10/12/21 • Nebraska vaccine data • Nationwide case trends
New Reader Radio Episode:
How We Talk About Inclusivity. Part Two.
This week, we continue our conversation with psychotherapist Megan Smith-Sallans and author & speaker Ryan Sallans to discuss why more information doesn’t always mean more understanding when it comes to our gender and sexuality.
Podcast episode produced by Chris Bowling, hosted by Emma Schartz.
Reed Moore’s Daily Rundown
Happy Face Your Fears Day
Join today’s news in overcoming the things that hold us back: Over 100 Village Pointe pumpkin tree pumpkins are smashed, rocks and patio furniture are flung from the rooftop of the Old Market Lofts, and learn about Nebraska’s first Indigenous Peoples’ Day, celebrated Monday.
Harper’s Index Facts of the Day
- Minimum amount that FEMA has spent to cover the funeral expenses of COVID-19 victims: $804,000
- Percentage of Americans who have “zero confidence” in the health care system’s ability to handle a future emergency: 45
Sources: 1. Federal Emergency Management Agency; 2. Pew Research Center (Washington)
Reed Moore doesn’t have Douglas County COVID-19 stats today. But if you want to get vaccinated in Douglas County this week, here are upcoming clinics.
Around Omaha
- Over 100 pumpkins on Village Pointe’s annual pumpkin tree are smashed.
- The city has room to improve when it comes to accessible transportation, advocates and disabled people say.
- Pedestrians narrowly avoid being hit by rocks and patio furniture flung from the rooftop of the Old Market Lofts.
- Take a deep dive into Rosewood Academy daycare owner Carl Hansen’s disorderly conduct charge and plea deal. Hansen was accused of dragging a two-year-old boy.
- An Omaha Correctional Center inmate headbutts a staff member, breaking the staffer’s nose.
- A display of hand-decorated T-shirts at the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s Criss Library seeks to raise awareness about sexual assault and domestic violence.
Around Nebraska
- The state and the Nebraska Association of Public Employees come to an agreement in principle (which means it hasn’t been ratified) that would give workers major pay raises.
- “I must return home … to care for an aging parent, to honor my commitment to the person who raised me”: Elizabeth Spiller, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s executive vice chancellor for academic affairs, says she will resign.
- Descendants of Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte, an Omaha Tribe member and the first Native American in the U.S. to get a medical degree, unveil her sculpture. The bronze statue is located at Lincoln’s Centennial Mall.
- Read about yesterday’s celebrations for Nebraska’s first Indigenous Peoples’ Day, and check out this interview with members of the indigenous community to get a sense of the holiday on a national scale. To learn about why people are loath to call Oct. 11 Columbus Day, check out this Vox piece and this Rapid City Journal article about how Columbus kidnapped, enslaved, and committed genocide against indigenous populations.
Follow Anton for Local Government News
Reporter Anton Johnson is sitting in on the Board of County Commissioners meeting today. (There’s no City Council meeting.) Follow Anton at @AntonIsWriting for live tweets, and to catch up on important items from today’s agenda.
Reed Moore Presents a TV Review:
Help Us, Ted Lasso, You’re Our Only Hope
After decades of dystopia, we need the
“theater of optimism,” says Reader critic Ryan Syrek.
Find film content here, and check out local guides on our Things To Do page.
The Daily Funny
Click drawing to see full comic.
