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Monday, March 18, 2024

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SD public defense duties shift from counties to state; SCOTUS appears skeptical of restricting government communications with social media companies; Trump lawyers say he can't make bond; new scholarships aim to connect class of 2024 to high-demand jobs.

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The SCOTUS weighs government influence on social media, and who groups like the NRA can do business with. Biden signs an executive order to advance women's health research and the White House tells Israel it's responsible for the Gaza humanitarian crisis.

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Midwest regenerative farmers are rethinking chicken production, Medicare Advantage is squeezing the finances of rural hospitals and California's extreme swing from floods to drought has some thinking it's time to turn rural farm parcels into floodplains.

NE: Health

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately one in every 300 newborns screened is eventually diagnosed with one of the conditions covered in newborn screenings. (Tomsickova/Adobe Stock)
Bill in NE would allow parents to 'opt out' of newborn screenings

Every state has been screening newborns for several decades, usually performing a heel-prick blood test, a hearing test and a heart check. Several …

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There are about 48 million unpaid family caregivers in the U.S., providing care with a dollar value of nearly $600 billion. (Rido/Adobe Stock)
NE lawmakers consider tax credits for family caregivers

About 180,000 Nebraskans are caregivers for a family member. Nationally, family caregivers spend an average of more than $7000 a year on related …

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States can set more restrictive qualifications for child care subsidies than the federal government. In 2019, nearly 89,000 Nebraska children qualified using federal parameters, but fewer than 36,000 qualified using Nebraska's state-defined rules. (Lordn/Adobe Stock)
Kentucky-inspired bill would help NE child care providers, workforce

In the 2023 Nebraska Rural Poll 61% agreed there's a shortage of affordable child care in their communities, and more than 75% said their communities …

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In 2024, Nebraska is spending less than 25% of what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers best practices on tobacco control programs, according to an American Lung Association report. (Zhikun Sun/Adobe Stock)
Report: NE receives failing grades for three of five tobacco-control measures

Nebraska needs to do better when it comes to tobacco use prevention and cessation, according to a newly released report. In the American Lung …

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One goal of President Joe Biden's April 2023
Medicaid waiver programs cover in-home care costs for eligible Nebraskans

Many Nebraskans age 65 and older with health limitations, as well as younger people living with a disability, want to remain in their own homes…

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In 2023, Nebraska ranked 37th for the percentage of adults experiencing any form of mental illness, at 23.4%, compared with the national average of 20.78%. (Nuttapong punna/Adobe Stock)
2024 means more mental-health care options for NE Medicare recipients

Nebraska was ranked forty-fourth overall in the 2023 Mental Health in America report, and twenty-ninth for access to care. But a change as of January …

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In 2021, 37% of people in the U.S. ages 18 and older used telehealth services at least once. (DC Studio/Adobe Stock)
'Champion' NE state senators helped lower insulin costs, strengthen telehealth

As of Jan. 1, insulin will become a lot more affordable for many Nebraskans, and those who have come to rely on telehealth visits are more likely to …

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According to the American Lung Association, around 238,000 new cases of lung cancer will be diagnosed this year, and more than 127,000 people will die from lung cancer. (Peakstock/Adobe Stock)
Report: NE lung cancer screening of high-risk individuals among lowest in U.S.

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, and a newly released report shows far too few Nebraskans at high risk for lung cancer are getting the …

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In a 2022 poll by the Pew Research Center, 30% of adults said marijuana should be legal for medical use and 59% supported it being legalized for medical and recreational use. Ten percent did not support legalization for either medical or recreational use. (bukhta79/Adobe Stock)
Advocates hope voters make Nebraska 48th state to approve medical cannabis

When it comes to getting the legalization of medical cannabis in front of Nebraska voters, supporters hope the third time's the charm. Nebraska…

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According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, in 2020, 4.2 million people used Medicaid long-term services and supports (LTSS) delivered in home and community settings, and 1.6 million used LTSS delivered in institutional settings. (Halfpoint/Adobe Stock)
NE long-term care, caregiver support services rank 18th nationwide

The latest State Scorecard Report from AARP shows Nebraska's long-term care facilities have made some improvements in the last three years. For …

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With the help of more than 550 partner agencies, including schools, churches, shelters and food pantries, Food Bank for the Heartland distributed more than 22 million meals in its 2023 fiscal year. They expect the number to climb to 26.5 million in FY 2024. (TSViPhoto/Adobe Stock)
Hunger Action Month finds NE food bank in "crisis mode"

It is Hunger Action Month, and a Nebraska organization fighting hunger said action is badly needed, at both the national and state levels. In a June …

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Dr. Ruth Petersen, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity, says breastfeeding
Breastfeeding Month: Advocates Say Practice Needs 'Normalizing'

August is National Breastfeeding Month, focused on the benefits of breastfeeding for mothers and babies as well as the restrictions some encounter…

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