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HERE’S YOUR RUNDOWN
Happy World Piano Day
In honor of this celebration, Reed Moore will tickle the ivories with a rousing rendition of “Chopsticks.”
Today’s news: Metro Transit launches Omaha’s first fully electric buses today, March 29, hundreds of patients were left without critical medical care due to staffing shortages during Omaha’s Omicron surge, and according to Newsweek, GOP Sen. Bruce Bostelman falsely claims some Nebraska schoolchildren are self-identifying as cats and dogs, dressing up as them, and meowing and barking — and as a result, schools allegedly want to let students use litter boxes.
REED MOORE’S FEATURED STORY
Chamber’s Urban Core Team Targets Affordable Housing Needs as It Urges ‘Big’ Landscape Shifts
The 100-page strategic plan seeks 30,000 new residents, 30,000 new jobs in 20 years.
Story by Cindy Gonzalez. Originally published in the Nebraska Examiner. Republished in The Reader.
The Reed Moore newsletter is supported by:
COVID-19 UPDATE
‘Rona roundup:
During Omaha’s Omicron surge, hundreds of patients were left without critical medical care due to staffing shortages, and at least one patient died during the wait for a hospital bed that was staffed. Now, hospitalizations are decreasing in Nebraska, and the Department of Health and Human Services plans to begin using genomic surveillance and wastewater surveillance to track coronavirus cases and variants across Nebraska.
By the numbers:
AROUND OMAHA
- According to Creighton University President the Rev. Daniel Hendrickson, the university’s $250 million in improvement projects would complement the Greater Omaha Chamber’s strategic plan, about which you can Reed Moore in today’s feature story.
- Metro Transit launches Omaha’s first fully electric buses today, March 29. Each year, every bus can decrease up to 135 metric tons of greenhouse gases.
- Pew Research Center takes a statistical deep dive into how young women’s pay compares with that of young men across the U.S. In the Omaha-Council Bluffs metro area, young women make 91% of men’s average annual income.
AROUND NEBRASKA
- Latest in the Legislature I: According to Newsweek, GOP Sen. Bruce Bostelman claims some Nebraska schoolchildren are self-identifying as cats and dogs, dressing up as them, and meowing and barking — and as a result, schools allegedly want to let students use litter boxes. “I’m a little shocked. It’s something called furries,” said Bostelman, who’s since issued an apology when such reports turned out to be false.
- Latest in the Legislature II: Nebraska’s $1 billion American Rescue Plan Act proposal gets second-round approval, lawmakers give the initial go-ahead to a measure that could force Nebraska to reimburse cities, school districts and other local governments whenever it makes them pay for something, and following a complaint filed against then-Sen. Mike Groene, the Legislature might be headed toward a review of how it deals with employee complaints of workplace harassment, as well as with senators who don’t comply with ethical standards.
- “If Nebraska [tries] to dig a $500 million canal across its border … it will have to be over the dead bodies in this town’s cemetery. Or perhaps under them.”: Check out this Colorado Sun deep dive into Gov. Pete Ricketts’ controversial Colorado-Nebraska canal proposal.
- Lincoln Public Schools holds a symposium, attended by middle and high school students interested in teaching careers, to promote racial diversity in its teaching staff.
REED MOORE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT
This week:
The City Council and Board of County Commissioners are meeting today, and reporter Anton Johnson is sitting in on the City Council meeting.
Follow Anton at @AntonIsWriting for live tweets, and to catch up on important Omaha government happenings. Tune in here to the Omaha City Council at 2 p.m.
FACTS OF THE DAY
from Harper’s Index
Portion of therapists who say their clientele has increased since the start of the pandemic: 9/10
Who have been forced to decrease their hours because of personal issues: 1/5
Source: New York Times
DAILY FUNNY
To see the full funny by Jen Sorensen,
plus more daily funnies, click the image or below link.
