Humanities Desk

Humanities Desk

A special collection of Signature Stories that looks at life and culture in Nebraska through history, literature, religion, and art. This feed is updated continuously.

Episodes

Senators question appointments for Medical Cannabis Commission

May 22, 2025 • 1 min
The Legislature’s General Affairs Committee heard testimony from Lorelle Mueting and Dr. Monica Oldenburg, who were both selected by the governor from a pool of applicants. Mueting serves as a prevention program director at Heartland Family Service, while Oldenburg is an anesthesiologist who previously practiced in Colorado. Both have a history of opposition to medical marijuana legalization.
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LPD and counselors care for people in crisis, one call at a time

May 22, 2025 • 1 min
This Mental Health Awareness month, the Lincoln Police Department is celebrating a successful start to its co-responder program -- a team-up with mental health professionals that could decrease the use of jails and emergency medical services. Lincoln announced plans for the co-responder program in September, with a partnership between LPD and CenterPointe, a mental health and substance abuse care clinic that conducts street outr...
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Bill allowing students to attend off site religion classes fails

May 22, 2025 • 1 min
State senators considered a package of education bills Wednesday afternoon. By the end of the day’s debate, only the underlying bill, LB306, remained. The legislation initially contained six different bills after an amendment, AM1335, from the Legislature’s Education Committee combined them. The section of the bill from Sen. Loren Lippincott, originally LB550, which would excuse students from public schools to attend religion clas...
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Legislature fails to advance medical marijuana regulations

May 20, 2025 • 4 mins
Medical marijuana will not be regulated by the Nebraska Legislature this year after a bill failed to overcome a filibuster Tuesday evening. Nebraska voters overwhelmingly approved two ballot initiatives legalizing and regulating medical marijuana last fall. However, the drug remains inaccessible in the state. The Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission is tasked with drafting regulations and the group is unlikely to begin licensing d...
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Senators fail to override Pillen veto on SNAP benefit expansion

May 19, 2025 • 1 min
Currently, Nebraska law prohibits anyone with three or more drug-related felony charges or any drug distribution charge from accessing federal SNAP benefits. A bill from Sen. Victor Rountree would have removed those restrictions, as long as the beneficiaries had completed their sentences and participated in a substance abuse treatment program. The bill passed last week, but Gov. Jim Pillen vetoed it, leading to a vote to override ...
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Lincoln eclipses 300,000 population mark

May 19, 2025 • 1 min
Lincoln is now home to more than 300 thousand people after gaining an estimated 38 hundred new residents between July 1st of 2023 and 2024. Omaha also gained around 2500 residents over that time, reversing several years of flat or negative growth. Among the ten largest cities in the state, none are growing as fast proportionally as Columbus, however. While many smaller cities across the state have struggled to keep up with the dema...
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Pillen commits resources to Medical Cannabis Commission

May 16, 2025 • 57 secs
Gov. Jim Pillen announced Friday he intends to provide administrative support and resources to the Medical Cannabis Commission. “With support from the Policy Research Office, the Department of Administrative Services, and other agencies, as necessary, the Medical Cannabis Commission is fully enabled to meet and carry out its responsibilities under the Patient Protection Act and the Regulation Act to meet its milestone dates of Jul...
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“Hamilton” at the Orpheum: How it’s made

May 15, 2025 • 5 mins
Hamilton’s advanced load in arrived at the Orpheum Theater on Sunday, May 4th, while the show did its final performance in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Four days later, the show will begin for Nebraskans in Omaha. How does this happen? How does a crew of 70 move a whole stage production over 12 hours, and have it ready to run again within four days?
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Pillen vetoes bill expanding SNAP benefits for felons

May 15, 2025 • 1 min
A bill from Sen. Victor Rountree would have allowed all individuals convicted of felonies to become eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program after completing their sentences. Currently, Nebraska allows those with two or fewer felonies for drug use and possession to receive benefits, but those with drug distribution felonies remain banned. Rountree’s bill would have made around 1,000 new Nebraskans eligible. It pas...
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Bill defining male and female for sports participation advances

May 14, 2025 • 1 min
Sen. Kathleen Kauth’s Stand with Women Act, LB89, made it through the second round of debate in the Nebraska Legislature Wednesday evening, but not before an amendment stripped it of a key provision. Sen. Kathleen Kauth’s Stand with Women Act, LB89, made it through the second round of debate in the Nebraska Legislature Wednesday evening, but not before an amendment stripped it of a key provision. Sen. Merv Riepe was one of 33 senat...
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Proposal to reduce inheritance taxes stalls in Unicameral

May 13, 2025 • 1 min
A proposal to reduce inheritance taxes and raise county fees came up two votes short of overcoming a filibuster attempt in the Nebraska Legislature Tuesday evening. Sen. Rob Clements’ priority bill, LB468, as amended on the second round of debate, would have reduced the total amount of inheritance taxes Nebraska counties collect by around 24%, Clements said. Nebraska is one of five states with inheritance taxes and eliminating th...
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The Omaha Community Playhouse celebrates 100 years

May 12, 2025 • 4 mins
American Mariachi sets the stage for the Omaha Community Playhouse’s first play consisting of an entirely Latino cast. The show made both local and national history by being the first rendition at a community playhouse.
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Live races set strong pace for Nebraska’s horse betting industry

May 8, 2025 • 1 min
Nebraska’s horsemen are off to the races at Legacy Downs in Lincoln this Friday, the racetrack’s first day of its live meet. They will host around 90 races in the next five weeks, helping keep Nebraskan horse owners, jockeys and caretakers in the state while generating more betting revenue.
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South Omaha’s Cinco de Mayo festival celebrates 105 years

May 8, 2025 • 1 min
This weekend marks the 105th year of the Cinco de Mayo celebration in South Omaha. Its growth for over a century has had both a community and economic impact on the area.
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Bill transferring money from state agency cash funds advances

May 7, 2025 • 4 mins
Lawmakers began their second day debating how best to make up for a significant shortfall in the state budget. In recent years, the state has been flush with cash, thanks to post-pandemic revenue growth and an influx of federal dollars, but this year’s budgeting process has looked a little different. Sen. Myron Dorn, a member of the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee serving his seventh year in the Unicameral, said most of the...
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Auditor warns of 'exorbitant' cost of state office leasing

May 5, 2025 • 1 min
State auditor Mike Foley says Nebraska is spending too much on leasing commercial office space. In a letter he sent to the Legislature’s Performance Audit Committee Monday, Foley highlighted the 37% increase in the amount the state paid for commercially leased space over the last five years. He said the state should consider buying or building new properties to save money long term, since the cost per square foot is significantly c...
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Law professors send letter urging Congress to defend rule of law

May 2, 2025 • 1 min
Law professors at the University of Nebraska sent a letter to Nebraska’s congressional delegation this week, citing concerns over what they say is the Trump administration’s lack of respect for the rule of law. The letter reads in part, “We are concerned that the rule of law is in peril, and we urge you to be vigilant in its defense.” The letter cites the administration’s revocation of student visas, the lack of due process for imm...
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Diverse candidates line up for Lincoln City Council race

May 2, 2025 • 57 secs
Five of the six candidates for Lincoln City Council are people of color, one is an immigrant, and two identify as LGTBQ. Incumbent Sandra Washington says she can't remember a time the candidate pool was this diverse.
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Bill regulating medical marijuana advances to Unicameral floor

May 1, 2025 • 1 min
In November, Nebraska voters approved initiatives legalizing possession of up to 5 ounces of medical marijuana. Thursday afternoon, a bill to regulate it advanced from the Legislature’s General Affairs Committee.
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Fischer ‘willing to give the president time’ on tariff policy

May 1, 2025 • 1 min
In February, a U.S. Department of Agriculture report projected a $49 billion-dollar agricultural trade deficit for fiscal year 2025. That represents an all-time high. Trump announced a 90-day pause on most tariffs after a market decline in early April, but Chinese imports are subject to a 145% tariff, while other countries still have a 10% tariff. Fischer said she met with the Jamieson Greer, the U.S. Trade Representative, earlier ...
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