Herbster’s Jan. 6 Texts, “Whitewash” Education Bill, OPS Mask Mandate Ends

Putin’s Invasion Weighs Heavy on Nebraska’s Ukrainians

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church, located just south of downtown Omaha, is the local Ukrainian community’s nerve center. Its congregation continues to watch developments in Ukraine with a mixture of
anger, sadness and growing dread.

Story by Andrew J. Nelson. Originally published in Flatwater Free Press.
Republished in The Reader.

Reed Moore’s Daily Rundown

National Skip the Straw Day

Today’s news notes that Americans use 500 million drinking straws daily, mostly plastic that harms Mother Earth, including birds, fish and other sea life, and wishes they’d stop — unless they have a disability and need plastic straws for hydration and nourishment: Omaha Public Schools ditches its mask mandate, educators speak out against a bill that one high school teacher considers an attempt to “whitewash or even rewrite American history” by limiting what educators can teach about sex and race, and according to the Nebraska Examiner, over 130 text messages between gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster and his campaign staff reveal that the candidate “was schmoozing with [the] Trump team” on Jan. 5-6, 2021, as Trump’s team worked to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

Harper’s Index Fact of the Day

Percentage of adults with shared finances who have
lied to their partners about money: 39

Source: National Endowment for Financial Education (Denver)

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.

Omaha Public Schools ditches its mask mandate, and The Reader and El Perico‘s Bridget Fogarty, a Report for America corps member, was there when the resolution was approved. Check out her story on the OPS Board of Education meeting, at which community members for and against the mandate spoke out.

5.9% of Douglas County residents are partially vaccinated.

For nationwide COVID-19 case
and vaccination trends, click here.

Around Omaha

Here’s what you need to know about starting therapy in Omaha, according to local counselor Payton Hogan.
To support lower-income families, Creighton Prep will change its tuition model.
Omaha native Symone Sanders, who served as an adviser to President Joe Biden and chief spokeswoman for Vice President Kamala Harris and will soon host MSNBC shows, is honored with Omaha’s Face on the Barroom Floor.

Around Nebraska

Charles Herbster’s actions and reactions during the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol are recorded in over 130 text messages between the gubernatorial candidate and his campaign staff. The Nebraska Examiner has the story on how Herbster, a loyal ally of former President Donald Trump who’s endorsed by Trump, “was schmoozing with [the] Trump team” on Jan. 5-6, 2021, as Trump’s team worked to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
Latest in the Legislature: Constituents come to the Capitol in droves to debate abortion and share personal stories about the issue, as senators consider three bills that would ban or restrict the right to abortion. A proposal to chop state and corporate income tax rates advances, but there could be a compromise with senators who want support for low-income and middle-class Nebraskans. Educators speak out against a bill that one high school teacher considers an attempt to “whitewash or even rewrite American history” by limiting what educators can teach about sex and race. Also up for discussion is a special legislative probe of the environmental crisis at the infamous Mead AltEn plant and a bill that would seek to battle brain drain. In addition, a study suggests the state’s new redistricting map for the Legislature gives rural districts a disproportionate amount of influence.
Five individuals suspected of arson at several Gulf Coast Walmart stores are arrested following a grand jury indictment — and all hail from Kearney.