Beaufield Berry-Fisher Is
Changing Omaha’s Arts Landscape
The famed Omaha playwright opens up about her vision for the artistic
future of the community and its Black creatives.
By Courtney Bierman. Published in The Reader.
Reed Moore’s Daily Rundown
Happy National Popcorn Day: Today’s news salutes the versatility of this time-honored snack — sweet or savory, caramelized, buttered or plain, even molded into a candied ball: The Nebraska Criminal Justice Reinvestment Working Group releases its final report, a bill would restrict how public schools, institutions of higher education and other public institutions can teach staff and students about sex and race, and UNMC’s Dr. Jasmine Marcelin discusses how to talk with vaccine-hesitant people about getting the COVID-19 jab on NPR’s Life Kit podcast.
Harper’s Index Facts of the Day
- Percentage of U.S. families with health insurance that have medical debt: 16
- Median amount of debt held by those families: $2,000
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Reed Moore’s COVID-19 Roundup
As announced in the Wednesday, Dec. 29, bonus newsletter, in light of the Omicron variant, Reed Moore will replace the “Thing To Do” section with a COVID-19 spotlight featuring coronavirus-related content. The Reader believes it’s irresponsible to promote events when hospitals are nearing capacity and some community members refuse to get vaccinated. As cases continue, The Reader won’t promote any events — be they concerts, plays, art-gallery openings or stand-up comedy — that don’t require
masks, vaccination and social distancing.
- National COVID-19 News You Can Use: This is how to get your free COVID-19 tests from COVIDtests.gov.
- UNMC’s Dr. Jasmine Marcelin, an internal medicine and infectious disease specialist, discusses how to talk with vaccine-hesitant people about getting the COVID-19 jab on NPR’s Life Kit podcast.
- Don’t let the slight dip in statewide coronavirus cases and hospitalizations provide false hope; hospitals remain stretched thin and concerned about what’s to come, and pediatric hospital beds are filling up.
- Click here to watch the Douglas County Board of Health’s monthly meeting.
- Indicted GOP Rep. Jeff Fortenberry tests positive for the coronavirus.
- “They truly, honestly have saved our son’s life”: A South Dakota mom’s 1-year-old boy is hospitalized for the coronavirus in Omaha.
- School Closures: Wahoo Elementary joins the growing list of COVID-19 school closures.
- The hearing for the Omaha mask mandate lawsuit is pushed back, frustrating Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson.
For nationwide COVID-19 case
and vaccination trends, click here.
Around Omaha
- 1st Sky Omaha in the Morning kicks off season 3.
- Running for Reelection: John Friend, clerk of the Douglas County District Court, is not running for reelection, but Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine is tossing his hat in the ring again.
- A pedestrian’s death near North 30th Street and Kansas Avenue stresses the necessity of adding a traffic signal to the intersection, according to neighbors and an advocacy group. The city says that won’t happen.
- The 74 Afghan refugees resettling in Omaha this week need resources. Here’s how you can help.
Around Nebraska
- Latest in the Legislature: Sen. Robert Hilkemann presents a proposal to mandate DNA samples from people charged with certain crimes, four bills seek to stymie the nursing shortage, and a bill would restrict how public schools, institutions of higher education and other public institutions can teach staff and students about sex and race.
- There’s been a record number of prosecutions for sex trafficking the past two years, and Attorney General Doug Peterson says he wants to see more support for survivors.
- Gov. Pete Ricketts endorses Jim Pillen for governor, even though former President Donald Trump is supporting Charles W. Herbster.
- In Case You Missed It: The Nebraska Criminal Justice Reinvestment Working Group releases its final report.
The City Council and Douglas County Board of Commissioners did not meet Tuesday, so Reed Moore has nothing to report on the local government scene. In the meantime, check out District 2 Douglas County Commissioner Jim Cavanaugh’s interview about CARES and ARPA money,
and read about how to engage with the City Council.
The Daily Funny
Comic by Koterba. Support him on Patreon.
To see more daily funnies, click the image.
