The Year in (P)review
Flip (well, click) through the pages of The Reader
and El Perico‘s January 2022 print edition.
Reed Moore’s Daily Rundown
Happy National Dress Up Your Pet Day: Today’s news thinks every pet should dress for success and strut its stuff. Photo below: Omaha-based cat Kevin Bowling dons an elf hat during the holiday season. According to Kevin’s human, News Editor Chris Bowling, “He is Santa’s worst little helper.”
As COVID cases hit another peak, Nebraska Medicine enacts crisis standards of care, a widely shared text message tells people to vote for “solid conservative patriots” for the Westside school board, and in his last State of the State address, Gov. Pete Ricketts proposes an income tax cut for corporations and Nebraska’s highest earners.
Reed Moore is off on Monday, Jan. 17, in observance of MLK Day. See you on Tuesday, Jan. 18!

Harper’s Index Fact of the Day
Rank of 2020 among years with the highest
number of recorded deaths by overdose: 1
Source: National Center for Health Statistics
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.

- Modern Love, a vegan restaurant in Omaha, mandates proof of vaccination to dine in.
- As COVID cases hit another peak, Nebraska Medicine enacts crisis standards of care. CHI Health isn’t there yet, but resources are stretched.
- Nebraska schools battle Omicron-related staffing shortages, and Lincoln Public Schools reports more than 900 coronavirus cases among students and staff this week.
- Check out this Associated Press summary of Nebraska’s battle against the coronavirus.
- From the Experts: Nebraskans should double mask, according to Creighton University School of Medicine’s Dr. Maureen Tierney. People who had Delta can get reinfected with Omicron, according to Nebraska Medicine’s Dr. Angela Hewlett.


The number of vaccines administered has significantly decreased from previous listings, because Douglas County changed the figure to reflect the number of county residents who’ve received shots, as opposed to how many vaccines have been administered.

For nationwide COVID-19 case
and vaccination trends, click here.
Around Omaha
- A widely shared text message tells people to vote for “solid conservative patriots” for the Westside school board, and bashes critical race theory.
- Federal prosecutors recommend home detention, not jail time, for Omaha-based Brandon Straka, who filmed himself engaging in the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol attack and has a large social media following.
- A new piece of legislation follows allegations of child abuse and neglect against Rosewood Academy.
- A 2009 state law made Nebraska’s gun-crime penalties more rigid, and moved hundreds of gun cases from federal to state courts — on taxpayers’ dime.
- Democrat Alisha Shelton files to represent Nebraska’s 2nd District in the U.S. Congress. If Shelton wins, she’ll be the first Black woman to represent the state in Congress.
- “The transparency has just been backwards on this whole entire project”: Members of the City Council have unanswered questions about Omaha’s library project.
Around Nebraska
- A third female Lincoln Police Department officer files suit against the City of Lincoln, alleging discrimination, sexual assault and harassment.
- Here’s what the design of Lincoln’s new flag means, according to designer Ed Mejia, who’s originally from El Salvador.
- Check out this interview with Director of Corrections Scott Frakes about controversies within the Department of Corrections.
- After he allegedly threatens pro-life advocates outside a Planned Parenthood clinic in Lincoln, a man from South Sioux City is charged with one count of terroristic threats.
- Colorado Gov. Jared Polis says he’ll “protect and aggressively assert” Colorado’s water rights, in the face of Gov. Pete Ricketts’ plan to invoke the South Platte River Compact.
- Gov. Pete Ricketts gives his last State of the State address. Here are five major takeaways, including a proposed income tax cut for corporations and Nebraska’s highest earners. Click here to watch the speech, which garnered mixed reviews from state senators, including those expressing concerns that the governor’s spending plan leaves North O behind.
The Daily Funny
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