement, a national nonprofit headquartered in Denver, Colorado, submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development opposing the department's proposed rule titled Equal Access to Housing in HUD Programs Revisions. The organization expressed concern that the rule would severely impact LGBTQ+ families, especially transgender individuals, by rolling back existing protections and subjecting them to discriminatory practices within HUD-funded shelters. The Redress Movement hi more ST

WASHINGTON, July 10 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture issued the following news release: * * * Secretary Rollins Announces Growing Momentum Behind USDA's Product of USA Label with 10 New Companies Joining Initiative * (Washington, D.C., July 10, 2026) - U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins today announced that ten additional meat and poultry companies have adopted USDA's voluntary Product of USA label, marking continued momentum behind the Administration's efforts to help consumers easily identify products that are truly born more PR

LINCOLN, Nebraska, July 9 (TNSjou) -- The University of Nebraska posted the following news: * * * Study explores social media's role in tornado disaster communication By Deann Gayman, University Communication and Marketing When a powerful EF-4 tornado tore through Rolling Fork, Mississippi, on March 24, 2023, social media became a critical tool for sharing weather warnings, damage reports and recovery information. But a new study from University of Nebraska-Lincoln media scholar Cory Armstrong found that the same disaster also exposed pers more PR

WASHINGTON, July 9 (TNSFR) -- The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh campus has identified affiliated Tribes for 16 associated funerary objects under Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), according to a notice published by the U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service. The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh completed an inventory of associated funerary objects and determined they are culturally affiliated with 55 federally recognized Tribal nations. The inventory covers five associated funerary objects from th more PR

WASHINGTON, July 7 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency issued the following news release: * * * USDA Accepts 2.2 Million Acres Through 2026 Conservation Reserve Program Enrollment to Benefit Natural Resources, Ag Operations * (Washington, D.C., July 7, 2026) - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is accepting 2.2 million acres into the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) for 2026. Through CRP, USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA) offers agricultural producers and landowners incentive payments for their conservation eff more PR