&nbsp;President&nbsp;Donald Trump&nbsp;criticized the United Nations during a speech before the general assembly on Tuesday in New York.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758638236501.png" alt="Image courtesy White House" />
                        <figcaption>Image courtesy White House</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>&nbsp;President&nbsp;Donald Trump&nbsp;criticized the United Nations during a speech before the general assembly on Tuesday in New York.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Watch in full: President Donald J. Trump&#39;s address to the 80th session of the United Nations Generally Assembly <a href="https://t.co/sJKI6GPkyk">pic.twitter.com/sJKI6GPkyk</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1970525758855536854?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/UaxUrM2zCG">pic.twitter.com/UaxUrM2zCG</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1970513791168208929?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥Trump issues warning to Europe in UN General Assembly speech

Nebraska’s 2026 U.S. Senate race is shaping up to be one of the most closely watched contests in the country, pitting incumbent Republican Senator Pete Ricketts against independent challenger Dan Osborn, a former labor leader and Navy veteran.

Pete Ricketts: The Incumbent Seeking a Full Term

Pete Ricketts, who was appointed to the Senate in 2023 to finish the term of former Senator Ben Sasse, is now seeking a full six-year term. Ricketts, a former governor of Nebraska and heir to the TD Ameritrade fortune, officially launched his re-election campaign in September 2025. He has emphasized his conservative leadership and commitment to delivering results for Nebraskans.

Dan Osborn is making a return to the Senate race after a strong showing in 2024, where he narrowly lost to Republican Senator Deb Fischer. Osborn, who ran as an independent in 2024, is again positioning himself as a champion for working-class Nebraskans. He criticizes Ricketts for his wealth and corporate ties, framing the race as a battle between the working class and the elite according to Nebraska Examiner.&nbsp;

Osborn has launched his campaign with a populist, blue-collar message, focusing on issues like income inequality and the influence of money in politics. He has also established a political action committee, the Working Class Heroes Fund, to support underfunded candidates and challenge the political establishment.

The 2026 Nebraska Senate race is expected to be highly competitive, with both candidates bringing distinct perspectives to the table. Ricketts has the advantage of incumbency and significant financial resources, while Osborn is relying on grassroots support and his message of economic populism. With the election still over a year away, both campaigns are gearing up for a battle that could have national implications.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758638683803.png" alt="<br>" />
                        <figcaption><br></figcaption>
                    </figure><p>Nebraska’s 2026 U.S. Senate race is shaping up to be one of the most closely watched contests in the country, pitting incumbent Republican Senator Pete Ricketts against independent challenger Dan Osborn, a former labor leader and Navy veteran.</p><h2>Pete Ricketts: The Incumbent Seeking a Full Term</h2><p>Pete Ricketts, who was appointed to the Senate in 2023 to finish the term of former Senator Ben Sasse, is now seeking a full six-year term. Ricketts, a former governor of Nebraska and heir to the TD Ameritrade fortune, officially launched his re-election campaign in September 2025. He has emphasized his conservative leadership and commitment to delivering results for Nebraskans.</p><h2>Dan Osborn: The Independent Challenger</h2><p>Dan Osborn is making a return to the Senate race after a strong showing in 2024, where he narrowly lost to Republican Senator Deb Fischer. Osborn, who ran as an independent in 2024, is again positioning himself as a champion for working-class Nebraskans. He criticizes Ricketts for his wealth and corporate ties, framing the race as a battle between the working class and the elite according to Nebraska Examiner.&nbsp;</p><p>Osborn has launched his campaign with a populist, blue-collar message, focusing on issues like income inequality and the influence of money in politics. He has also established a political action committee, the Working Class Heroes Fund, to support underfunded candidates and challenge the political establishment.</p><h2>A Race to Watch</h2><p>The 2026 Nebraska Senate race is expected to be highly competitive, with both candidates bringing distinct perspectives to the table. Ricketts has the advantage of incumbency and significant financial resources, while Osborn is relying on grassroots support and his message of economic populism. With the election still over a year away, both campaigns are gearing up for a battle that could have national implications.</p>

Nebraska Senate Showdown: Pete Ricketts Faces Independent Dan Osborn in 2026 Election

Jimmy Kimmel is back on the air, but viewers across western and central Nebraska won’t see him on their local ABC stations.

ABC brought Jimmy Kimmel Live! back Monday, less than a week after suspending the late-night show over controversy surrounding Kimmel’s remarks about conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The network said internal discussions led to the decision to reinstate the program.

But two of the nation’s largest station groups—Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair Broadcast Group—say they will continue to preempt the show on their ABC affiliates. Together, those companies own roughly one-quarter of ABC stations nationwide.

That includes Nebraska Television Network (NTV), which operates ABC affiliates KHGI in Kearney, KWNB in Hayes Center and their translators serving North Platte, Ogallala and much of western and central Nebraska. Sinclair owns the network, and as a result, Jimmy Kimmel Live! is being replaced with other programming on those stations.

The move means many Nebraska viewers, particularly in the western half of the state, won’t see Kimmel’s return on traditional broadcast. By contrast, Lincoln’s ABC affiliate, KLKN, is not owned by Sinclair and is expected to continue carrying the show as normal.

Nexstar and Sinclair both say their decisions stem from concerns over Kimmel’s recent remarks. Nexstar called them “ill-timed and insensitive,” while Sinclair said it wants a “formal dialogue” with ABC about promoting “constructive dialogue” in programming.

The dispute underscores the influence local affiliates hold over what reaches viewers, even when a network reinstates a show. Analysts warn the preemptions could affect ratings and advertising reach, especially in mid-sized markets.

Kimmel, one of late night’s longest-serving hosts, has not publicly addressed the suspension or the affiliate backlash. ABC has not said whether content guidelines will change moving forward.

For Nebraska fans in places like North Platte and Ogallala, that leaves few options outside of streaming or ABC’s digital platforms if they want to keep up with Kimmel’s return.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758653179428.png" alt="Disney" />
                        <figcaption>Disney</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>Jimmy Kimmel is back on the air, but viewers across western and central Nebraska won’t see him on their local ABC stations.</p><p>ABC brought Jimmy Kimmel Live! back Monday, less than a week after suspending the late-night show over controversy surrounding Kimmel’s remarks about conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The network said internal discussions led to the decision to reinstate the program.</p><p>But two of the nation’s largest station groups—Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair Broadcast Group—say they will continue to preempt the show on their ABC affiliates. Together, those companies own roughly one-quarter of ABC stations nationwide.</p><p>That includes Nebraska Television Network (NTV), which operates ABC affiliates KHGI in Kearney, KWNB in Hayes Center and their translators serving North Platte, Ogallala and much of western and central Nebraska. Sinclair owns the network, and as a result, Jimmy Kimmel Live! is being replaced with other programming on those stations.</p><p>The move means many Nebraska viewers, particularly in the western half of the state, won’t see Kimmel’s return on traditional broadcast. By contrast, Lincoln’s ABC affiliate, KLKN, is not owned by Sinclair and is expected to continue carrying the show as normal.</p><p>Nexstar and Sinclair both say their decisions stem from concerns over Kimmel’s recent remarks. Nexstar called them “ill-timed and insensitive,” while Sinclair said it wants a “formal dialogue” with ABC about promoting “constructive dialogue” in programming.</p><p>The dispute underscores the influence local affiliates hold over what reaches viewers, even when a network reinstates a show. Analysts warn the preemptions could affect ratings and advertising reach, especially in mid-sized markets.</p><p>Kimmel, one of late night’s longest-serving hosts, has not publicly addressed the suspension or the affiliate backlash. ABC has not said whether content guidelines will change moving forward.</p><p>For Nebraska fans in places like North Platte and Ogallala, that leaves few options outside of streaming or ABC’s digital platforms if they want to keep up with Kimmel’s return.</p>

Jimmy Kimmel Returns to Late Night, but Western Nebraska Viewers Left Out

President Donald Trump returned to the United Nations to deliver a speech on Tuesday morning.&nbsp;

As the President and the first lady arrived, they encountered challenges. First, the building's escalator stopped working just they stepped on it. They were forced to climb the steps.&nbsp; 

A few moments later, the teleprompter President Trump was going to use for his speech was not working. The President gave his speech without it, "that way you speak more from the heart," he said.&nbsp; &nbsp;And he also said, "whoever is running the teleprompter is in big trouble.” The teleprompter did finally begin to work.&nbsp;"I ended seven wars and never even received a phone all from the UN. These are the two things I got from the UN, a bad escalator and a bad teleprompter." Trump said.

<p>President Donald Trump returned to the United Nations to deliver a speech on Tuesday morning.&nbsp;</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">CLIP: &quot;Bad escalator&quot; President Trump referred to during his address to the U.N. General Assembly. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UNGA80?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UNGA80</a> <a href="https://t.co/S1w9kUOq1l">https://t.co/S1w9kUOq1l</a> <a href="https://t.co/Ja1JRyfF7m">pic.twitter.com/Ja1JRyfF7m</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1970544863130399037?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 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"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">NOW - Escalator at UN headquarters immediately stops as Trump and Melania step on it shortly after arriving. <a href="https://t.co/8nlUkDoQxm">pic.twitter.com/8nlUkDoQxm</a></p>&mdash; Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) <a href="https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1970488216470859859?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>As the President and the first lady arrived, they encountered challenges. First, the building's escalator stopped working just they stepped on it. They were forced to climb the steps.&nbsp; </p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">President Trump begins <a href="https://twitter.com/UN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UN</a> General Assembly Address: &quot;I don&#39;t mind making this speech without a teleprompter, because the teleprompter is not working…Whoever&#39;s operating this teleprompter is in big trouble.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/01t80AL9de">pic.twitter.com/01t80AL9de</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1970492091034734761?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>A few moments later, the teleprompter President Trump was going to use for his speech was not working. The President gave his speech without it, "that way you speak more from the heart," he said.&nbsp; &nbsp;And he also said, "whoever is running the teleprompter is in big trouble.” The teleprompter did finally begin to work.&nbsp;"I ended seven wars and never even received a phone all from the UN. These are the two things I got from the UN, a bad escalator and a bad teleprompter." Trump said.</p>

President Trump handles technical problems with humor at UN

NEST 529 Encourages Families to Make the Most of Education Savings Benefits

(LINCOLN, Neb.) –&nbsp;<a>Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen has proclaimed September as College Savings Month in Nebraska, highlighting the importance of helping families prepare for the rising costs of higher education. The proclamation serves as a reminder to parents, grandparents, and guardians that investing in education early can open the door to more opportunities for loved ones.&nbsp;</a>

“As the costs of higher education continue to rise, it’s more important than ever for families to take advantage of the tools available to plan for the future,” said Nebraska State Treasurer Tom Briese. “NEST 529 offers a tax-advantaged way to save for a child’s education — whether that’s college, trade school, or an apprenticeship — and helps turn academic dreams into reality. College Savings Month is the perfect time to start because every contribution, no matter how small, can grow into something meaningful over time.”

This College Savings Month, parents and guardians should take the opportunity to discuss how a NEST 529 Education Savings Plan can help their loved ones reach their goals.

Higher education costs continue to rise above the rate of inflation1&nbsp;and extend beyond just tuition and board to include books, laptops, institution fees, and more. According to&nbsp;<a href="https://research.collegeboard.org/trends/college-pricing" target="_blank">College Board</a>, a nonprofit organization that helps students navigate the path to secondary education, in 2024-25, the average yearly costs2&nbsp;of higher education tuition and fees for a full-time student are as follows:

Scholarships and grants can help, but they rarely cover the full cost of attendance, leaving families responsible for books, technology, lab fees, and other essentials. A NEST 529 Education Savings Plan can help with those financial pressures with tax-advantaged benefits.

With no minimum deposit required to open an account and contributions that can be managed online, families can start saving at any time with a NEST 529 account. Account owners in Nebraska may be eligible for an annual state income tax deduction of up to $10,000 for NEST 529 contributions, or $5,000 if married filing separately3. Plus, any earnings grow tax free, and qualified withdrawals may be free from federal and state income taxes4, providing even greater savings potential.

While the future may be uncertain, taking small steps to save can have a big impact on a child’s success. A NEST 529 account allows families to start investing in their children’s future, so they can soar toward their goals. Visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nest529.com/" target="_blank">NEST529.com</a>&nbsp;to read more about the benefits of the NEST 529 Education Savings Plans.

The Nebraska State Treasurer serves as the Program Trustee. All investments, including the portfolio structure offered through NEST 529 program, are vetted and approved by the Nebraska Investment Council.&nbsp;

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758645047479.png" alt="<br>" />
                        <figcaption><br></figcaption>
                    </figure><h2>NEST 529 Encourages Families to Make the Most of Education Savings Benefits</h2><p><i>For Immediate Release</i></p><p>(LINCOLN, Neb.) –&nbsp;<a>Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen has proclaimed September as College Savings Month in Nebraska, highlighting the importance of helping families prepare for the rising costs of higher education. The proclamation serves as a reminder to parents, grandparents, and guardians that investing in education early can open the door to more opportunities for loved ones.&nbsp;</a></p><p>“As the costs of higher education continue to rise, it’s more important than ever for families to take advantage of the tools available to plan for the future,” said Nebraska State Treasurer Tom Briese. “NEST 529 offers a tax-advantaged way to save for a child’s education — whether that’s college, trade school, or an apprenticeship — and helps turn academic dreams into reality. College Savings Month is the perfect time to start because every contribution, no matter how small, can grow into something meaningful over time.”</p><p>This College Savings Month, parents and guardians should take the opportunity to discuss how a NEST 529 Education Savings Plan can help their loved ones reach their goals.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758641380973.png" alt="<br>" />
                        <figcaption><br></figcaption>
                    </figure><p>Higher education costs continue to rise above the rate of inflation1&nbsp;and extend beyond just tuition and board to include books, laptops, institution fees, and more. According to&nbsp;<a href="https://research.collegeboard.org/trends/college-pricing" target="_blank">College Board</a>, a nonprofit organization that helps students navigate the path to secondary education, in 2024-25, the average yearly costs2&nbsp;of higher education tuition and fees for a full-time student are as follows:</p><ul>
                        <li>Public, two-year institution: $4,050</li><li>Public, four-year, in-state institution: $11,610</li><li>Public, four-year, out-of-state institution: $30,780</li><li>Private, nonprofit, four-year institution: $43,350</li>
                    </ul><p>Scholarships and grants can help, but they rarely cover the full cost of attendance, leaving families responsible for books, technology, lab fees, and other essentials. A NEST 529 Education Savings Plan can help with those financial pressures with tax-advantaged benefits.</p><p>With no minimum deposit required to open an account and contributions that can be managed online, families can start saving at any time with a NEST 529 account. Account owners in Nebraska may be eligible for an annual state income tax deduction of up to $10,000 for NEST 529 contributions, or $5,000 if married filing separately3. Plus, any earnings grow tax free, and qualified withdrawals may be free from federal and state income taxes4, providing even greater savings potential.</p><p>While the future may be uncertain, taking small steps to save can have a big impact on a child’s success. A NEST 529 account allows families to start investing in their children’s future, so they can soar toward their goals. Visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nest529.com/" target="_blank">NEST529.com</a>&nbsp;to read more about the benefits of the NEST 529 Education Savings Plans.</p><p>The Nebraska State Treasurer serves as the Program Trustee. All investments, including the portfolio structure offered through NEST 529 program, are vetted and approved by the Nebraska Investment Council.&nbsp;</p>

Nebraska Governor Declares September as College Savings Month

NEW YORK –&nbsp;The U.S. Secret Service dismantled a network of electronic devices located throughout the New York tristate area that were used to conduct multiple telecommunications-related threats directed towards senior U.S. government officials, which represented an imminent threat to the agency’s protective operations, according to a media release from the agency.

This protective intelligence investigation led to the discovery of more than 300 co-located SIM servers and 100,000 SIM cards across multiple sites.

In addition to carrying out anonymous telephonic threats, these devices could be used to conduct a wide range of telecommunications attacks. This includes disabling cell phone towers, enabling denial of services attacks and facilitating anonymous, encrypted communication between potential threat actors and criminal enterprises.

While forensic examination of these devices is ongoing, early analysis indicates cellular communications between nation-state threat actors and individuals that are known to federal law enforcement.

“The potential for disruption to our country’s telecommunications posed by this network of devices cannot be overstated,” said U.S. Secret Service Director Sean Curran. “The U.S. Secret Service’s protective mission is all about prevention, and this investigation makes it clear to potential bad actors that imminent threats to our protectees will be immediately investigated, tracked down and dismantled.”

These devices were concentrated within 35 miles of the global meeting of the United Nations General Assembly now underway in New York City. Given the timing, location and potential for significant disruption to New York telecommunications posed by these devices, the agency moved quickly to disrupt this network. The U.S. Secret Service’s Advanced Threat Interdiction Unit, a new section of the agency dedicated to disrupting the most significant and imminent threats to our protectees, is conducting this investigation. This investigation is currently ongoing.

The Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Justice, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the NYPD, as well as other state and local law enforcement partners, provided valuable technical advice and assistance in support of this investigation.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758634316959.png" alt="Sim boxes-photo U.S. Secret Service" />
                        <figcaption>Sim boxes-photo U.S. Secret Service</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>NEW YORK –&nbsp;The U.S. Secret Service dismantled a network of electronic devices located throughout the New York tristate area that were used to conduct multiple telecommunications-related threats directed towards senior U.S. government officials, which represented an imminent threat to the agency’s protective operations, according to a media release from the agency.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758637728470.png" alt="Photo Secret Service" />
                        <figcaption>Photo Secret Service</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>This protective intelligence investigation led to the discovery of more than 300 co-located SIM servers and 100,000 SIM cards across multiple sites.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758634294809.png" alt="Photo Secret Service" />
                        <figcaption>Photo Secret Service</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>In addition to carrying out anonymous telephonic threats, these devices could be used to conduct a wide range of telecommunications attacks. This includes disabling cell phone towers, enabling denial of services attacks and facilitating anonymous, encrypted communication between potential threat actors and criminal enterprises.</p><p>While forensic examination of these devices is ongoing, early analysis indicates cellular communications between nation-state threat actors and individuals that are known to federal law enforcement.</p><p>“The potential for disruption to our country’s telecommunications posed by this network of devices cannot be overstated,” said U.S. Secret Service Director Sean Curran. “The U.S. Secret Service’s protective mission is all about prevention, and this investigation makes it clear to potential bad actors that imminent threats to our protectees will be immediately investigated, tracked down and dismantled.”</p><p>These devices were concentrated within 35 miles of the global meeting of the United Nations General Assembly now underway in New York City. Given the timing, location and potential for significant disruption to New York telecommunications posed by these devices, the agency moved quickly to disrupt this network. The U.S. Secret Service’s Advanced Threat Interdiction Unit, a new section of the agency dedicated to disrupting the most significant and imminent threats to our protectees, is conducting this investigation. This investigation is currently ongoing.</p><p>The Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Justice, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the NYPD, as well as other state and local law enforcement partners, provided valuable technical advice and assistance in support of this investigation.</p>

Secret Service finds network of devices capable of crashing phone network

Lincoln, NE ‐ September 23, 2025 ‐ One lucky player who bought a Nebraska Pick 4 ticket for the Monday, September 22 drawing is holding a ticket worth $6,000.

The ticket was sold at City Discount Liquor, 821 N Jeffers, in North Platte. The winning numbers from Monday's Pick 4 draw were and 03, 06, 04, 00.

Winning Nebraska Lottery Lotto tickets expire 180 days after the drawing. Prizes of $20,000 or more must be claimed in person at Lottery headquarters in Lincoln. Additional information about claiming prizes can be found at the Nebraska Lottery website,&nbsp;<a href="http://nelottery.com/" target="_blank">nelottery.com</a>, or by calling 800-587-5200.

The mission of the Nebraska Lottery is to generate proceeds for good causes while providing quality entertainment options to Nebraskans. Over $1.037 billion has been raised for the Nebraska Lottery's beneficiary funds since the Lottery began in 1993. All 93 counties in Nebraska have benefited from projects funded with these Nebraska Lottery proceeds.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758633254774.png" alt="<br>" />
                        <figcaption><br></figcaption>
                    </figure><p><i>For Immediate Release</i></p><p>Lincoln, NE ‐ September 23, 2025 ‐ One lucky player who bought a Nebraska Pick 4 ticket for the Monday, September 22 drawing is holding a ticket worth $6,000.</p><p>The ticket was sold at City Discount Liquor, 821 N Jeffers, in North Platte. The winning numbers from Monday's Pick 4 draw were and 03, 06, 04, 00.</p><p>Winning Nebraska Lottery Lotto tickets expire 180 days after the drawing. Prizes of $20,000 or more must be claimed in person at Lottery headquarters in Lincoln. Additional information about claiming prizes can be found at the Nebraska Lottery website,&nbsp;<a href="http://nelottery.com/" target="_blank">nelottery.com</a>, or by calling 800-587-5200.</p><p>The mission of the Nebraska Lottery is to generate proceeds for good causes while providing quality entertainment options to Nebraskans. Over $1.037 billion has been raised for the Nebraska Lottery's beneficiary funds since the Lottery began in 1993. All 93 counties in Nebraska have benefited from projects funded with these Nebraska Lottery proceeds.</p>

$6,000 Nebraska Pick 4 Winning Ticket Sold in North Platte

NeCGA is committed to working with lawmakers to ensure corn growers' needs are a priority

LINCOLN, Neb. – The Nebraska Corn Growers Association (NeCGA) collected more than 700 signatures during this year’s Husker Harvest Days, showing strong support for policy priorities critical to corn growers across the state.

The signatures back initiatives such as year-round, nationwide access to E-15 fuel, the advancement of key trade agreements and updates to Farm Bill provisions—issues NeCGA says are especially urgent given the industry’s current economic challenges.

Kaitlin Taylor, NeCGA’s director of public policy, delivered the petitions directly to Nebraska’s congressional offices in Washington, D.C. She also met with staff at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and congressional committees as part of a broader advocacy fly-in.

“The number of signatures we collected shows how united our growers are around these priorities,” said Jan tenBensel, a Cambridge farmer and NeCGA board member who joined the meetings in Washington. “Farmers need action on E-15, trade and the Farm Bill, and they are making their voices heard.”

NeCGA says it will continue working with federal lawmakers to ensure Nebraska corn growers’ concerns remain front and center.

About the Nebraska Corn Growers Association
The Nebraska Corn Growers Association (NeCGA) is a grassroots commodity group that represents more than 2,400 dues-paying members across the state. The organization focuses on advancing Nebraska’s corn farmers through leadership, policy and education. NeCGA is affiliated with the National Corn Growers Association, which has over 36,000 members nationwide.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701885934512.jpeg" alt="<br>" />
                        <figcaption><br></figcaption>
                    </figure><h2>NeCGA is committed to working with lawmakers to ensure corn growers' needs are a priority</h2><p>LINCOLN, Neb. – The Nebraska Corn Growers Association (NeCGA) collected more than 700 signatures during this year’s Husker Harvest Days, showing strong support for policy priorities critical to corn growers across the state.</p><p>The signatures back initiatives such as year-round, nationwide access to E-15 fuel, the advancement of key trade agreements and updates to Farm Bill provisions—issues NeCGA says are especially urgent given the industry’s current economic challenges.</p><p>Kaitlin Taylor, NeCGA’s director of public policy, delivered the petitions directly to Nebraska’s congressional offices in Washington, D.C. She also met with staff at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and congressional committees as part of a broader advocacy fly-in.</p><p>“The number of signatures we collected shows how united our growers are around these priorities,” said Jan tenBensel, a Cambridge farmer and NeCGA board member who joined the meetings in Washington. “Farmers need action on E-15, trade and the Farm Bill, and they are making their voices heard.”</p><p>NeCGA says it will continue working with federal lawmakers to ensure Nebraska corn growers’ concerns remain front and center.</p><p>About the Nebraska Corn Growers Association
The Nebraska Corn Growers Association (NeCGA) is a grassroots commodity group that represents more than 2,400 dues-paying members across the state. The organization focuses on advancing Nebraska’s corn farmers through leadership, policy and education. NeCGA is affiliated with the National Corn Growers Association, which has over 36,000 members nationwide.</p><p>— Nebraska Corn Growers Association</p>

Nebraska Corn Growers Deliver 700+ Signatures to Congress, Urging Action on E-15, Trade and Farm Bill

The vast majority of autism researchers understand that there is not a singular cause of autism. Our collective body of global research going back decades means that we have encyclopedic knowledge about the risks for autism, its possible causes, and the highly variable experience of autistic individuals. &nbsp;

The September 22 press conference held by U.S. Health and Human Services alarms us researchers who committed our entire careers to better understanding autism. The data cited do not support the claim that Tylenol causes autism and leucovorin is a cure, and only stoke fear and falsely suggest hope when there is no simple answer.

In brief response to this report, <a href="https://www.coalitionofautismscientists.org/members">the Coalition of Autism Scientists </a>makes the following points:

Regarding a possible link between acetaminophen and autism:

While a recent&nbsp;<a href="https://secure-web.cisco.com/12-p9UShCUEOIYXv2znxa0aqkVuAlW2WK3T38wkoNTPgfKSx8WnvjIoTnqn05j82eTwnFO4qRQvfyvd056Wr8P4Vlm8GIHFKVQHGel7LOPtCJLNfJI9EIU7vrL6GibpF7n9sfqgI19H1VoN9hAWeYdLeyuMoBqjSYdNqdyHBVvnUJIv3YuKY5ptdZMUb8gQgRlFDz3dsRFH8XhC3EJBdTAFec4qFO9ywpwg28skFd07aPu5nPXsGbfUp4haQYLVw39r4w4kcTCLkW3pMw2MezeD8ih7YHQrRBeSGMBRKLZ_-RJv1dKo-UBUKG6PDZLMkw0-y1JKaSVDvDljRNpextllv8v2NiGDw-RwBIZLTmdSH09TSedfSa-qtxgWfHDINtQpxL_F2zHvJxRfawXgWmmvhvDcS-8UFTSGm3Dk3dsnCckVfAFE7xE90UBNOGTMXvlHGJCCDbYMr4FzQLvF2rpQ/https%3A%2F%2Furldefense.com%2Fv3%2F__https%3A%2Fpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2F40804730%2F__%3B%21%21BZ50a36bapWJ%21phJNivUOy1QcmpRhRfW5EkPBp-NTRftfdwl71wwXMMaSTNweKlOdlsJZvlbcFh-0bx189_kHfJ6DukAILqduukZ_FQ3NRiSr_uM%24" target="_blank">summary analysis</a>&nbsp;found some evidence for a weak association, it does not evaluate the quality of the studies informing the analysis. Importantly, these studies fail to address the fact that fevers during pregnancy are known to increase risk for autism, and that’s why mothers take acetaminophen in the first place. Rather, the most recent,&nbsp;<a href="https://secure-web.cisco.com/1F-SP49beOizPL4WGm4SdputO84cITRjShoz9_K0m0WWU4EvEzee34XX1qNQWDuCpynga2ZOFdwTHCy3hWo33WVKUBBPgKXZmqoTfxm0nikIaS8p1c6tQOWOxF1hGG_vXQd2cTnxxz8s3nUwHT2a2VjHVdUXkp0xEJGg1WlETiE6G0orDiwTmftf6KTEybadFVVFq2igmfcxf2teI3v2sIHjbxoPFm9ZBLxv-RIRBqFuOBQmtivm-T8eWbk3MSOWUCUK7Ee249S5k8sBRV7s6JTSvAGs0LZCjqyimjy-p4LmEiu3ZGpFGaCcbqo0dQQZc4UwW4IhVMSCPSSQnw_vX8DlccbMZTQiD6maZBUSqohurPhf2xjA4nUBhuAz1nMpqcJuro-Uz3T9zSVWkh2mYGO9hXtDWrEWVA63CUBdKBQtXyHxybYbdiM516h9Jm3N1FZtnNmzQ7H8r9khuuN0KQQ/https%3A%2F%2Furldefense.com%2Fv3%2F__https%3A%2Fpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2F38592388%2F__%3B%21%21BZ50a36bapWJ%21phJNivUOy1QcmpRhRfW5EkPBp-NTRftfdwl71wwXMMaSTNweKlOdlsJZvlbcFh-0bx189_kHfJ6DukAILqduukZ_FQ3NbyKdUAo%24" target="_blank">rigorous study</a>&nbsp;that controlled for unmeasured familiar risks found that acetaminophen did not cause autism.

Given that use of acetaminophen during pregnancy&nbsp;<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2817406" target="_blank">&nbsp;has not increased</a>&nbsp;(Ahlqvist VH, et al., Fig 2A in reference) over the past two decades alongside rates of autism, it’s clearly not the cause of the increased diagnoses of autism and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.acog.org/news/news-articles/2021/09/response-to-consensus-statement-on-paracetamol-use-during-pregnancy" target="_blank">American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists agrees.</a>

There are only a handful of clinical trials of leucovorin and evidence connecting treatment to improvements in outcomes is very weak. (See references) All of them are very small, and the study designs and approaches to statistical analyses of the data are not all of high quality.&nbsp; &nbsp;It is premature to claim that leucovorin is an effective treatment for autism and add autism as a secondary indication. &nbsp;

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.coalitionofautismscientists.org/" target="_blank">Coalition of Autism Scientists</a>&nbsp;reviewed these studies and found that the researchers aren’t using high quality study designs or statistical analysis. Most of these studies test many outcomes, without statistically adjusting for the fact that they are doing so along the way. Some of them use statistics that are inappropriate for a randomized trial (e.g., showing that there is statistically significant change in the intervention group but not in the control group, without actually comparing the groups). Others attempt to conduct analyses separately for children that they say have a gene or antibody that would suggest that they have folate deficiency, meaning that they are conducting the analysis on even smaller groups.

With this in mind, we do not support any recommendation from the HHS or FDA regarding increased use of folinic acid. Instead, we call for a well-designed, large scale clinical trial of leucovorin (folinic acid) with all of the rigor needed (biomarkers, proper endpoints) and most importantly a pre-registered analysis plan.

Dozens of studies demonstrate the role vaccination plays to protect individuals, particularly the most vulnerable in our community, against potentially fatal diseases. There is no evidence that routine vaccinations have any connection to autism at all.

Secretary Kennedy is using his position to push forward his well-known anti-vaccination views, which does not align with Americans’ broad support of vaccines. Outbreaks and epidemics are inevitable if access to free, safe vaccines is reduced.

Is HHS wants to speed up autism research, then investment in gold-standard, peer-reviewed research – that which was already in progress before the rulebook suddenly changed – must continue. Regarding the grants awarded as part of the Autism Data Science Initiative (ADSI), the Coalition of Autism Scientists calls for an independent external advisory board of autism scientists and community members to support the ADSI and analyze methodologies, which will facilitate earning the trust of researchers and the public.

The Coalition of Autism Scientists will continue to speak factually and forcefully about the science that should inform our public understanding of autism and support autistic individuals and their families.

<p><i>Coalition of Autism Scientists</i></p><p>The vast majority of autism researchers understand that there is not a singular cause of autism. Our collective body of global research going back decades means that we have encyclopedic knowledge about the risks for autism, its possible causes, and the highly variable experience of autistic individuals. &nbsp;</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🚨 President Donald J. Trump announces FDA&#39;s new guidance alerting physicians to a potential link between acetaminophen (Tylenol) use during pregnancy and an increased risk of autism. <a href="https://t.co/ZjVgEAR6MX">pic.twitter.com/ZjVgEAR6MX</a></p>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1970268144569819420?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>The September 22 press conference held by U.S. Health and Human Services alarms us researchers who committed our entire careers to better understanding autism. The data cited do not support the claim that Tylenol causes autism and leucovorin is a cure, and only stoke fear and falsely suggest hope when there is no simple answer.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">&quot;Tylenol during pregnancy can be associated with a very increased risk of autism.&quot; - <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> <a href="https://t.co/0FdBCOjtZk">pic.twitter.com/0FdBCOjtZk</a></p>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1970247984106328147?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>In brief response to this report, <a href="https://www.coalitionofautismscientists.org/members">the Coalition of Autism Scientists </a>makes the following points:</p><p>Regarding a possible link between acetaminophen and autism:</p><p>While a recent&nbsp;<a href="https://secure-web.cisco.com/12-p9UShCUEOIYXv2znxa0aqkVuAlW2WK3T38wkoNTPgfKSx8WnvjIoTnqn05j82eTwnFO4qRQvfyvd056Wr8P4Vlm8GIHFKVQHGel7LOPtCJLNfJI9EIU7vrL6GibpF7n9sfqgI19H1VoN9hAWeYdLeyuMoBqjSYdNqdyHBVvnUJIv3YuKY5ptdZMUb8gQgRlFDz3dsRFH8XhC3EJBdTAFec4qFO9ywpwg28skFd07aPu5nPXsGbfUp4haQYLVw39r4w4kcTCLkW3pMw2MezeD8ih7YHQrRBeSGMBRKLZ_-RJv1dKo-UBUKG6PDZLMkw0-y1JKaSVDvDljRNpextllv8v2NiGDw-RwBIZLTmdSH09TSedfSa-qtxgWfHDINtQpxL_F2zHvJxRfawXgWmmvhvDcS-8UFTSGm3Dk3dsnCckVfAFE7xE90UBNOGTMXvlHGJCCDbYMr4FzQLvF2rpQ/https%3A%2F%2Furldefense.com%2Fv3%2F__https%3A%2Fpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2F40804730%2F__%3B%21%21BZ50a36bapWJ%21phJNivUOy1QcmpRhRfW5EkPBp-NTRftfdwl71wwXMMaSTNweKlOdlsJZvlbcFh-0bx189_kHfJ6DukAILqduukZ_FQ3NRiSr_uM%24" target="_blank">summary analysis</a>&nbsp;found some evidence for a weak association, it does not evaluate the quality of the studies informing the analysis. Importantly, these studies fail to address the fact that fevers during pregnancy are known to increase risk for autism, and that’s why mothers take acetaminophen in the first place. Rather, the most recent,&nbsp;<a href="https://secure-web.cisco.com/1F-SP49beOizPL4WGm4SdputO84cITRjShoz9_K0m0WWU4EvEzee34XX1qNQWDuCpynga2ZOFdwTHCy3hWo33WVKUBBPgKXZmqoTfxm0nikIaS8p1c6tQOWOxF1hGG_vXQd2cTnxxz8s3nUwHT2a2VjHVdUXkp0xEJGg1WlETiE6G0orDiwTmftf6KTEybadFVVFq2igmfcxf2teI3v2sIHjbxoPFm9ZBLxv-RIRBqFuOBQmtivm-T8eWbk3MSOWUCUK7Ee249S5k8sBRV7s6JTSvAGs0LZCjqyimjy-p4LmEiu3ZGpFGaCcbqo0dQQZc4UwW4IhVMSCPSSQnw_vX8DlccbMZTQiD6maZBUSqohurPhf2xjA4nUBhuAz1nMpqcJuro-Uz3T9zSVWkh2mYGO9hXtDWrEWVA63CUBdKBQtXyHxybYbdiM516h9Jm3N1FZtnNmzQ7H8r9khuuN0KQQ/https%3A%2F%2Furldefense.com%2Fv3%2F__https%3A%2Fpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2F38592388%2F__%3B%21%21BZ50a36bapWJ%21phJNivUOy1QcmpRhRfW5EkPBp-NTRftfdwl71wwXMMaSTNweKlOdlsJZvlbcFh-0bx189_kHfJ6DukAILqduukZ_FQ3NbyKdUAo%24" target="_blank">rigorous study</a>&nbsp;that controlled for unmeasured familiar risks found that acetaminophen did not cause autism.</p><p>Given that use of acetaminophen during pregnancy&nbsp;<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2817406" target="_blank">&nbsp;has not increased</a>&nbsp;(Ahlqvist VH, et al., Fig 2A in reference) over the past two decades alongside rates of autism, it’s clearly not the cause of the increased diagnoses of autism and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.acog.org/news/news-articles/2021/09/response-to-consensus-statement-on-paracetamol-use-during-pregnancy" target="_blank">American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists agrees.</a></p><p>Regarding folinic acid (leucovorin):</p><p>There are only a handful of clinical trials of leucovorin and evidence connecting treatment to improvements in outcomes is very weak. (See references) All of them are very small, and the study designs and approaches to statistical analyses of the data are not all of high quality.&nbsp; &nbsp;It is premature to claim that leucovorin is an effective treatment for autism and add autism as a secondary indication. &nbsp;</p><p>The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.coalitionofautismscientists.org/" target="_blank">Coalition of Autism Scientists</a>&nbsp;reviewed these studies and found that the researchers aren’t using high quality study designs or statistical analysis. Most of these studies test many outcomes, without statistically adjusting for the fact that they are doing so along the way. Some of them use statistics that are inappropriate for a randomized trial (e.g., showing that there is statistically significant change in the intervention group but not in the control group, without actually comparing the groups). Others attempt to conduct analyses separately for children that they say have a gene or antibody that would suggest that they have folate deficiency, meaning that they are conducting the analysis on even smaller groups.</p><p>With this in mind, we do not support any recommendation from the HHS or FDA regarding increased use of folinic acid. Instead, we call for a well-designed, large scale clinical trial of leucovorin (folinic acid) with all of the rigor needed (biomarkers, proper endpoints) and most importantly a pre-registered analysis plan.</p><p>Vaccines and Autism:</p><p>Dozens of studies demonstrate the role vaccination plays to protect individuals, particularly the most vulnerable in our community, against potentially fatal diseases. There is no evidence that routine vaccinations have any connection to autism at all.</p><p>Secretary Kennedy is using his position to push forward his well-known anti-vaccination views, which does not align with Americans’ broad support of vaccines. Outbreaks and epidemics are inevitable if access to free, safe vaccines is reduced.</p><p>Is HHS wants to speed up autism research, then investment in gold-standard, peer-reviewed research – that which was already in progress before the rulebook suddenly changed – must continue. Regarding the grants awarded as part of the Autism Data Science Initiative (ADSI), the Coalition of Autism Scientists calls for an independent external advisory board of autism scientists and community members to support the ADSI and analyze methodologies, which will facilitate earning the trust of researchers and the public.</p><p>The Coalition of Autism Scientists will continue to speak factually and forcefully about the science that should inform our public understanding of autism and support autistic individuals and their families.</p><p>References:</p><ul>
                        <li>Prada D, Ritz B, Bauer AZ, Baccarelli AA. Evaluation of the evidence on acetaminophen use and neurodevelopmental disorders using the Navigation Guide methodology. Environ Health. 2025 Aug 14;24(1):56. doi: 10.1186/s12940-025-01208-0. PMID: 40804730; PMCID: PMC12351903.</li><li>Ahlqvist VH, Sjöqvist H, Dalman C, et al. Acetaminophen Use During Pregnancy and Children’s Risk of Autism, ADHD, and Intellectual Disability. JAMA. 2024;331(14):1205–1214. doi:10.1001/jama.2024.3172 (See figure 2A)</li><li>Zhang C, Chen Y, Hou F, Li Y, Wang W, Guo L, Zhang C, Li L, Lu C. Safety and Efficacy of High-Dose Folinic Acid in Children with Autism: The Impact of Folate Metabolism Gene Polymorphisms. Nutrients. 2025 May 7;17(9):1602. doi: 10.3390/nu17091602. PMID: 40362912; PMCID: PMC12073535.</li><li>ACOG Response to Consensus Statement on Paracetamol Use During Pregnancy. 9-21-21.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.acog.org/news/news-articles/2021/09/response-to-consensus-statement-on-paracetamol-use-during-pregnancy" target="_blank">https://www.acog.org/news/news-articles/2021/09/response-to-consensus-statement-on-paracetamol-use-during-pregnancy</a></li><li>Panda PK, Sharawat IK, Saha S, Gupta D, Palayullakandi A, Meena K. Efficacy of oral folinic acid supplementation in children with autism spectrum disorder: a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Eur J Pediatr. 2024 Nov;183(11):4827-4835. doi: 10.1007/s00431-024-05762-6. Epub 2024 Sep 7. PMID: 39243316.</li><li>Batebi N, Moghaddam HS, Hasanzadeh A, Fakour Y, Mohammadi MR, Akhondzadeh S. Folinic Acid as Adjunctive Therapy in Treatment of Inappropriate Speech in Children with Autism: A Double-Blind and Placebo-Controlled Randomized Trial. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev. 2021 Oct;52(5):928-938. doi: 10.1007/s10578-020-01072-8. Epub 2020 Oct 7. PMID: 33029705.</li><li>Renard E, Leheup B, Guéant-Rodriguez RM, Oussalah A, Quadros EV, Guéant JL. Folinic acid improves the score of Autism in the EFFET placebo-controlled randomized trial. Biochimie. 2020 Jun;173:57-61. doi: 10.1016/j.biochi.2020.04.019. Epub 2020 May 7. PMID: 32387472.</li><li>Frye RE, Slattery J, Delhey L, Furgerson B, Strickland T, Tippett M, Sailey A, Wynne R, Rose S, Melnyk S, Jill James S, Sequeira JM, Quadros EV. Folinic acid improves verbal communication in children with autism and language impairment: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Mol Psychiatry. 2018 Feb;23(2):247-256. doi: 10.1038/mp.2016.168. Epub 2016 Oct 18. PMID: 27752075; PMCID: PMC5794882.</li>
                    </ul>

Coalition of autism scientists oppose links between Tylenol and Autism; use of Leucovorin

By:<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/cindygonzalez/">Cindy Gonzalez</a><br><a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/03/17/lincoln-senators-clash-over-nebraska-school-retirement-bill-as-school-leaders-weigh-in/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN —&nbsp;Nebraska State Auditor Mike Foley accused a state agency director of padding his work hours to “bilk the agency” of about $20,700 in what Foley called “unearned compensation.”

In his office’s latest probe, a&nbsp;<a href="https://auditors.nebraska.gov/APA_Reports/2025/SA66-09222025-July_1_2024_through_June_30_2025_Attestation_Report.pdf" target="_blank">54-page report</a>&nbsp;released Monday, Foley took aim at the part-time executive director of the Nebraska Abstractors Board of Examiners and its governor-appointed board. A key criticism: lax oversight.

“This guy reminds me of the legendary ‘Big Foot,’ as there are rumors of his existence but few verifiable on-the-job sightings,” Foley said of Trenton Behr, who was replaced by an interim director and could not be reached for comment.&nbsp;

Established in 1965, the Abstractors Board exists to ensure competent real estate abstracting, the practice of creating understandable records of leases and deeds so buyers can be fully informed of a property’s legal status.

Funded by certification and exam fees, the agency, which is governed by a five-member board, employs one part-timer.&nbsp;

Foley said his team tried to talk to Behr who declined to do so through his attorney.

The board declined to comment to the Nebraska Examiner, but responded in the auditor’s report. At one point, the board reminded Foley’s team of a 2021 arrangement it made with the Department of Administrative Services for DAS to manage payment and oversight of the director’s pay.

“The DAS office should have been responsible for management of timekeeping and reporting of fraudulent hours submitted,” the board said, requesting that auditors remove or modify findings related to lack of internal controls to prevent one person from carrying out financial wrongdoings.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The board agreed to take other actions in light of the auditor’s probe, including the review of itemized time cards submitted by the director to DAS.&nbsp;

Foley’s team said that while a contract arrangement with DAS might mitigate some risk, it does not relieve the board of its oversight responsibilities.&nbsp;

“A proper system of internal controls includes procedures to mitigate the risk for errors or abuse when a segregation of duties cannot be achieved,” the report said.

Foley, in an interview, reiterated the obligations of governing boards, even those that are volunteer.&nbsp;

“There is just a common misunderstanding of what board service is all about,” he said. “It is an honor, but it is also a responsibility.”

Foley told the Examiner that his team’s findings do not convey anything negative or inappropriate about real estate-related practices.

“Nothing in our report reflects poorly on the core duties of the Abstractors Board to make sure real estate transactions are being properly handled,” he said.&nbsp;

Foley said that while Behr was employed by the state, he also worked for another employer full-time and that the audit team collaborated with Albireo Energy in Omaha to examine Behr’s schedule between May 2024 and June 2025.

The audit team laid out documentation that disputed many hours Behr said he worked. In one 48-hour period examined, Behr claimed to have worked 24 hours straight for Albireo and another 10 hours for the board, Foley said.&nbsp;

During a five-month stretch in 2025, timesheets filled out by Behr showed him working eight hours a day seven days a week for 140 consecutive days — “a remarkable display of fortitude and devotion to duty by a public servant,” Foley said sarcastically.

He also said Behr was a University of Nebraska at Omaha student earning a master’s degree during much of the time in question. The report documented a trip Behr made to Disneyland, while claiming hours worked for the board.

Auditors said they cooperated with the Nebraska State Patrol and the private employer looking into use of the Albireo corporate credit card.&nbsp;

Foley said that Behr, after his job was terminated at the private employer, filed for benefits from the Nebraska Department of Labor, claiming a “not working” status despite his employment at the time with the board. Foley said the Labor Department paid Behr $1,128, and stopped after auditors&nbsp; flagged the agency of the situation.&nbsp;

Foley called the arrogance and “lack of civic consciousness” displayed by a “rogue” state employee&nbsp; egregious.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744213180581.jpeg" alt="The Nebraska State Auditor’s Office is located in the State Capitol. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)" />
                        <figcaption>The Nebraska State Auditor’s Office is located in the State Capitol. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>By:<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/cindygonzalez/">Cindy Gonzalez</a><br><a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/03/17/lincoln-senators-clash-over-nebraska-school-retirement-bill-as-school-leaders-weigh-in/">Nebraska Examiner</a></p><p>LINCOLN —&nbsp;Nebraska State Auditor Mike Foley accused a state agency director of padding his work hours to “bilk the agency” of about $20,700 in what Foley called “unearned compensation.”</p><p>In his office’s latest probe, a&nbsp;<a href="https://auditors.nebraska.gov/APA_Reports/2025/SA66-09222025-July_1_2024_through_June_30_2025_Attestation_Report.pdf" target="_blank">54-page report</a>&nbsp;released Monday, Foley took aim at the part-time executive director of the Nebraska Abstractors Board of Examiners and its governor-appointed board. A key criticism: lax oversight.</p><p>“This guy reminds me of the legendary ‘Big Foot,’ as there are rumors of his existence but few verifiable on-the-job sightings,” Foley said of Trenton Behr, who was replaced by an interim director and could not be reached for comment.&nbsp;</p><p>Established in 1965, the Abstractors Board exists to ensure competent real estate abstracting, the practice of creating understandable records of leases and deeds so buyers can be fully informed of a property’s legal status.</p><p>Funded by certification and exam fees, the agency, which is governed by a five-member board, employs one part-timer.&nbsp;</p><h2>Key findings</h2><p>Among the audit’s findings:</p><ul>
                        <li>&nbsp;Alleged fraudulent payroll payments totaling $20,700 were made to the director, who auditors said was responsible for performing all payroll processing procedures. Foley said the amount could have been “worse” had there been no cap on eligible hours to work.</li><li>The director received two payments, totaling $1,128, for an unemployment insurance claim Foley said appeared to have been filed fraudulently because Behr still had another job.</li><li>Foley said the board is responsible for reporting budget information to the Nebraska Department of Administrative Services, and the auditing team said that was not completed properly for fiscal year 2025.</li>
                    </ul><p>Foley said his team tried to talk to Behr who declined to do so through his attorney.</p><p>The board declined to comment to the Nebraska Examiner, but responded in the auditor’s report. At one point, the board reminded Foley’s team of a 2021 arrangement it made with the Department of Administrative Services for DAS to manage payment and oversight of the director’s pay.</p><p>“The DAS office should have been responsible for management of timekeeping and reporting of fraudulent hours submitted,” the board said, requesting that auditors remove or modify findings related to lack of internal controls to prevent one person from carrying out financial wrongdoings.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>The board agreed to take other actions in light of the auditor’s probe, including the review of itemized time cards submitted by the director to DAS.&nbsp;</p><p>Foley’s team said that while a contract arrangement with DAS might mitigate some risk, it does not relieve the board of its oversight responsibilities.&nbsp;</p><p>“A proper system of internal controls includes procedures to mitigate the risk for errors or abuse when a segregation of duties cannot be achieved,” the report said.</p><h2>Honor and responsibility</h2><p>Foley, in an interview, reiterated the obligations of governing boards, even those that are volunteer.&nbsp;</p><p>“There is just a common misunderstanding of what board service is all about,” he said. “It is an honor, but it is also a responsibility.”</p><p>Foley told the Examiner that his team’s findings do not convey anything negative or inappropriate about real estate-related practices.</p><p>“Nothing in our report reflects poorly on the core duties of the Abstractors Board to make sure real estate transactions are being properly handled,” he said.&nbsp;</p><p>Foley said that while Behr was employed by the state, he also worked for another employer full-time and that the audit team collaborated with Albireo Energy in Omaha to examine Behr’s schedule between May 2024 and June 2025.</p><p>The audit team laid out documentation that disputed many hours Behr said he worked. In one 48-hour period examined, Behr claimed to have worked 24 hours straight for Albireo and another 10 hours for the board, Foley said.&nbsp;</p><p>During a five-month stretch in 2025, timesheets filled out by Behr showed him working eight hours a day seven days a week for 140 consecutive days — “a remarkable display of fortitude and devotion to duty by a public servant,” Foley said sarcastically.</p><p>He also said Behr was a University of Nebraska at Omaha student earning a master’s degree during much of the time in question. The report documented a trip Behr made to Disneyland, while claiming hours worked for the board.</p><p>Auditors said they cooperated with the Nebraska State Patrol and the private employer looking into use of the Albireo corporate credit card.&nbsp;</p><p>Foley said that Behr, after his job was terminated at the private employer, filed for benefits from the Nebraska Department of Labor, claiming a “not working” status despite his employment at the time with the board. Foley said the Labor Department paid Behr $1,128, and stopped after auditors&nbsp; flagged the agency of the situation.&nbsp;</p><p>Foley called the arrogance and “lack of civic consciousness” displayed by a “rogue” state employee&nbsp; egregious.</p>

Nebraska auditor alleges ‘rogue’ state director cheated agency out of about $20,000

<p>Click below to watch the announcement</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">President Trump Makes an Announcement on Medical and Scientific Findings for America&#39;s Children <a href="https://t.co/aTq90Js06I">https://t.co/aTq90Js06I</a></p>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1970228175528427672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;Just a few decades ago, 1 in 10,000 children had autism... now, it is 1 in 31... Since 2000, autism rates have surged by much more than 400%. Instead of attacking those who ask questions, everyone should be grateful for those trying to get the answers...&quot; <a href="https://t.co/uacGdsAARC">pic.twitter.com/uacGdsAARC</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1970230022263972062?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Since 2000, autism rates have surged by 400%. <a href="https://t.co/83eHOWdDRL">pic.twitter.com/83eHOWdDRL</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1970229029400911992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">President Donald J. Trump, <a href="https://twitter.com/SecKennedy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecKennedy</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/DrOzCMS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DrOzCMS</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/NIHDirector_Jay?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NIHDirector_Jay</a>, &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/DrMakaryFDA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DrMakaryFDA</a> announce the Autism Action Plan. <br><br>Make America Healthy Again. <a href="https://t.co/1inEvIecYU">pic.twitter.com/1inEvIecYU</a></p>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1970238866394099891?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> announces that the FDA will be notifying physicians that the use of acetaminophen, also known as Tylenol, during pregnancy, can be associated with an increased risk of autism:<br><br>&quot;They are strongly recommending that women limit Tylenol use during pregnancy unless medically… <a href="https://t.co/79tNwDW6Ly">pic.twitter.com/79tNwDW6Ly</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1970231115194757454?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Statement from Andrea Baccarelli, M.D., Ph.D., Dean of the Faculty at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health:<br><br>&quot;We found evidence of an association between exposure to acetaminophen during pregnancy and increased incidence of neurodevelopmental disorders in children...&quot; <a href="https://t.co/S6ufM03qzj">pic.twitter.com/S6ufM03qzj</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1970231872715415784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥 Trump, RFK, Jr. link Tylenol with autism, announce action plan

FORT BRAGG, N.C. – Four Soldiers who perished in a Sept. 17, Black Hawk helicopter mishap while conducting routine flight training are identified. The cause of the mishap remains under investigation, according to a media release.

U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer Three Andrew Cully, 35, from Sparta, MO

U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer Three Andrew Kraus, 39, from Sanibel, FL

U.S. Army Sgt. Donavon Scott, 25, from Tacoma, WA

U.S. Army Sgt. Jadalyn Good, 23, from Mount Vernon, WA

“It is with the heaviest of hearts that we confirm the loss of four courageous Night Stalkers from the 4th Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), who tragically lost their lives on Sept. 17th during a training mission.,” said Col. Stephen Smith, commander. “These exceptional warriors— Chief Warrant Officer Three Andrew Cully, Chief Warrant Officer Three Andrew Kraus, Sgt. Donavon Scott, and Sgt. Jadalyn Good—embodied the unwavering dedication, selflessness, and excellence that define the very spirit of the Army and Army Special Operations. Their sacrifice in service to our nation will forever be etched in our hearts and in the legacy of the Night Stalkers. These heroes were not only elite professionals but also cherished teammates, friends, and family members whose absence leaves an immeasurable void.”

ully, 35, commissioned in May 2013 as a U.S. Army aviation officer from Missouri State University as a second lieutenant. He completed Flight School at Ft. Rucker, AL. After his initial service as a commissioned officer, he was then reappointed as an aviation warrant officer and served as a UH-60M (Blackhawk) Pilot. In 2022, he completed the UH-60M Instructor Pilot Course at Fort Rucker, AL. He has two operational deployments to the EUCOM theater in support of OPERATIONS ATLANTIC RESOLVE and SWIFT RESPONSE. In 2024, after being selected to serve in the 160th SOAR (Abn), he was assigned to C Company at Joint Base Lewis McChord, WA. While assigned to C Company he supported multiple Continental United States (CONUS) and Outside Continental United States (OCONUS) training missions and deployed to the INDOPACOM theater.

His awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on

Terrorism Service Medal, Korea Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Basic Army Aviator Badge, Parachutist Badge and Air Assault Badge.

Kraus, 39, served in the U. S. Marine Corps as a CH-46 (Chinook) maintainer from July 2008 until 2013. In 2017, he joined the U.S. Army and attended Warrant Officer Candidate School and flight school at Ft. Rucker, AL. He then served as an Aeromedical Evacuation Pilot in Command in Germany, performing real-world medical evacuation missions. In 2023, after being selected to serve in the 160th SOAR (Abn), he was assigned to C Company, where he supported multiple CONUS training missions and deployed in support of contingency response operations. He is a 2025 graduate of the Aviation Maintenance Test Pilot Course at Ft. Rucker, AL.

His awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Navy Achievement Medal second award, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Armed Forces Service Medal, Overseas Service Ribbon, Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, Navy Unity Commendation, and Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation and Basic Aviation Badge.<br>

Scott, 25, enlisted in the U.S. Army as a UH-60 Helicopter Repairer, 15T. After being selected to serve in the 160th SOAR, his first assignment was to D Company, 4th Battalion as a UH-60 Helicopter Maintainer. After completing the MH-60 (Blackhawk, Modified) Non-Rated Crewmember Course, he served as a MH-60 Crew Chief in C Company. While serving in C Company he earned Fully-Mission-Qualified status as a Crew Chief, accumulating over 776 flying hours. He has served on two support missions to OPERATION INHERENT RESOLVE and a crisis response contingency operation.

His awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal - Campaign Star, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon and Combat Action Badge.

Good, 23, enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2021 as a UH-60 Helicopter Repairer, 15T. After being selected to serve in the 160th SOAR, she was then assigned to C Company where she served as a Helicopter Maintainer and in 2023 after graduating from the MH-60 Non-Rated Crewmember Course she served as a Crew Chief. While serving in C Company she achieved Basic-Mission-Qualified status, accumulating over 730 flight hours. She was instrumental in the success of numerus CONUS and OCONUS training missions and a crisis response contingency operation.

Her awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Basic Parachutist Badge, Combat and Special Skill Badge Expert Marksmanship Qualification Badge and Basic Aviation Badge.

“As we mourn their loss, we stand united in honoring their memory and their extraordinary commitment to the mission. Our thoughts and prayers are with their families, loved ones, and the entire Night Stalker community during this profoundly difficult time,” said Smith.

The U.S. Army Special Operations Command extends its profound thanks to the professionalism and heroism of the many who assisted in the recovery of our fallen; the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office, the Griffin Fire Department, the McLane Black Lake Fire Department, the King County Sheriff’s Office, the Lacey Fire Department, the Olympia Fire Department, the Department of Natural Resources, the 2/75th Ranger Regiment, the 17th Special Tactics Squadron, the 22nd Special Tactics Squadron, the 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), the I Corps and the Joint Base Lewis McChord, WA.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758554655260.png" alt="Clockwise from upper left Chief Warrant Oficer Andrew Cully, 35; Chief Warrant Officer Andrew Kraus, 39; Sgt. Donavon Scott, 25 and  Sgt. Jadalyn Good, 23.-photo U.S. Army" />
                        <figcaption>Clockwise from upper left Chief Warrant Oficer Andrew Cully, 35; Chief Warrant Officer Andrew Kraus, 39; Sgt. Donavon Scott, 25 and  Sgt. Jadalyn Good, 23.-photo U.S. Army</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>FORT BRAGG, N.C. – Four Soldiers who perished in a Sept. 17, Black Hawk helicopter mishap while conducting routine flight training are identified. The cause of the mishap remains under investigation, according to a media release.</p><p>The deceased are:</p><p>U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer Three Andrew Cully, 35, from Sparta, MO</p><p>U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer Three Andrew Kraus, 39, from Sanibel, FL</p><p>U.S. Army Sgt. Donavon Scott, 25, from Tacoma, WA</p><p>U.S. Army Sgt. Jadalyn Good, 23, from Mount Vernon, WA</p><p>“It is with the heaviest of hearts that we confirm the loss of four courageous Night Stalkers from the 4th Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), who tragically lost their lives on Sept. 17th during a training mission.,” said Col. Stephen Smith, commander. “These exceptional warriors— Chief Warrant Officer Three Andrew Cully, Chief Warrant Officer Three Andrew Kraus, Sgt. Donavon Scott, and Sgt. Jadalyn Good—embodied the unwavering dedication, selflessness, and excellence that define the very spirit of the Army and Army Special Operations. Their sacrifice in service to our nation will forever be etched in our hearts and in the legacy of the Night Stalkers. These heroes were not only elite professionals but also cherished teammates, friends, and family members whose absence leaves an immeasurable void.”</p><p>ully, 35, commissioned in May 2013 as a U.S. Army aviation officer from Missouri State University as a second lieutenant. He completed Flight School at Ft. Rucker, AL. After his initial service as a commissioned officer, he was then reappointed as an aviation warrant officer and served as a UH-60M (Blackhawk) Pilot. In 2022, he completed the UH-60M Instructor Pilot Course at Fort Rucker, AL. He has two operational deployments to the EUCOM theater in support of OPERATIONS ATLANTIC RESOLVE and SWIFT RESPONSE. In 2024, after being selected to serve in the 160th SOAR (Abn), he was assigned to C Company at Joint Base Lewis McChord, WA. While assigned to C Company he supported multiple Continental United States (CONUS) and Outside Continental United States (OCONUS) training missions and deployed to the INDOPACOM theater.</p><p>His awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on</p><p>Terrorism Service Medal, Korea Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Basic Army Aviator Badge, Parachutist Badge and Air Assault Badge.</p><p>Kraus, 39, served in the U. S. Marine Corps as a CH-46 (Chinook) maintainer from July 2008 until 2013. In 2017, he joined the U.S. Army and attended Warrant Officer Candidate School and flight school at Ft. Rucker, AL. He then served as an Aeromedical Evacuation Pilot in Command in Germany, performing real-world medical evacuation missions. In 2023, after being selected to serve in the 160th SOAR (Abn), he was assigned to C Company, where he supported multiple CONUS training missions and deployed in support of contingency response operations. He is a 2025 graduate of the Aviation Maintenance Test Pilot Course at Ft. Rucker, AL.</p><p>His awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Navy Achievement Medal second award, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Armed Forces Service Medal, Overseas Service Ribbon, Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, Navy Unity Commendation, and Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation and Basic Aviation Badge.<br></p><p>Scott, 25, enlisted in the U.S. Army as a UH-60 Helicopter Repairer, 15T. After being selected to serve in the 160th SOAR, his first assignment was to D Company, 4th Battalion as a UH-60 Helicopter Maintainer. After completing the MH-60 (Blackhawk, Modified) Non-Rated Crewmember Course, he served as a MH-60 Crew Chief in C Company. While serving in C Company he earned Fully-Mission-Qualified status as a Crew Chief, accumulating over 776 flying hours. He has served on two support missions to OPERATION INHERENT RESOLVE and a crisis response contingency operation.</p><p>His awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal - Campaign Star, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon and Combat Action Badge.</p><p>Good, 23, enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2021 as a UH-60 Helicopter Repairer, 15T. After being selected to serve in the 160th SOAR, she was then assigned to C Company where she served as a Helicopter Maintainer and in 2023 after graduating from the MH-60 Non-Rated Crewmember Course she served as a Crew Chief. While serving in C Company she achieved Basic-Mission-Qualified status, accumulating over 730 flight hours. She was instrumental in the success of numerus CONUS and OCONUS training missions and a crisis response contingency operation.</p><p>Her awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Basic Parachutist Badge, Combat and Special Skill Badge Expert Marksmanship Qualification Badge and Basic Aviation Badge.</p><p>“As we mourn their loss, we stand united in honoring their memory and their extraordinary commitment to the mission. Our thoughts and prayers are with their families, loved ones, and the entire Night Stalker community during this profoundly difficult time,” said Smith.</p><p>The U.S. Army Special Operations Command extends its profound thanks to the professionalism and heroism of the many who assisted in the recovery of our fallen; the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office, the Griffin Fire Department, the McLane Black Lake Fire Department, the King County Sheriff’s Office, the Lacey Fire Department, the Olympia Fire Department, the Department of Natural Resources, the 2/75th Ranger Regiment, the 17th Special Tactics Squadron, the 22nd Special Tactics Squadron, the 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), the I Corps and the Joint Base Lewis McChord, WA.</p>

Army identifies 4 soldiers killed in Black Hawk helicopter crash

By:<a href="https://www.morningagclips.com/nefu-asks-congress-to-update-and-pass-an-improved-farm-bill/"> <i>Morning Ag Clips</i></a>

LINCOLN, Neb. — Ten Nebraska Farmers Union (NeFU) members were part of the over 250 National Farmers Union (NFU) Fall Fly-In participants that walked the halls of Congress September 7-10. The annual NFU Fall Fly-In focused on the need for Congress to pass an improved and updated Farm Bill that is due to expire September 30. Both NeFU teams met with the Nebraska Congressional Delegation as well as Congressional members from five other states. In addition, Bill Armbrust of Elkhorn participated in a White House briefing and a listening session with the Antitrust Division of the Justice Department.

NeFU President John Hansen of Lincoln said “Our participants did a good job of sharing their concerns about the sagging farm economy and the need for Congress to not kick the Farm Bill down the road a record fourth time. We thought our meetings with members of the&nbsp;Nebraska&nbsp;delegation were very productive, and our messages were well received. We pointed out that only four of the twelve Titles of the 2018 Farm Bill were touched by Budget Reconciliation, and agriculture needs all twelve titles to be updated and improved.”

In a discussion with USDA Chief Economist Seth Miller, Keith Dittrich of Tilden pictured to the left, established that USDA’s predicted season average market prices for both corn and soybeans were well below USDA’s estimated costs of production. USDA estimated costs of production for corn was $4.80 per bushel and soybeans at $11.80 per bushel.&nbsp; USDA estimated season average market prices for corn is $3.90 per bushel and soybeans $10.10 per bushel. Keith pointed out that farmers were losing 90 cents per bushel on their corn and $1.70 per bushel on their soybeans.

John Hansen pointed out that China is the largest soybean importer in the world, imports more soybeans than the rest of the world combined, and was the largest buyer of U.S soybeans. Hansen said, “After the previous trade dispute over soybeans, China made massive infrastructure investments in South America. Looking forward, it is likely China will buy corn and soybeans from South America first and from the U.S. last. Because U.S. ag producers are so susceptible to trade retaliation, when there is a trade dispute, U.S. ag producers’ noses bleed first, worst, and longest.”

Hansen said “The U.S. agricultural trade balance has shifted from $20 to $30 billion positive annual ag trade surpluses in the past to historically high ag trade deficits. Fiscal year (FY) 2025 is projected to be a record setting $49.5 billion deficit. Those numbers are alarming. The 2018 Farm Bill income safety net that is supposed to help farmers survive periods of low commodity prices is in dire need of updates and improvements.”

“Family farmers and ranchers can’t wait. Farmers Union members from across the country have made it clear that they need Congress to provide support immediately to reverse the building crisis in farm country,”&nbsp;said NFU President Rob Larew.”

In addition to President John Hansen, participants included Farmers Union Midwest Agency (FUMA) General Manager Jeff Downing of Ashland, FUMA agent Tye Johnson of Holdrege and his wife Becky, NeFU District 6 Director Andrew Tonnies of North Bend; Bill Armbrust of Elkhorn, NeFU District 7 President Keith Dittrich of Tilden, Stephanie Finklea of Omaha, Scott Thomsen of Kennard, and NeFU District 2 President Tom Knopik of Fullerton.&nbsp; For five of the ten participants, this was their first trip to Washington, D.C.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758544547426.png" alt="The annual NFU Fall Fly-In focused on the need for Congress to pass an improved and updated Farm Bill that is due to expire September 30. (Courtesy photo)" />
                        <figcaption>The annual NFU Fall Fly-In focused on the need for Congress to pass an improved and updated Farm Bill that is due to expire September 30. (Courtesy photo)</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>By:<a href="https://www.morningagclips.com/nefu-asks-congress-to-update-and-pass-an-improved-farm-bill/"> <i>Morning Ag Clips</i></a></p><h2>Farm Bill is due to expire September 30</h2><p>LINCOLN, Neb. — Ten Nebraska Farmers Union (NeFU) members were part of the over 250 National Farmers Union (NFU) Fall Fly-In participants that walked the halls of Congress September 7-10. The annual NFU Fall Fly-In focused on the need for Congress to pass an improved and updated Farm Bill that is due to expire September 30. Both NeFU teams met with the Nebraska Congressional Delegation as well as Congressional members from five other states. In addition, Bill Armbrust of Elkhorn participated in a White House briefing and a listening session with the Antitrust Division of the Justice Department.</p><p>NeFU President John Hansen of Lincoln said “Our participants did a good job of sharing their concerns about the sagging farm economy and the need for Congress to not kick the Farm Bill down the road a record fourth time. We thought our meetings with members of the&nbsp;Nebraska&nbsp;delegation were very productive, and our messages were well received. We pointed out that only four of the twelve Titles of the 2018 Farm Bill were touched by Budget Reconciliation, and agriculture needs all twelve titles to be updated and improved.”</p><p>In a discussion with USDA Chief Economist Seth Miller, Keith Dittrich of Tilden pictured to the left, established that USDA’s predicted season average market prices for both corn and soybeans were well below USDA’s estimated costs of production. USDA estimated costs of production for corn was $4.80 per bushel and soybeans at $11.80 per bushel.&nbsp; USDA estimated season average market prices for corn is $3.90 per bushel and soybeans $10.10 per bushel. Keith pointed out that farmers were losing 90 cents per bushel on their corn and $1.70 per bushel on their soybeans.</p><p>John Hansen pointed out that China is the largest soybean importer in the world, imports more soybeans than the rest of the world combined, and was the largest buyer of U.S soybeans. Hansen said, “After the previous trade dispute over soybeans, China made massive infrastructure investments in South America. Looking forward, it is likely China will buy corn and soybeans from South America first and from the U.S. last. Because U.S. ag producers are so susceptible to trade retaliation, when there is a trade dispute, U.S. ag producers’ noses bleed first, worst, and longest.”</p><p>Hansen said “The U.S. agricultural trade balance has shifted from $20 to $30 billion positive annual ag trade surpluses in the past to historically high ag trade deficits. Fiscal year (FY) 2025 is projected to be a record setting $49.5 billion deficit. Those numbers are alarming. The 2018 Farm Bill income safety net that is supposed to help farmers survive periods of low commodity prices is in dire need of updates and improvements.”</p><p>“Family farmers and ranchers can’t wait. Farmers Union members from across the country have made it clear that they need Congress to provide support immediately to reverse the building crisis in farm country,”&nbsp;said NFU President Rob Larew.”</p><p>In addition to President John Hansen, participants included Farmers Union Midwest Agency (FUMA) General Manager Jeff Downing of Ashland, FUMA agent Tye Johnson of Holdrege and his wife Becky, NeFU District 6 Director Andrew Tonnies of North Bend; Bill Armbrust of Elkhorn, NeFU District 7 President Keith Dittrich of Tilden, Stephanie Finklea of Omaha, Scott Thomsen of Kennard, and NeFU District 2 President Tom Knopik of Fullerton.&nbsp; For five of the ten participants, this was their first trip to Washington, D.C.</p><p>— Nebraska Farmers Union</p>

NeFU Asks Congress to Update and Pass an Improved Farm Bill

Elon Musk arrives at the memorial service- CSPAN

President Trump and Elon Musk shake hands&nbsp; at Charlie Kirk memorial service.

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">President Trump and Erika Kirk at the Memorial Service for Charlie Kirk. <a href="https://t.co/c27ViuD7Yw">pic.twitter.com/c27ViuD7Yw</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1969907727984996794?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Erika Kirk: &quot;My husband Charlie he wanted to save young men, just like the one who took his life...On the cross, our savior said, &#39;Father, forgive them, for they not know what they do.&#39; That young man. I forgive him.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/jy8W7YrmVs">pic.twitter.com/jy8W7YrmVs</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1969891437153022226?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Charlie, we all thank you. <br><br>God Bless Charlie Kirk. God Bless <a href="https://twitter.com/MrsErikaKirk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MrsErikaKirk</a>. God Bless the United States of America. ❤️🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/Su8XcdnIfK">pic.twitter.com/Su8XcdnIfK</a></p>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1969908965657157966?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;What was even more important to Charlie than politics and service was the choice he made in the fifth grade — which he called the &#39;most important decision of his life&#39; — to become a Christian and a follower of his savior, Jesus Christ.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/ILCrfawb72">pic.twitter.com/ILCrfawb72</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1969894622492242407?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> comforts <a href="https://twitter.com/MrsErikaKirk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MrsErikaKirk</a> ❤️ <a href="https://t.co/6Sf3aHed8I">pic.twitter.com/6Sf3aHed8I</a></p>&mdash; Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) <a href="https://twitter.com/MargoMartin47/status/1969902877192937623?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;Charlie&#39;s murder was not just an attack on one man or one movement — it was an attack on our entire nation.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/KH143fYf28">pic.twitter.com/KH143fYf28</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1969900488742039948?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>Elon Musk arrives at the memorial service- CSPAN</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Elon Musk arrives Charlie Kirk memorial service ... <a href="https://t.co/mxq5uJRoQo">pic.twitter.com/mxq5uJRoQo</a></p>&mdash; Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) <a href="https://twitter.com/HowardMortman/status/1969853380995760613?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>President Trump and Elon Musk shake hands&nbsp; at Charlie Kirk memorial service.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Pres. Trump and Elon Musk shake hands ... Charlie Kirk memorial service <a href="https://t.co/SnEHLFIkYH">pic.twitter.com/SnEHLFIkYH</a></p>&mdash; Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) <a href="https://twitter.com/HowardMortman/status/1969872157762330760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Charlie Kirk was a hero to this country and a faithful servant of God.<br><br>Every day that we continue his mission is an honor to his memory.<br><br>We&#39;ve got it from here, my friend. <a href="https://t.co/Bh7NnEwsX4">pic.twitter.com/Bh7NnEwsX4</a></p>&mdash; JD Vance (@JDVance) <a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance/status/1969915771875623159?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> speaks at State Farm Stadium to celebrate the life of <a href="https://twitter.com/charliekirk11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@charliekirk11</a> 🙏🏼🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/LWzldXJ4I0">pic.twitter.com/LWzldXJ4I0</a></p>&mdash; Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) <a href="https://twitter.com/MargoMartin47/status/1969898402562605190?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">For Charlie, we will speak the truth every single day.<br><br>For Charlie, we will rebuild this United States to greatness.<br><br>For Charlie, we will never shrink, we will never cower, and we will never falter — even when staring down the barrel of a gun.<br><br>For Charlie, we will remember… <a href="https://t.co/zgbZLPMvvi">pic.twitter.com/zgbZLPMvvi</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1969883258138542350?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">&quot;When Christ shall come with shouts of acclamation and take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!<br><br>Then I shall bow in humble adoration — and there proclaim, &#39;My God! How great Thou art!&#39;&quot;<br><br>❤️ <a href="https://t.co/6Dw5giPkpm">pic.twitter.com/6Dw5giPkpm</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1969797502086865182?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Stephen Miller: &quot;We will prevail over the forces of wickedness and evil. They cannot imagine what they have awakened...You thought you could kill Charlie Kirk? You have made him immortal!&quot; <a href="https://t.co/uMZfkmjSdF">pic.twitter.com/uMZfkmjSdF</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1969866326492475512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Full remarks from White House Chief of Staff <a href="https://twitter.com/SusieWiles?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SusieWiles</a> at Charlie Kirk&#39;s memorial service:<br><br>&quot;When <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>&#39; 2024 campaign partnered with <a href="https://twitter.com/TPUSA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TPUSA</a>, Charlie did not just promise, he delivered... Charlie just didn&#39;t help, he made the winning difference — I promise you that.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/r1fFurhYLY">pic.twitter.com/r1fFurhYLY</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1969866346751021116?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecKennedy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecKennedy</a>&#39;s full remarks at Charlie Kirk&#39;s memorial service: &quot;A couple of days ago, my granddaughter left for college in Europe. Her mother noticed that she packed a Bible. When her mother asked her why she made that choice, she said, &#39;I want to live more like Charlie.&#39;&quot; <a href="https://t.co/u2BIBVc1AI">pic.twitter.com/u2BIBVc1AI</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1969875978475143241?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecWar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecWar</a>&#39;s full remarks at Charlie Kirk&#39;s memorial service: &quot;Charlie Kirk was a citizen who had the Biblical heart of a soldier of the faith — who put on, every single day, the full armor of God with a smile, as the Scriptures tell all Christ followers to do.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/ZvvRVtZz7s">pic.twitter.com/ZvvRVtZz7s</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1969875365813276815?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Marco Rubio breaks down what’s important.<a href="https://twitter.com/marcorubio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@marcorubio</a> <a href="https://t.co/fhORQkE4Lv">pic.twitter.com/fhORQkE4Lv</a></p>&mdash; Turning Point Action (@TPAction_) <a href="https://twitter.com/TPAction_/status/1969871975163236667?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/DNIGabbard?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DNIGabbard</a>&#39;s full remarks at Charlie Kirk&#39;s memorial service: &quot;By trying to silence Charlie, his voice is now louder than ever.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/JCoI9moZgs">pic.twitter.com/JCoI9moZgs</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1969870322804425215?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>--</p>

🎥Some of the best moments of Charlie Kirk's memorial service

These bets can center on an individual athlete or play, raising concerns about integrity, harassment and addiction.

By:<a href="https://stateline.org/author/khardy/">Kevin Hardy</a><br><a href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a>

As a bankruptcy attorney, New Jersey Assemblymember Dan Hutchison said he sees clients “all the time” whose betting on football and baseball quickly leads to missed car payments, delinquent mortgages and, ultimately, bankruptcy.

The rise of live, in-game bets — in which a gambler could place more than 200 individual bets during a baseball game if they wager on each pitch thrown — has only amplified his misgivings.

“And I’m like, are you kidding me? I mean, they’re betting on the next pitch, the next play, and it’s constant,” he said. “There’s no pause. It’s just not healthy.”

Worried that those bets can worsen problem gambling and threaten the integrity of sports, Hutchison, a Democrat, introduced&nbsp;<a href="https://www.assemblydems.com/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=12727" target="_blank">legislation</a>&nbsp;to ban New Jersey gambling licensees from offering live bets on individual plays during sporting events.

That bill illustrates growing state interest in regulating proposition bets, commonly called prop bets, a form of sports betting that is popular with fans but worrisome for sports leagues and state officials nationwide.

Unlike wagering on which team will win or the point spread of a game,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/2537514/2022/01/25/prop-bets-how-to-bet-a-prop-best-prop-bets/" target="_blank">prop bets</a>&nbsp;can center on the performance of an individual player or even a single play that doesn’t necessarily affect the outcome of a contest. Prop bets can include trivia, such as the&nbsp;<a href="https://sports.betmgm.com/en/blog/super-bowl-gatorade-color-odds-prop-bet/" target="_blank">color</a>&nbsp;of the Gatorade dumped over the Super Bowl’s winning coach, or specific stats, like how many touchdowns a certain quarterback will score during a game or which team will score first.

Critics say prop bets are easier for athletes to manipulate than the outcome of an entire game. They also make individual players more susceptible to online harassment from gamblers and increase the frequency of betting, thus raising the risk of addiction.

Ohio’s Republican governor has called for the nation’s first outright ban on prop betting on professional sports. Already, at least 15 states ban prop betting in collegiate sports, according to data maintained by the American Gaming Association, a trade group.

The heightened focus on prop bets comes amid a rapid rise of legal sports gambling, which is operational in 38 states and the District of Columbia. (Missouri plans to launch its new voter-approved program this December.) While legal betting has boosted state revenues and reshaped sports fandom, Hutchison said bankruptcy attorneys across the country are getting a preview of the financial wreckage it can wreak.

He said some clients are so distraught, he worries about potential suicides related to out-of-control gambling debts.

“That’s the reality of what’s going on. But they don’t make it seem like that when they’re doing these commercials during the football games: It’s normal, everybody does it, if you don’t do it, you’re not enjoying yourself,” he said. “That’s the glamour side of it. I deal with the other side.”

The liberalization of sports gambling was made possible by a 2018 Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://www.espn.com/sports-betting/story/_/id/23501236/supreme-court-strikes-federal-law-prohibiting-sports-gambling" target="_blank">decision</a>&nbsp;to strike down a federal law prohibiting gambling.

Since then, legal gambling has transformed the fan experience and propelled sportsbooks into major industry players: Americans are expected to wager an estimated&nbsp;<a href="https://www.americangaming.org/aga-estimates-30-billion-in-legal-wagering-on-2025-nfl-season/" target="_blank">$30 billion</a>&nbsp;in legal sports betting on the NFL this season, according to the American Gaming Association. With so much money and energy flowing into gambling, academic researchers are increasingly&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/2024/12/05/growth-of-sports-betting-may-be-linked-to-financial-woes-new-studies-find/">raising concerns</a>&nbsp;about the mental and financial consequences.

“The speed at which gambling has been marketed and legalized in this country is way faster than guardrails have been set to protect consumers and to try to give resources for problem gambling,” said Stephen Shapiro, a University of South Carolina professor who researches sports gambling.

Shapiro said a potential ban on prop betting in Ohio would prove a “big step” in gambling regulation. But he expects fierce opposition from the industry and consumers alike.

“They’re very popular. They’re arguably as — if not more — popular than betting on just individual games,” he said. “ … So I think there’ll be some backlash, but I also think over the next few years … there’s going to be an appetite for setting guardrails.”

The American Gaming Association, which represents casinos and sportsbooks, says that such restrictions would only drive gambling to illegal venues such as offshore betting platforms, where consumers have no protections.

But some sports leagues are ready for more restrictions on prop bets.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6309803/2025/04/25/ncaa-sports-prop-bet-ban-licensing-agreement/" target="_blank">The NCAA</a>, the governing body for major college athletics, has been pushing federal and state leaders to ban prop betting in college sports.

The organization says 1 in 3 high-profile college athletes has received abusive messages from gamblers — the majority directed toward basketball players during tournament season. Just 12 days after North Carolina legalized sports betting last year — including prop bets on players — the University of North Carolina’s Armando Bacot&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncaa.org/news/2024/5/17/media-center-sports-betting-culture-negatively-impacts-mental-health-ncaa-works-to-support-student-athletes.aspx" target="_blank">reported</a>&nbsp;receiving more than a hundred abusive social media messages for not accumulating enough rebounds in a game.

Women’s basketball student-athletes received about three times the number of threats as men’s basketball student-athletes, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncaa.org/news/2025/3/18/media-center-don-t-be-a-loser-ncaa-launches-sports-betting-anti-harassment-video.aspx" target="_blank">NCAA</a>.

In a March awareness&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncaa.org/news/2025/3/18/media-center-don-t-be-a-loser-ncaa-launches-sports-betting-anti-harassment-video.aspx" target="_blank">campaign</a>, NCAA President Charlie Baker said the abuse threatens the well-being of student-athletes and the overall environment of college sports.

“We need fans to do better,” he said in a statement at the time. “We need states to do better and ban player props that target student-athletes and enable detrimental abuse.”

And professional teams have their own concerns. Last month,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45987377/nba-union-back-bet-limits-curb-manipulation-athlete-abuse" target="_blank">ESPN reported</a>&nbsp;the NBA and its players union supported further limits on certain prop bets. This summer, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred told reporters he would like to see some limits on prop bets.

“There are certain types of bets that strike me as unnecessary and particularly vulnerable,” Manfred said, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/article/manfred-says-mlb-better-position-201627489.html" target="_blank">Yahoo Sports</a>.

In late July, Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine&nbsp;<a href="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/briefs/ohio-gov-mike-dewine-wants-to-ban-prop-bets-after-gambling-allegations-against-guardians-players/#:~:text=DeWine%20is%20calling%20on%20the,final%20outcome%20of%20the%20game." target="_blank">called on state regulators</a>&nbsp;to outright ban all prop bets — a request he asked the professional sports leagues to support.

DeWine’s proposal followed the suspensions of Cleveland Guardians’ pitchers Luis Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase, who are being investigated by MLB. A sports betting integrity firm&nbsp;<a href="https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/cleveland-guardians-luis-ortiz-emmanuel-clase-prop-betting-sports-rcna221850" target="_blank">reportedly</a>&nbsp;flagged two specific pitches Ortiz threw in early June that coincided with a pair of prop bets.

“The harm to athletes and the integrity of the game is clear, and the benefits are not worth the harm,” DeWine said in a July&nbsp;<a href="https://governor.ohio.gov/media/news-and-media/governor-dewine-calls-on-casino-control-commission-to-remove-prop-bets-following-mlb-investigation-previous-player-threats" target="_blank">news release</a>. “The prop betting experiment in this country has failed badly.”

The Ohio Casino Control Commission, which regulates sports betting, did not answer Stateline’s questions about the governor’s request. On Aug. 13, the&nbsp;<a href="https://casinocontrol.ohio.gov/wps/wcm/connect/gov/616d112b-3c71-4545-b469-e4c859269f79/OCCC+Suspicious+Wagering+Investigation+Ongoing+Release+8-13-25.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&amp;CONVERT_TO=url&amp;CACHEID=ROOTWORKSPACE.Z18_K9I401S01H7F40QBNJU3SO1F56-616d112b-3c71-4545-b469-e4c859269f79-pyADS1." target="_blank">agency said</a>&nbsp;its investigation into the suspicious betting on the Guardians was ongoing.

In a statement responding to DeWine, the American Gaming Association said the Ohio incident is actually evidence that regulated gambling works: “It detects potential misconduct, it reports it, and it helps hold bad actors accountable,” said Joe Maloney, the association’s senior vice president of strategic communications.

In an interview, Maloney said eliminating legal prop betting will only move that activity into unregulated markets with no transparency. He said prop bets are a reflection of sports fandom: Bettors like to wager on their favorite players notching touchdowns or 3-pointers.

“It increases a fan’s engagement with the game they love, with the player they love. And so the idea that eliminating a legal betting market for someone really interested in increasing the level of engagement is going to prevent that activity, it’s just not the case,” Maloney said. “ … It simply will just move the activity into the shadows.”

But the leagues are pushing for certain parts of the game to remain off-limits in legal betting markets.

Major League Soccer, for example, successfully pushed Illinois regulators last year to&nbsp;<a href="https://igb.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/igb/documents/sports/1130-requests-orders/igb-sw-1130-order-mls.pdf" target="_blank">ban</a>&nbsp;wagering on whether yellow and red penalty cards will be shown during a match and whether a specific player will receive a yellow or red card penalty.

Similarly, the state in February&nbsp;<a href="https://igb.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/igb/documents/sports/1130-requests-orders/igb-sw-1130-order-nfl.pdf" target="_blank">banned prop bets&nbsp;</a>on NFL player injuries, player misconduct, officiating assignments, replay results and the first play of the game, following lobbying from the league.

Illinois Gaming Board spokesperson Beth Kaufman told Stateline the regulatory agency doesn’t maintain a list of specific prop bets that are allowed. But the board does require licensees to receive approval from the agency for specific wagers offered, she said.

“The IGB regularly monitors ongoing trends and developments in the industry and in major sports for any possible impact to the integrity of sports wagering in Illinois,” she said in a statement.

The NFL has pushed for similar rule changes in other states.

During a late August news briefing on gambling, David Highhill, the league’s vice president for sports betting, said the NFL has consistently objected to certain bets that raise integrity risks and provide limited fan engagement. Those include bets about officiating or player injuries and bets that are controllable by a single player on a single play.

“So things like ‘will this kicker miss a field goal’ are things that we’ve worked collaboratively across the board with operators to make sure those types of wagers are not offered,” he said.

In New Jersey, Hutchison said he doesn’t want to ban all sports betting or even all prop bets. And he knows his bill targeting so-called micro bets — those live, play-by-play bets — will face opposition, both from the industry and sports gamblers.

An avid sports fan himself, he said he doesn’t waste his money gambling on his beloved Philadelphia Eagles: “They don’t build all of those casinos in Atlantic City and Las Vegas because they pay out winners,” he said.

He said he’s not looking to end legal sports betting, but does think New Jersey needs to instill consumer protections and have a meaningful policy conversation about the societal costs of gambling.

New Jersey lawmakers are also considering a separate&nbsp;<a href="https://njleg.gov/bill-search/2024/S3080" target="_blank">bill</a>&nbsp;to ban player-specific prop bets on college sports.

The Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey says it has experienced a nearly 300% increase in calls to its problem gambling hotline since the Garden State launched legal sports gambling in 2018.

In a July statement, Luis Del Orbe, executive director of the nonprofit council, which contracts with the state on gambling addiction issues, urged lawmakers to approve the bill to ban live, in-game bets. The organization says those high-frequency bets can trigger instant dopamine releases in the brain’s reward system, fostering compulsive behaviors that can lead to addiction.

“By limiting the proliferation of micro betting, this legislation takes an essential step toward protecting citizens from the harmful effects of reckless gambling practices,” Del Orbe’s statement said.

Stateline reporter Kevin Hardy can be reached at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:khardy@stateline.org">khardy@stateline.org</a>.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757968749466.png" alt=" Officials celebrated the launch of Maryland’s legal sports betting market at MGM National Harbor in December 2021 in Oxon Hill, Md. As many states legalize sports betting, officials are increasingly eyeing a certain type of wager known as a prop bet for increased regulation. (Photo by Shannon Finney/Getty Images for MGM National Harbor)" />
                        <figcaption> Officials celebrated the launch of Maryland’s legal sports betting market at MGM National Harbor in December 2021 in Oxon Hill, Md. As many states legalize sports betting, officials are increasingly eyeing a certain type of wager known as a prop bet for increased regulation. (Photo by Shannon Finney/Getty Images for MGM National Harbor)</figcaption>
                    </figure><h2>These bets can center on an individual athlete or play, raising concerns about integrity, harassment and addiction.</h2><p>By:<a href="https://stateline.org/author/khardy/">Kevin Hardy</a><br><a href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a></p><p>As a bankruptcy attorney, New Jersey Assemblymember Dan Hutchison said he sees clients “all the time” whose betting on football and baseball quickly leads to missed car payments, delinquent mortgages and, ultimately, bankruptcy.</p><p>The rise of live, in-game bets — in which a gambler could place more than 200 individual bets during a baseball game if they wager on each pitch thrown — has only amplified his misgivings.</p><p>“And I’m like, are you kidding me? I mean, they’re betting on the next pitch, the next play, and it’s constant,” he said. “There’s no pause. It’s just not healthy.”</p><p>Worried that those bets can worsen problem gambling and threaten the integrity of sports, Hutchison, a Democrat, introduced&nbsp;<a href="https://www.assemblydems.com/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=12727" target="_blank">legislation</a>&nbsp;to ban New Jersey gambling licensees from offering live bets on individual plays during sporting events.</p><p>That bill illustrates growing state interest in regulating proposition bets, commonly called prop bets, a form of sports betting that is popular with fans but worrisome for sports leagues and state officials nationwide.</p><p>Unlike wagering on which team will win or the point spread of a game,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/2537514/2022/01/25/prop-bets-how-to-bet-a-prop-best-prop-bets/" target="_blank">prop bets</a>&nbsp;can center on the performance of an individual player or even a single play that doesn’t necessarily affect the outcome of a contest. Prop bets can include trivia, such as the&nbsp;<a href="https://sports.betmgm.com/en/blog/super-bowl-gatorade-color-odds-prop-bet/" target="_blank">color</a>&nbsp;of the Gatorade dumped over the Super Bowl’s winning coach, or specific stats, like how many touchdowns a certain quarterback will score during a game or which team will score first.</p><p>Critics say prop bets are easier for athletes to manipulate than the outcome of an entire game. They also make individual players more susceptible to online harassment from gamblers and increase the frequency of betting, thus raising the risk of addiction.</p><p>Ohio’s Republican governor has called for the nation’s first outright ban on prop betting on professional sports. Already, at least 15 states ban prop betting in collegiate sports, according to data maintained by the American Gaming Association, a trade group.</p><p>The heightened focus on prop bets comes amid a rapid rise of legal sports gambling, which is operational in 38 states and the District of Columbia. (Missouri plans to launch its new voter-approved program this December.) While legal betting has boosted state revenues and reshaped sports fandom, Hutchison said bankruptcy attorneys across the country are getting a preview of the financial wreckage it can wreak.</p><p>He said some clients are so distraught, he worries about potential suicides related to out-of-control gambling debts.</p><p>“That’s the reality of what’s going on. But they don’t make it seem like that when they’re doing these commercials during the football games: It’s normal, everybody does it, if you don’t do it, you’re not enjoying yourself,” he said. “That’s the glamour side of it. I deal with the other side.”</p><h2>The industry’s rapid rise</h2><p>The liberalization of sports gambling was made possible by a 2018 Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://www.espn.com/sports-betting/story/_/id/23501236/supreme-court-strikes-federal-law-prohibiting-sports-gambling" target="_blank">decision</a>&nbsp;to strike down a federal law prohibiting gambling.</p><p>Since then, legal gambling has transformed the fan experience and propelled sportsbooks into major industry players: Americans are expected to wager an estimated&nbsp;<a href="https://www.americangaming.org/aga-estimates-30-billion-in-legal-wagering-on-2025-nfl-season/" target="_blank">$30 billion</a>&nbsp;in legal sports betting on the NFL this season, according to the American Gaming Association. With so much money and energy flowing into gambling, academic researchers are increasingly&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/2024/12/05/growth-of-sports-betting-may-be-linked-to-financial-woes-new-studies-find/">raising concerns</a>&nbsp;about the mental and financial consequences.</p><p>“The speed at which gambling has been marketed and legalized in this country is way faster than guardrails have been set to protect consumers and to try to give resources for problem gambling,” said Stephen Shapiro, a University of South Carolina professor who researches sports gambling.</p><p>Shapiro said a potential ban on prop betting in Ohio would prove a “big step” in gambling regulation. But he expects fierce opposition from the industry and consumers alike.</p><p>“They’re very popular. They’re arguably as — if not more — popular than betting on just individual games,” he said. “ … So I think there’ll be some backlash, but I also think over the next few years … there’s going to be an appetite for setting guardrails.”</p><p>The American Gaming Association, which represents casinos and sportsbooks, says that such restrictions would only drive gambling to illegal venues such as offshore betting platforms, where consumers have no protections.</p><p>But some sports leagues are ready for more restrictions on prop bets.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6309803/2025/04/25/ncaa-sports-prop-bet-ban-licensing-agreement/" target="_blank">The NCAA</a>, the governing body for major college athletics, has been pushing federal and state leaders to ban prop betting in college sports.</p><p>The organization says 1 in 3 high-profile college athletes has received abusive messages from gamblers — the majority directed toward basketball players during tournament season. Just 12 days after North Carolina legalized sports betting last year — including prop bets on players — the University of North Carolina’s Armando Bacot&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncaa.org/news/2024/5/17/media-center-sports-betting-culture-negatively-impacts-mental-health-ncaa-works-to-support-student-athletes.aspx" target="_blank">reported</a>&nbsp;receiving more than a hundred abusive social media messages for not accumulating enough rebounds in a game.</p><p>Women’s basketball student-athletes received about three times the number of threats as men’s basketball student-athletes, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncaa.org/news/2025/3/18/media-center-don-t-be-a-loser-ncaa-launches-sports-betting-anti-harassment-video.aspx" target="_blank">NCAA</a>.</p><p>In a March awareness&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncaa.org/news/2025/3/18/media-center-don-t-be-a-loser-ncaa-launches-sports-betting-anti-harassment-video.aspx" target="_blank">campaign</a>, NCAA President Charlie Baker said the abuse threatens the well-being of student-athletes and the overall environment of college sports.</p><p>“We need fans to do better,” he said in a statement at the time. “We need states to do better and ban player props that target student-athletes and enable detrimental abuse.”</p><p>And professional teams have their own concerns. Last month,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45987377/nba-union-back-bet-limits-curb-manipulation-athlete-abuse" target="_blank">ESPN reported</a>&nbsp;the NBA and its players union supported further limits on certain prop bets. This summer, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred told reporters he would like to see some limits on prop bets.</p><p>“There are certain types of bets that strike me as unnecessary and particularly vulnerable,” Manfred said, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/article/manfred-says-mlb-better-position-201627489.html" target="_blank">Yahoo Sports</a>.</p><p>In late July, Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine&nbsp;<a href="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/briefs/ohio-gov-mike-dewine-wants-to-ban-prop-bets-after-gambling-allegations-against-guardians-players/#:~:text=DeWine%20is%20calling%20on%20the,final%20outcome%20of%20the%20game." target="_blank">called on state regulators</a>&nbsp;to outright ban all prop bets — a request he asked the professional sports leagues to support.</p><p>DeWine’s proposal followed the suspensions of Cleveland Guardians’ pitchers Luis Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase, who are being investigated by MLB. A sports betting integrity firm&nbsp;<a href="https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/cleveland-guardians-luis-ortiz-emmanuel-clase-prop-betting-sports-rcna221850" target="_blank">reportedly</a>&nbsp;flagged two specific pitches Ortiz threw in early June that coincided with a pair of prop bets.</p><p>“The harm to athletes and the integrity of the game is clear, and the benefits are not worth the harm,” DeWine said in a July&nbsp;<a href="https://governor.ohio.gov/media/news-and-media/governor-dewine-calls-on-casino-control-commission-to-remove-prop-bets-following-mlb-investigation-previous-player-threats" target="_blank">news release</a>. “The prop betting experiment in this country has failed badly.”</p><p>The Ohio Casino Control Commission, which regulates sports betting, did not answer Stateline’s questions about the governor’s request. On Aug. 13, the&nbsp;<a href="https://casinocontrol.ohio.gov/wps/wcm/connect/gov/616d112b-3c71-4545-b469-e4c859269f79/OCCC+Suspicious+Wagering+Investigation+Ongoing+Release+8-13-25.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&amp;CONVERT_TO=url&amp;CACHEID=ROOTWORKSPACE.Z18_K9I401S01H7F40QBNJU3SO1F56-616d112b-3c71-4545-b469-e4c859269f79-pyADS1." target="_blank">agency said</a>&nbsp;its investigation into the suspicious betting on the Guardians was ongoing.</p><p>In a statement responding to DeWine, the American Gaming Association said the Ohio incident is actually evidence that regulated gambling works: “It detects potential misconduct, it reports it, and it helps hold bad actors accountable,” said Joe Maloney, the association’s senior vice president of strategic communications.</p><p>In an interview, Maloney said eliminating legal prop betting will only move that activity into unregulated markets with no transparency. He said prop bets are a reflection of sports fandom: Bettors like to wager on their favorite players notching touchdowns or 3-pointers.</p><p>“It increases a fan’s engagement with the game they love, with the player they love. And so the idea that eliminating a legal betting market for someone really interested in increasing the level of engagement is going to prevent that activity, it’s just not the case,” Maloney said. “ … It simply will just move the activity into the shadows.”</p><h2>Leagues endorse some limits</h2><p>But the leagues are pushing for certain parts of the game to remain off-limits in legal betting markets.</p><p>Major League Soccer, for example, successfully pushed Illinois regulators last year to&nbsp;<a href="https://igb.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/igb/documents/sports/1130-requests-orders/igb-sw-1130-order-mls.pdf" target="_blank">ban</a>&nbsp;wagering on whether yellow and red penalty cards will be shown during a match and whether a specific player will receive a yellow or red card penalty.</p><p>Similarly, the state in February&nbsp;<a href="https://igb.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/igb/documents/sports/1130-requests-orders/igb-sw-1130-order-nfl.pdf" target="_blank">banned prop bets&nbsp;</a>on NFL player injuries, player misconduct, officiating assignments, replay results and the first play of the game, following lobbying from the league.</p><p>Illinois Gaming Board spokesperson Beth Kaufman told Stateline the regulatory agency doesn’t maintain a list of specific prop bets that are allowed. But the board does require licensees to receive approval from the agency for specific wagers offered, she said.</p><p>“The IGB regularly monitors ongoing trends and developments in the industry and in major sports for any possible impact to the integrity of sports wagering in Illinois,” she said in a statement.</p><p>The NFL has pushed for similar rule changes in other states.</p><p>During a late August news briefing on gambling, David Highhill, the league’s vice president for sports betting, said the NFL has consistently objected to certain bets that raise integrity risks and provide limited fan engagement. Those include bets about officiating or player injuries and bets that are controllable by a single player on a single play.</p><p>“So things like ‘will this kicker miss a field goal’ are things that we’ve worked collaboratively across the board with operators to make sure those types of wagers are not offered,” he said.</p><p>In New Jersey, Hutchison said he doesn’t want to ban all sports betting or even all prop bets. And he knows his bill targeting so-called micro bets — those live, play-by-play bets — will face opposition, both from the industry and sports gamblers.</p><p>An avid sports fan himself, he said he doesn’t waste his money gambling on his beloved Philadelphia Eagles: “They don’t build all of those casinos in Atlantic City and Las Vegas because they pay out winners,” he said.</p><p>He said he’s not looking to end legal sports betting, but does think New Jersey needs to instill consumer protections and have a meaningful policy conversation about the societal costs of gambling.</p><p>New Jersey lawmakers are also considering a separate&nbsp;<a href="https://njleg.gov/bill-search/2024/S3080" target="_blank">bill</a>&nbsp;to ban player-specific prop bets on college sports.</p><p>The Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey says it has experienced a nearly 300% increase in calls to its problem gambling hotline since the Garden State launched legal sports gambling in 2018.</p><p>In a July statement, Luis Del Orbe, executive director of the nonprofit council, which contracts with the state on gambling addiction issues, urged lawmakers to approve the bill to ban live, in-game bets. The organization says those high-frequency bets can trigger instant dopamine releases in the brain’s reward system, fostering compulsive behaviors that can lead to addiction.</p><p>“By limiting the proliferation of micro betting, this legislation takes an essential step toward protecting citizens from the harmful effects of reckless gambling practices,” Del Orbe’s statement said.</p><p>Stateline reporter Kevin Hardy can be reached at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:khardy@stateline.org">khardy@stateline.org</a>.</p>

Wagers on touchdowns, strikeouts and even penalties: States eye limits on prop bets

A Nebraska lawmaker sheds tears, vows action after visiting jailed migrants in North Platte

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. — After three months in ICE detention, legal fees mounting and no release in sight, Nuri Garibo Chona did what she called unimaginable. She left behind four daughters to return to the birthplace where she hadn’t lived for decades. The Omaha mom was here illegally. Her kids are all U.S. citizens, and younger ones now are in the care of her oldest daughter, who is 27.&nbsp;

Another woman ensnared in the Glenn Valley Foods immigration raid in Omaha also was removed to Mexico last week without her two children, who remained in Omaha with their dad. On her way out, Leydy Solis Factor said she still was confused about why the work permit she got through proper channels was no longer good

Meanwhile, one of the men still held from the raid in the Lincoln County Jail has hired a local lawyer to replace an out-of-state firm and prays he hasn’t lost a shot at being released on bond. He has a wife and children in Omaha and fears for their safety if he is forced back to Guatemala.

The number of Glenn Valley workers detained in this North Platte jail, which is paid by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain migrants, has dwindled since the high-profile worksite raid executed June 10 by more than 80 federal and local agents.&nbsp;

Shortly after the Nebraska Examiner visited the facility last week, Garibo Chona and Solis Factor were removed from the country, and three other women were released on bond, leaving six from the Glenn Valley raid among those in custody there.&nbsp;

ICE officials did not provide specifics when asked this week for an update, but of the original group of roughly 80 arrested, a spokesperson previously said about a dozen were released early and 63 were sent to North Platte. Several of the detainees agreed to voluntarily deport themselves, and many have been released on bond as their lawyers build cases to prevent forced removal.

To State Sen. Margo Juarez of Omaha, their journeys and circumstances have become even more relevant as the state prepares to repurpose a state prison into a&nbsp; 300-bed ICE detention center in McCook, a town of about 7,200 residents about an hour from North Platte.

Last week she became the first state lawmaker to sit down with Glenn Valley detainees. The discussion ranged from medical, legal and interpreter services to how their children were faring. After meeting with men and women garbed in black and white stripes, Juarez stepped into a nearby hall and cried.&nbsp;

She said she’s on a mission to ensure that federal ICE detainees in Nebraska have access to the same services offered to state inmates in state prisons.

“It was really difficult to see the reality, the human faces,” said Juarez, whose South Omaha district includes the Glenn Valley plant and other meatpackers that traditionally have attracted immigrant workers.

&nbsp;“These are people locked up away from family,” she said. “We have jailed innocent working people.”

The federal government has a different viewpoint.&nbsp;

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758481465874.png" alt=" State Sen. Margo Juarez of South Omaha visits with Glenn Valley Foods workers who were detained during a June 10 immigration raid in Omaha and held in the Lincoln County Jail in North Platte. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)" />
                        <figcaption> State Sen. Margo Juarez of South Omaha visits with Glenn Valley Foods workers who were detained during a June 10 immigration raid in Omaha and held in the Lincoln County Jail in North Platte. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
                    </figure><h2>A Nebraska lawmaker sheds tears, vows action after visiting jailed migrants in North Platte</h2><p>By:<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/cindygonzalez/">Cindy Gonzalez</a><br><a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/03/17/lincoln-senators-clash-over-nebraska-school-retirement-bill-as-school-leaders-weigh-in/">Nebraska Examiner</a></p><p>NORTH PLATTE, Neb. — After three months in ICE detention, legal fees mounting and no release in sight, Nuri Garibo Chona did what she called unimaginable. She left behind four daughters to return to the birthplace where she hadn’t lived for decades. The Omaha mom was here illegally. Her kids are all U.S. citizens, and younger ones now are in the care of her oldest daughter, who is 27.&nbsp;</p><p>Another woman ensnared in the Glenn Valley Foods immigration raid in Omaha also was removed to Mexico last week without her two children, who remained in Omaha with their dad. On her way out, Leydy Solis Factor said she still was confused about why the work permit she got through proper channels was no longer good</p><p>Meanwhile, one of the men still held from the raid in the Lincoln County Jail has hired a local lawyer to replace an out-of-state firm and prays he hasn’t lost a shot at being released on bond. He has a wife and children in Omaha and fears for their safety if he is forced back to Guatemala.</p><p>The number of Glenn Valley workers detained in this North Platte jail, which is paid by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain migrants, has dwindled since the high-profile worksite raid executed June 10 by more than 80 federal and local agents.&nbsp;</p><p>Shortly after the Nebraska Examiner visited the facility last week, Garibo Chona and Solis Factor were removed from the country, and three other women were released on bond, leaving six from the Glenn Valley raid among those in custody there.&nbsp;</p><p>ICE officials did not provide specifics when asked this week for an update, but of the original group of roughly 80 arrested, a spokesperson previously said about a dozen were released early and 63 were sent to North Platte. Several of the detainees agreed to voluntarily deport themselves, and many have been released on bond as their lawyers build cases to prevent forced removal.</p><p>To State Sen. Margo Juarez of Omaha, their journeys and circumstances have become even more relevant as the state prepares to repurpose a state prison into a&nbsp; 300-bed ICE detention center in McCook, a town of about 7,200 residents about an hour from North Platte.</p><p>Last week she became the first state lawmaker to sit down with Glenn Valley detainees. The discussion ranged from medical, legal and interpreter services to how their children were faring. After meeting with men and women garbed in black and white stripes, Juarez stepped into a nearby hall and cried.&nbsp;</p><p>She said she’s on a mission to ensure that federal ICE detainees in Nebraska have access to the same services offered to state inmates in state prisons.</p><p>“It was really difficult to see the reality, the human faces,” said Juarez, whose South Omaha district includes the Glenn Valley plant and other meatpackers that traditionally have attracted immigrant workers.</p><p>&nbsp;“These are people locked up away from family,” she said. “We have jailed innocent working people.”</p><p>* * *&nbsp;</p><p>The federal government has a different viewpoint.&nbsp;</p><p>Representatives of ICE and its Homeland Security Investigations arm have repeatedly referred to the Glenn Valley case as a targeted, federal criminal investigation aimed at stopping the widespread use of stolen identifications by foreign-born workers to gain jobs.</p><p>“These so-called ‘honest workers’ have caused an immeasurable amount of financial and emotional hardship for innocent Americans,” HSI’s Mark Zito has said. “If pretending to be someone you aren’t in order to steal their lives isn’t blatant criminal dishonesty, I don’t know what is.”</p><p>Court documents track the Omaha raid&nbsp; —&nbsp;the largest immigration enforcement action in Nebraska since 2018 —&nbsp;back to a March subpoena that sought company employment records tying 107 of 177 employees to fraudulent IDs or documents that didn’t authorize them to work in the country.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758481173388.png" alt="A worker gets apprehended at Glenn Valley Foods during the largest Nebraska immigration raid since President Donald Trump took office. (Courtesy of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)" />
                        <figcaption>A worker gets apprehended at Glenn Valley Foods during the largest Nebraska immigration raid since President Donald Trump took office. (Courtesy of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>At least one defrauded U.S. citizen already had lodged identity theft complaints with the Internal Revenue Service and Social Security Administration. During the raid, agents questioned a worker whose job application matched the name of that complainant — leading to the arrest of Guadalupe Cabrera Mejia.</p><p>To date, available federal court records show Cabrera Mejia as the only Glenn Valley employee criminally charged for the alleged use of a stolen ID. Asked how that reconciled with “widespread” criminal activity alleged earlier, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Nebraska said ICE determines whether to pursue felony criminal charges.&nbsp;</p><p>With regard to the Glenn Valley probe, she said, ICE elected “overwhelmingly” to pursue administrative charges in immigration court, a venue and process independent of federal prosecutors.</p><p>ICE has said an administrative charge is often a more expedient option, a faster path to deportation. The raid came as federal agencies are under pressure from the Trump administration’s goal of making 3,000 related arrests per day and pursuing mass deportations.&nbsp;</p><p>In Nebraska, Gov. Jim Pillen, backed by many legislative Republicans, has pledged resources to help President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda. Among state offerings: turning the McCook-based Work Ethic Camp into a Midwestern ICE detention center that federal officials dubbed the “Cornhusker Clink.”&nbsp;</p><p>That conversion plan requires the relocation of 186 state inmates elsewhere in a Nebraska correctional system already ranked as&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/109/PDF/Agencies/Inspector_General_of_the_Nebraska_Correctional_System/600_20250915-155923.pdf" target="_blank">the most crowded</a>&nbsp;in the country, when measured by operational capacity. The decision to offer ICE state assistance sparked protests at the Governor’s Mansion and a&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/09/12/conversion-of-mccook-facility-into-ice-detention-hub-draws-overflow-hearing-statewide-concerns/">four-hour public hearing</a>&nbsp;that drew dozens of opponent speakers and no proponents.</p><p>Scant details shared about the project is partly what Juarez said spurred her to make the trek west to the jail in North Platte and prison in McCook.&nbsp;</p><p>“This isn’t going away,” she said. “They’re amping up enforcement, and I really wanted to see and hear from these families for myself.”</p><p>* * *&nbsp;</p><p>On a day last week, Lincoln County Sheriff Jerome Kramer accompanied Juarez into separate cell blocs for men and women. The Examiner was allowed as well.</p><p>Women set aside Bibles and art materials and huddled around the silver table where the lawmaker sat. An interpreter from a local advocacy group called Hope Esperanza helped bridge any language gaps.</p><p>Kramer praised the nonprofit’s founder, North Platte native TinaMaria Fernandez, for having eased stress that came with the sudden swell of inmates whose first language was different from that of his staff.&nbsp;</p><p>The arrival of the Glenn Valley group increased the jail population by about 50% at a time the facility was short-staffed, Kramer said. He said the federal government pays the county $74 a day for each ICE detainee and covers transportation and medical expenses.</p><p>“If I remember it right, they called to see if we could take them and said they’d be here in three hours,” Kramer said.&nbsp;</p><p>Juarez viewed as a positive sign the rapport between Hope Esperanza, Kramer and his team and detainees. She wondered out loud if McCook has a similar community organization able to assist in that town’s future ICE detention operation.</p><p>Fernandez said that while McCook is about an hour’s drive away, she didn’t see her team being able to provide similar humanitarian outreach at that facility, since the oversight would be federal versus local county officials.</p><p>Most of the women, in response to Juarez’s queries, said they hadn’t visited with family members face-to-face but had been able to communicate via video conferencing.&nbsp;</p><p>Jail staff have been respectful and responsive, several said. Another added: “It’s ugly. We’re locked up.”&nbsp;</p><p>Isabel Ponce, a 34-year-old mother of three kids who are with their father in Omaha, said anxiety was “pushing my limits.”&nbsp;</p><p>For some, legal relief has been grinding or nonexistent.</p><p>In Garibo Chona’s case, for example, an immigration judge ordered her removal from the country. She was torn about appealing and leaving her daughters but said the judge told her he would not change his mind if her case came before him six months later. She was removed from the country last week.</p><p>Solis Factor said she had a government-issued permit to work while awaiting a court hearing, so she at first was not concerned she’d be detained. But many immigration programs and rules have changed since Trump took office for the second time in January. And a judge ordered her removal.</p><p>“I want my children to stay and continue their education and learning English,” she said of her kids, ages 5 and 10.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758481326422.png" alt="State Sen. Margo Juarez of South Omaha visits with Glenn Valley Foods workers who were detained during a June 10 immigration raid in Omaha and held in the Lincoln County Jail in North Platte. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)" />
                        <figcaption>State Sen. Margo Juarez of South Omaha visits with Glenn Valley Foods workers who were detained during a June 10 immigration raid in Omaha and held in the Lincoln County Jail in North Platte. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>Indeed, the swiftly-evolving immigration landscape has been playing out in an Omaha courtroom.</p><p>U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Bataillon at least nine times has rejected attempts by the federal government to deny the release of Glenn Valley workers on bonds already granted by an immigration court judge.</p><p>The three most recent cases were decided Sept. 11 and involved women who had met with Juarez. Among them was Yurenia Genchi Palma, a single mother of three U.S. citizen children who had been in the country more than 20 years.&nbsp;</p><p>Though an immigration judge in mid-July granted Genchi Palma’s release on a $7,000 bond, federal attorneys blocked it by filing an “automatic stay.” The American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska, which represents her, called that a new practice driven by the “interim guidance” leaked in a July 8 internal memo from the Trump administration.&nbsp;</p><p>The new approach seeks to make nearly all detained immigrants facing removal proceedings ineligible for release on bond, with an aim of making more of them more likely to self deport, experts say.&nbsp;</p><p>ICE has said the changed direction “closes a loophole to our nation’s security” that the Biden administration and others had based on “inaccurate interpretation” of federal law. Such measures are needed, says Trump and other supporters of stepped-up immigration enforcement, to reverse past patterns.</p><p>Bataillon ruled the automatic stay provision and prolonged detention unconstitutional despite a Sept. 6 decision days before by the Board of Immigration Appeals, which had affirmed the “interim guidance.”&nbsp;</p><p>As a federal court judge, Bataillon is not required to follow the decision of the BIA, an administrative body in the executive branch. He questioned the legal rationale behind the analysis but said that wasn’t his concern.&nbsp;</p><p>He said his ruling was based only on the lawfulness of the automatic stay.&nbsp;</p><p>Grant Friedman of ACLU Nebraska foresees continued legal challenges and noted that the ICE no-bond practice already is being challenged in a separate national class action lawsuit. He said ACLU and other advocates are on heightened alert.</p><p>“The immigration landscape is rapidly changing,” Friedman said. “We are doing everything we can to make sure people are being treated fairly, that they have their rights respected.”</p><p>Anne Wurth, associate legal director of the Center for Immigrant and Refugee Advancement, which has assisted many Glenn Valley workers, called the current landscape “absolute chaos.”</p><p>&nbsp;“We have a system that is punishing individuals we rely on in our workforce and who are just humans who deserve to live their life with freedom,” she said.</p><p>* * *&nbsp;</p><p>Juarez said dealing with immigration-related matters was not something she expected as a state officeholder. She’s the first Latina in the Nebraska Legislature and is serving her first year as a state lawmaker.</p><p>A Democrat in the officially nonpartisan Legislature, she recently clashed over immigration policy in an email exchange with former Nebraska governor and now U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Nebraska, and plans to urge the state’s all-GOP congressional delegation to push for immigration reform. She toured the&nbsp; McCook jail after leaving North Platte, and vows to monitor the conversion and amplify related budget discussions.&nbsp;</p><p>“There’s no doubt I’m going to stand up,” said Juarez. “My community expects that.”</p><p>ICE told the Examiner politicians should focus on encouraging their constituents to comply with federal law. It said all migrant detainees are treated humanely and given access to essential services and that any concerns regarding detainee care are taken seriously.</p><p>For Ramirez Jacinto, each day in detention brings worry. Is his daughter able to sleep yet? Are the house bills paid? Will his family in Omaha go with him if he’s deported? How will they escape the violence?</p><p>“I’d like my family to stay, but who would work?” said Ramirez Jacinto. “I’m the worker.”</p>