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Thursday, March 28, 2024

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Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

NE: Poverty Issues

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 10.2 million U.S. households had low food security and 6.8 million had very low food security at some time during 2022. (nicoletaionescu/Adobe Stock)
NE bill would ensure Summer EBT participation; first hearing Thursday

According to a recent USDA study, 12% of Nebraskans experience food insecurity. That's higher than the national average. If legislation that is the …

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Chidren of Asian and Pacific Islander ethnicity received the highest national score on the 2024 Race for Results report, 771 out of 1,000, followed by 697 for white children and 612 for children of two or more races. (len4foto/AdobeStock)
Report: Nebraska children of color have less well-being than white peers

On a new report, Nebraska's white children scored high on well-being compared with their peers nationwide - but the same can't be said for the …

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Of the 12% of Nebraskans reporting food insecurity at some time between 2020 and 2022, almost half of them reported experiencing
NE has until Jan. 1 to opt in to food assistance for 150,000 children

Roughly one in eight Nebraskans who have experienced hunger is a child. The state has a chance to help their families afford groceries, but must 'opt …

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Over one 24-hour period in March 2022, domestic-violence hotlines in Nebraska received 182 calls, an average of eight per hour, and 523 adults and children received services. (Fizkes/Adobe Stock)
Domestic Violence Awareness Month: Help available in every NE county

It is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, calling attention to an issue affecting up to 12 million men, women and children in the nation …

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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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The percentage of Nebraska children living in single-parent households has fluctuated between 28% and 30% since 2011. (Jacob Lund/Adobe Stock)
Despite #1 Rank for 'Economic Well-Being,' NE Parents Struggle

Nebraska children rank first in the nation for economic well-being in the Annie E. Casey Foundation's 2023 Kids Count Data Book, and eighth for …

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The Center for Budget and Policy Priorities said the
Medicaid 'Unwinding' Underway; DHHS Needs Up-to-Date Contact Info

Tens of thousands of Nebraskans receiving Medicaid benefits may lose them over the upcoming year. With the COVID-19 public health emergency ending…

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A 2021 housing affordability study found a decent two-bedroom apartment in the Omaha and Council Bluffs market would require a minimum wage of $19 an hour, more than many essential jobs in the area pay. (Adobe Stock)
ARPA Funds to Build Affordable Housing in Omaha-Council Bluffs

More affordable housing is coming to a Nebraska market that really needs it. An Omaha nonprofit has partnered with the City of Omaha, and was …

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In September 2022, SNAP benefits helped 156,000 Nebraskans with food security, up 1% from a year prior. (Adobe Stock)
Nebraskans Will Lose SNAP Benefits If Pandemic Eligibility "Sunsets"

Almost one in ten Nebraskans receives Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, formerly known as food stamps, but that could change …

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En septiembre de 2022, los beneficios de SNAP ayudaron a 156 000 habitantes de Nebraska a alcanzar la seguridad alimentaria, un 1 % más que el año anterior. (Adobe Stock)
Habitantes de NE perderán beneficios de SNAP si "termina"elegibilidad

Casi uno de cada diez habitantes de Nebraska recibe beneficios del Programa de Asistencia Nutricional Suplementaria (SNAP), anteriormente conocido …

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Western Nebraska is home to food deserts, where there is no easy way to get good, healthy food regularly, which disproportionately impact seniors in rural areas. (Adobe Stock)
Reimagining Ways to Get Struggling Nebraska Families Back on Track

With a new legislative session on the horizon and new legislators after the November elections, the Coalition for a Strong Nebraska is bringing …

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Business owners who favor raising the minimum wage argue it will pay off in lower employee turnover, lower hiring and training costs, increased productivity, and better customer service. (Adobe Stock)
Small Businesses Back Minimum-Wage Initiative on Ballot

Nearly 300 Nebraska business owners and executives across the state have gone on record in support of ballot Initiative 433, which would gradually …

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