<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/gqH4MHjbg2">pic.twitter.com/gqH4MHjbg2</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1967680808128483764?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥 U.S. conducted 2nd strike on alleged drug cartel boat from Venezuela

Nearly a quarter century has passed since the attacks of September 11th, 2001. That day’s tragic events, the heroic acts of so many Americans, and the extraordinary shows of patriotism and national unity which followed are forever etched in our national memory. We will always remember the courage and sacrifice of those who passed and those whose lives were forever changed 24 years ago.

Just as the anniversary of 9/11 was reminding Americans to commemorate the endurance and aspirations which bring us together, sadly, our country was shocked by the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Kirk was a patriot, husband, and father who lived his conservative values by championing free speech for all. Regardless of viewpoint, political violence is never acceptable. I am glad law enforcement quickly identified and apprehended the suspect and is preparing to obtain justice for Kirk’s murder.&nbsp;

The future of our shared values, protection of civil society, and guarantee of the rights and freedoms given by God and recognized by our Declaration of Independence and Constitution are not passively attained. While the sacrifice of countless Americans who have answered the call of duty demonstrate the cost of freedom, the task of promoting the safety of every American falls on each generation. Unlike the past administration, President Trump has made national security and law enforcement efforts top priorities. We recognized our nation’s security need when we enacted $175 billion in border enforcement funding in July alongside our working families tax cut, and we recognized it again this week when House Republicans advanced legislation to provide the administration with the resources needed to meet this mission through the passage of the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

The many threats to peace around the globe demand sustained attention to national security. Several of our allies face the reality of war every day while our enemies in Tehran, Beijing, Moscow, and Pyongyang conspire against us. Threats multiply and evolve constantly, whether on the battlefield or in cyberspace. The robust funding in the NDAA allows our military to stand ready with effective deterrence against any and all threats. In the words of Ronald Reagan, “War will not come again...if we will speak honestly of the dangers that confront us and remain strong enough to meet those dangers.”

Recent events have shown both the importance of and fragility of our constitutional rights. While the First Amendment is foundational to the fabric of our communities and public discourse, freedom of speech and other basic human rights remain under threat by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and other nations around the world. Because of this, I supported measures in the NDAA to counter China’s malign influence. I am also a cosponsor of the Protect America’s Innovation and Economic Security from CCP Act. This bill would reestablish the initiative to curb theft of American intellectual property and spying on our academic institutions perpetrated by the CCP.

Our adversaries profit from dividing us, and political polarization only makes it more difficult to protect our country from enemies, both foreign and domestic. As we remember the victims of terrorism perpetrated by these enemies, as well as honor the legacies of those who risked everything to protect our rights and liberties, let us not forget strength ultimately comes from unity.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757939765389.png" alt="The legacies of our selfless military heroes, like Donald McPherson of Adams, Nebraska, must be celebrated and protected for future generations to understand the true cost of freedom. On the House floor, I honored the life, service, and passing of America’s last WWII Ace fighter pilot.&nbsp;To watch these remarks,&nbsp;<a href="https://iqconnect.house.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&amp;cid=NE03AS&amp;crop=16643.182186133.19936282.102931&amp;report_id=&amp;redirect=https%3a%2f%2fx.com%2fRepAdrianSmith%2fstatus%2f1965504821097828513&amp;redir_log=812447022207331" target="_blank">Click Here</a>.&nbsp; &nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>The legacies of our selfless military heroes, like Donald McPherson of Adams, Nebraska, must be celebrated and protected for future generations to understand the true cost of freedom. On the House floor, I honored the life, service, and passing of America’s last WWII Ace fighter pilot.&nbsp;To watch these remarks,&nbsp;<a href="https://iqconnect.house.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&amp;cid=NE03AS&amp;crop=16643.182186133.19936282.102931&amp;report_id=&amp;redirect=https%3a%2f%2fx.com%2fRepAdrianSmith%2fstatus%2f1965504821097828513&amp;redir_log=812447022207331" target="_blank">Click Here</a>.&nbsp; &nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>Nearly a quarter century has passed since the attacks of September 11th, 2001. That day’s tragic events, the heroic acts of so many Americans, and the extraordinary shows of patriotism and national unity which followed are forever etched in our national memory. We will always remember the courage and sacrifice of those who passed and those whose lives were forever changed 24 years ago.Just as the anniversary of 9/11 was reminding Americans to commemorate the endurance and aspirations which bring us together, sadly, our country was shocked by the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Kirk was a patriot, husband, and father who lived his conservative values by championing free speech for all. Regardless of viewpoint, political violence is never acceptable. I am glad law enforcement quickly identified and apprehended the suspect and is preparing to obtain justice for Kirk’s murder.&nbsp;The future of our shared values, protection of civil society, and guarantee of the rights and freedoms given by God and recognized by our Declaration of Independence and Constitution are not passively attained. While the sacrifice of countless Americans who have answered the call of duty demonstrate the cost of freedom, the task of promoting the safety of every American falls on each generation. Unlike the past administration, President Trump has made national security and law enforcement efforts top priorities. We recognized our nation’s security need when we enacted $175 billion in border enforcement funding in July alongside our working families tax cut, and we recognized it again this week when House Republicans advanced legislation to provide the administration with the resources needed to meet this mission through the passage of the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).The many threats to peace around the globe demand sustained attention to national security. Several of our allies face the reality of war every day while our enemies in Tehran, Beijing, Moscow, and Pyongyang conspire against us. Threats multiply and evolve constantly, whether on the battlefield or in cyberspace. The robust funding in the NDAA allows our military to stand ready with effective deterrence against any and all threats. In the words of Ronald Reagan, “War will not come again...if we will speak honestly of the dangers that confront us and remain strong enough to meet those dangers.”Recent events have shown both the importance of and fragility of our constitutional rights. While the First Amendment is foundational to the fabric of our communities and public discourse, freedom of speech and other basic human rights remain under threat by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and other nations around the world. Because of this, I supported measures in the NDAA to counter China’s malign influence. I am also a cosponsor of the Protect America’s Innovation and Economic Security from CCP Act. This bill would reestablish the initiative to curb theft of American intellectual property and spying on our academic institutions perpetrated by the CCP.Our adversaries profit from dividing us, and political polarization only makes it more difficult to protect our country from enemies, both foreign and domestic. As we remember the victims of terrorism perpetrated by these enemies, as well as honor the legacies of those who risked everything to protect our rights and liberties, let us not forget strength ultimately comes from unity.Sincerely,<figure>
 <img src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/meips/ADKq_NYmhxEyccW3DFsOONp9Rzkt2m1J1HDeL7HKhupc3MkO9moGAIqdrBsSIwviMgEYZjAuw5UgNYmZt2t6vhfgyS71fa_Euxm8eIkW9qdvfxTw7_Z-Yh9MaDqc6FbzaQpA9s4K=s0-d-e1-ft#https://iqconnect.house.gov/iqextranet/Customers/NE03AS/NE03AS_Signature.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Adrian SmithMember of Congress

From the Desk of Adrian Smith: "Defending America's Greatness"

Taking over management of the scenic Niobrara River would come with costs

Paul Hammel <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/04/07/wall-of-shame-still-used-by-nebraska-to-convince-delinquent-taxpayers-to-pay-up/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — Nebraska would have to dig into its pocketbook if it wants to take over management of the scenic Niobrara River from the National Park Service.

That seems clear after officials from Ohio, a state that has a rare “cooperative agreement” to manage federally designated wild and scenic rivers within its state, told the Examiner that it spends $1.2 million a year on its state scenic river program. Ohio manages three, federally designated scenic rivers and 13 other streams that have either a state scenic, wild or recreation designation.

The state assigns 11 staff members to manage stream quality, promote preservation of forest corridors and scenery and protect sensitive areas along the streams, as well as assist landowners, developers and other stakeholders. State personnel also work with advisory councils associated with each of the scenic rivers to give local landowners and other interests a voice in management decisions.

The issue of cost came up after Nebraska State Sen. Tanya Storer of Whitman proposed an interim study of the state possibly taking over of management of the Niobrara River, a federally designated scenic river, from the National Park Service.

Part of Storer’s district includes the 75 miles of the Niobrara that was added to the federal list of wild and scenic rivers in 1991. The designation followed an effort that prevented the damming of the unique stream by the proposed Norden Dam.

Currently, the Park Service operates on an annual budget of $1.2 million to help police the popular river, help conserve the wild and scenic nature of the Niobrara and staff a visitors center in Valentine. In addition, the Niobrara Council, a committee of local officials that provides input and runs some river-related programs, gets about $52,000 a year from the state and, until this past year, $100,000 a year from the federal government to help fund its activities.

Advocates for retaining federal management of the Niobrara maintain that the State of Nebraska lacks the expertise and the funds — given its recent budget shortfalls — to take over river management. Meanwhile Storer and the head of a local natural resources district have pushed back on that, saying they doubt it would take too much money. They maintain that the interim study — set for a hearing at 1 p.m. on Friday at the State Capitol — will help answer the cost question.

Bob Gable, the scenic rivers administrator for the Ohio Division of Natural Areas and Preserves, said he could not separate how much of his state’s money and staff were devoted to Ohio’s three federally designated scenic rivers — the Big and Little Darby Creek, Little Beaver Creek and the Little Miami River. He said it wasn’t as simple as dividing the funding equally among the 16 rivers, which would be about $75,000 per river spent in Ohio.

Gable said managing federally designated rivers comes with additional coordination with the federal government. For instance, the National Park Service must review and approve water resource projects that impact banks and streams. All told, Ohio manages 945 miles of streams in its scenic river program, a program that began in 1968, a few months before the federal government passed the National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.

“This is a fact that we are very proud of,” Gable said in an email, of the Ohio program preceding the federal act.

Storer did not respond to calls and texts seeking comment on this story.

Sändra Washington, who worked with scenic river programs in Ohio and later with the Park Service, said it would be difficult to estimate what it might cost for the state to take over the management of the Niobrara River.

Much, said Washington, now a member of the Lincoln City Council, would depend on whether state agencies have the expertise to do it. It would certainly cost more to create a new scenic rivers program from scratch than if the state had an existing one.

Storer has said that uncertainty about federal funding for the National Park Service to manage the Niobrara River and funding for a local river advisory council, the Niobrara Council, call for a look at taking over management of the scenic river by the state and some local entities, such as the Middle Niobrara Natural Resources District.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, called for the cancellation of the lease on the scenic river visitors center in Valentine. That decision was later reversed.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757942549118.png" alt=" The Niobrara National Scenic River. (Courtesy of the National Park Service)" />
 <figcaption> The Niobrara National Scenic River. (Courtesy of the National Park Service)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Taking over management of the scenic Niobrara River would come with costs</h2>Paul Hammel <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/04/07/wall-of-shame-still-used-by-nebraska-to-convince-delinquent-taxpayers-to-pay-up/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — Nebraska would have to dig into its pocketbook if it wants to take over management of the scenic Niobrara River from the National Park Service.That seems clear after officials from Ohio, a state that has a rare “cooperative agreement” to manage federally designated wild and scenic rivers within its state, told the Examiner that it spends $1.2 million a year on its state scenic river program. Ohio manages three, federally designated scenic rivers and 13 other streams that have either a state scenic, wild or recreation designation.The state assigns 11 staff members to manage stream quality, promote preservation of forest corridors and scenery and protect sensitive areas along the streams, as well as assist landowners, developers and other stakeholders. State personnel also work with advisory councils associated with each of the scenic rivers to give local landowners and other interests a voice in management decisions.The issue of cost came up after Nebraska State Sen. Tanya Storer of Whitman proposed an interim study of the state possibly taking over of management of the Niobrara River, a federally designated scenic river, from the National Park Service.Part of Storer’s district includes the 75 miles of the Niobrara that was added to the federal list of wild and scenic rivers in 1991. The designation followed an effort that prevented the damming of the unique stream by the proposed Norden Dam.Currently, the Park Service operates on an annual budget of $1.2 million to help police the popular river, help conserve the wild and scenic nature of the Niobrara and staff a visitors center in Valentine. In addition, the Niobrara Council, a committee of local officials that provides input and runs some river-related programs, gets about $52,000 a year from the state and, until this past year, $100,000 a year from the federal government to help fund its activities.Advocates for retaining federal management of the Niobrara maintain that the State of Nebraska lacks the expertise and the funds — given its recent budget shortfalls — to take over river management. Meanwhile Storer and the head of a local natural resources district have pushed back on that, saying they doubt it would take too much money. They maintain that the interim study — set for a hearing at 1 p.m. on Friday at the State Capitol — will help answer the cost question.Bob Gable, the scenic rivers administrator for the Ohio Division of Natural Areas and Preserves, said he could not separate how much of his state’s money and staff were devoted to Ohio’s three federally designated scenic rivers — the Big and Little Darby Creek, Little Beaver Creek and the Little Miami River. He said it wasn’t as simple as dividing the funding equally among the 16 rivers, which would be about $75,000 per river spent in Ohio.Gable said managing federally designated rivers comes with additional coordination with the federal government. For instance, the National Park Service must review and approve water resource projects that impact banks and streams. All told, Ohio manages 945 miles of streams in its scenic river program, a program that began in 1968, a few months before the federal government passed the National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.“This is a fact that we are very proud of,” Gable said in an email, of the Ohio program preceding the federal act.Storer did not respond to calls and texts seeking comment on this story.Sändra Washington, who worked with scenic river programs in Ohio and later with the Park Service, said it would be difficult to estimate what it might cost for the state to take over the management of the Niobrara River.Much, said Washington, now a member of the Lincoln City Council, would depend on whether state agencies have the expertise to do it. It would certainly cost more to create a new scenic rivers program from scratch than if the state had an existing one.Storer has said that uncertainty about federal funding for the National Park Service to manage the Niobrara River and funding for a local river advisory council, the Niobrara Council, call for a look at taking over management of the scenic river by the state and some local entities, such as the Middle Niobrara Natural Resources District.Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, called for the cancellation of the lease on the scenic river visitors center in Valentine. That decision was later reversed.

GLENDALE, ARIZONA&nbsp; —Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist&nbsp;and close ally of President Donald Trump who played an influential role in rallying young Republican voters, was shot and killed Wednesday at a Utah college event in what the governor called a political assassination carried out from a rooftop.

Turning Point USA, Kirk's conservative organization, will hold a memorial for him Sept. 21 at State Farm Stadium outside Phoenix, where the Arizona Cardinals play. <a href="https://www.fightforcharlie.com/">Click here for more details</a> on the service.

Kirk's casket arrived Thursday in his home state aboard Air Force Two, accompanied by Vice President JD Vance.

A vigil at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., was among numerous tributes to Kirk on Sunday. The line of mourners in Washington wrapped around the center.

Kirk also was memorialized at Dream City Church in Phoenix, where he hosted one of his “Freedom Night in America” gatherings. Attendees viewed clips of Kirk discussing his desire to be “remembered for courage for my faith.” Angel Barnett, a church pastor, called on the crowd to honor Kirk by carrying on his message.

Flowers, U.S. flags and handwritten messages were left at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-shot-utah-valley-university-students-bc78cfd86a9911b44c9279e32be442bf">a makeshift memorial</a>&nbsp;at Utah Valley University’s main entrance. The school has said there will be increased security when classes resume Wednesday.

His widow, Erika Kirk, vowed to continue his campus tour and his radio and podcast shows.

“To everyone listening tonight across America, the movement my husband built will not die,” she said Friday in a livestreamed video. “It won’t. I refuse to let that happen.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757551583450.png" alt="Charlie Kirk photo White House" />
 <figcaption>Charlie Kirk photo White House</figcaption>
 </figure>GLENDALE, ARIZONA&nbsp; —Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist&nbsp;and close ally of President Donald Trump who played an influential role in rallying young Republican voters, was shot and killed Wednesday at a Utah college event in what the governor called a political assassination carried out from a rooftop.Turning Point USA, Kirk's conservative organization, will hold a memorial for him Sept. 21 at State Farm Stadium outside Phoenix, where the Arizona Cardinals play. <a href="https://www.fightforcharlie.com/">Click here for more details</a> on the service.Kirk's casket arrived Thursday in his home state aboard Air Force Two, accompanied by Vice President JD Vance.A vigil at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., was among numerous tributes to Kirk on Sunday. The line of mourners in Washington wrapped around the center.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">WATCH: Complete remarks by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr at Charlie Kirk Memorial Service. <a href="https://t.co/RkJWmcguez">pic.twitter.com/RkJWmcguez</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1967397444494184684?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">WATCH: Complete remarks by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard at Charlie Kirk Memorial Service. <a href="https://t.co/xEAD92D89E">pic.twitter.com/xEAD92D89E</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1967397150658056597?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Kirk also was memorialized at Dream City Church in Phoenix, where he hosted one of his “Freedom Night in America” gatherings. Attendees viewed clips of Kirk discussing his desire to be “remembered for courage for my faith.” Angel Barnett, a church pastor, called on the crowd to honor Kirk by carrying on his message.Flowers, U.S. flags and handwritten messages were left at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-shot-utah-valley-university-students-bc78cfd86a9911b44c9279e32be442bf">a makeshift memorial</a>&nbsp;at Utah Valley University’s main entrance. The school has said there will be increased security when classes resume Wednesday.His widow, Erika Kirk, vowed to continue his campus tour and his radio and podcast shows.“To everyone listening tonight across America, the movement my husband built will not die,” she said Friday in a livestreamed video. “It won’t. I refuse to let that happen.”

🎥Vigils nationwide, funeral service details for Charlie Kirk

By:<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/cindygonzalez/">Cindy Gonzalez</a> <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/03/17/lincoln-senators-clash-over-nebraska-school-retirement-bill-as-school-leaders-weigh-in/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

Nebraska Corrections officials update McCook leaders on plans

McCOOK, Neb. — Business has slumped at the Carniceria CB mini market and Mexican restaurant, its owners said, since Gov. Jim Pillen’s announcement last month that Nebraska is bringing a federal immigration detention facility to town.

Miguel and Mayra Camacho said they’ve heard other area&nbsp;merchants describe similar commercial declines. Some Latinos they know have uprooted from southwest Nebraska, spurred by what the couple believes is fear and uneasiness over an increased ICE presence.

“And it’s not even open yet,” said Miguel Camacho, of the facility branded the “Cornhusker Clink” by federal officials. “Of all the 50 states, why here?”

Comments the Camachos made this week from their Carniceria — a few miles from where a state prison that holds up to 200 beds is being converted into a 300-bed ICE jail — reflected the sentiment of dozens who spoke against the project during a Friday hearing at the Capitol so full it required an overflow area.

The meeting was hosted by the Legislature’s Urban Affairs Committee. Chairman Terrell McKinney of Omaha offered the space after the chair of the Legislature’s Judiciary Committee declined to hold a public hearing, calling the request premature.

McKinney, a member of both committees, said that while he had been offered a private briefing by the Pillen administration, he opted for a broader discussion open to the public.

He and other committee members said they were concerned about scant information shared about the state-federal plan to repurpose the McCook-based Work Ethic Camp into an ICE detention center for migrants. The state is still trying to relocate the camp’s remaining 155 inmates to different state prisons. Officials said they expect to start housing federal detainees in October.

“Our people want to know, and they’re asking,” said State Sen. Victor Rountree of Bellevue, who also sits on both committees.&nbsp;

“What happens is that when there’s no information provided, negativity and misinformation run rampant,” said State Sen. Stan Clouse of Kearney, the lone Republican committee member who attended the hearing.

On Friday afternoon, the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services issued a statement saying that Corrections Director Rob Jeffreys had spoken Thursday with McCook Mayor Linda Taylor and City Manager Nate Schneider about public safety and community impact.

Among the answers Corrections said it provided:

A formal contract between Nebraska and the federal government is still being hammered out, Correctional Services officials said.&nbsp;

At the four-hour Urban Affairs hearing, about 40 people testified, none in support of the prison conversion that many worry could exacerbate state prison crowding elsewhere to accommodate the feds’ deportation push.&nbsp;

Many said they were embarrassed. Some choked back tears. Others said they were angry to learn in news reports that the state had invited the Trump administration to consider Nebraska for such a facility.

Not present were members of the Pillen administration, which told the committee in a Thursday letter it would not participate, arguing that the the Judiciary Committee and not the Urban Affairs Committee had the legal jurisdiction and oversight authority to examine the issues at hand.&nbsp;Pillen’s staff did not respond to a request for comment Friday.

McKinney said he plans to ask the Judiciary Committee chair once again to hold a public hearing that he hopes Pillen’s staff would attend.&nbsp;

Kenny Zoeller, Pillen’s policy research director, wrote in the Thursday’s letter that McKinney had wrongly suggested that the future migrant population at the center would trigger an overcrowding of the correctional system. Zoeller wrote that an emergency declaration is required when the prison population systemwide is over 140% of operational capacity. He said the average now is about 115%.

“We have flexibility within our current corrections facilities to accommodate this new mission,” Zoeller wrote.

Spike Eickholt, representing ACLU Nebraska, said Nebraska leaders for a decade have debated what to do about state prison crowding. Currently, Nebraska is building a new $310 million-plus prison in Lincoln.

“Why are we committing to an investment of a new prison while giving up a current one?” he asked.

Other speakers lamented the loss of the Work Ethic Camp’s rehabilitative focus and programming aimed at transitioning criminal offenders for successful re-entry into society.

But most of Friday’s testimony centered on Nebraska’s role in Trump’s push for mass deportations. Pillen has said he is proud to be part of the president’s effort to “make sure we keep our community safe.”

“This stuff hits close to home and hits every corner of this state and country,” the governor has said.

Holly Burns said her grandparents, Jose Flores Arsiaga and Margarita Martinez Arsiaga, farmed in Mitchell, Neb., and raised an extended family that’s part of the state’s rich history and multicultural landscape.

“Are we willing to risk that and be made a joke nationally as the ‘Cornhusker Clink’ — for money that we may or may not get — and that breaks all values of Nebraska?” she asked.

Guillermo Enrique Peña Valladares of Grand Island said he comes from a family of immigrants and that federal enforcement tactics have created anxiety and intimidation even among those legally in the country for generations.

“Should I fear saying my name?” he asked, voice cracking. He said his family works in meatpacking plants and his mom speaks broken English. “Every day we have to ask ourselves, ‘Are we going to be alright?’”

As his family’s first college graduate, Peña said, he felt a responsibility to speak out.

“You are trying to imprison the agricultural hands of Nebraska. They are already battered and bruised,” he said.

Anne Wurth, associate legal director of the Center for Immigrant and Refugee Advancement, said a worry is the “lack of planning” and demeaning behavior by ICE toward migrants.

She said her nonprofit saw it first hand, representing several of the 78 workers detained in the June 10 immigration raid at Omaha’s Glenn Valley Foods. Wurth described, for example, the early 48 hours when some families did not know where relatives were being held and said some wounds went untreated.

“Their goal is to terrorize immigrants,” she said of the federal government. “They continue to demean and dehumanize a population that is integral to the state of Nebraska … We must not do this for them.”

Don Hooper, a retired educator, was among several who decried the politics. He said he does not want “Cornhusker Clink” to join Nebraska’s “good life” and “home of Arbor Day” signs on the highway.

If the facility comes, he said: “It should be named … ‘Pillen’s prison’ in honor of the individual who wants this in Nebraska.”

McKinney said he appreciated a petition opposing the immigration detention center coordinated by Nebraska Appleseed, as it reflected statewide opinions. Appleseed’s Ruby Mendez said the effort collected more than 18,000 signatures from people in nearly 400 Nebraska communities.

Faith Colburn said she drove in from North Platte with concerns about legal and other services that migrants would have available in McCook.&nbsp;

“I’m here representing 50 people,” she said. “Many of them are furious, pissed off grandmas.”

About 650 people also submitted written testimony to the Urban Affairs committee. Because it was for an interim hearing, McKinney said, the correspondence had not been categorized into opponents, proponents or neutral.

In McCook, Miguel and Mayra Camacho said they would not close shop, and hope that business picks up.

The family’s move six years ago from Kansas to the Nebraska community of about 7,200 people was calculated, they said. The area has a Walmart and other key stores that draw residents of surrounding towns.

Their two kids attend local schools, and have felt a sting from the proposed ICE facility. A classmate asked their daughter if she had seen her “new house,” said Camacho.

The small business owners said they are trying to form a group to provide information and support to Latinos in the community. They said they’ve enjoyed the McCook area and their patrons.&nbsp;

The couple rode out the COVID-19 slump, opening the Carniceria’s doors every day. Gesturing toward the empty store and restaurant, Camacho said the plan now is to do the same: “Stay here, protect it, survive.”

He added, ‘If the community tells me I’m not welcome, we’ll move.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757876399224.png" alt=" Miguel and Mayra Camacho, owners of Carniceria mini market and restaurant in McCook, Nebraska, say business has declined sharply in the past month since Gov. Jim Pillen announced that the Work Ethic Camp in town will be converted to an ICE facility under a contract with the Department of Homeland Security. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption> Miguel and Mayra Camacho, owners of Carniceria mini market and restaurant in McCook, Nebraska, say business has declined sharply in the past month since Gov. Jim Pillen announced that the Work Ethic Camp in town will be converted to an ICE facility under a contract with the Department of Homeland Security. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>By:<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/cindygonzalez/">Cindy Gonzalez</a> <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/03/17/lincoln-senators-clash-over-nebraska-school-retirement-bill-as-school-leaders-weigh-in/">Nebraska Examiner</a><h2>Nebraska Corrections officials update McCook leaders on plans</h2>McCOOK, Neb. — Business has slumped at the Carniceria CB mini market and Mexican restaurant, its owners said, since Gov. Jim Pillen’s announcement last month that Nebraska is bringing a federal immigration detention facility to town.Miguel and Mayra Camacho said they’ve heard other area&nbsp;merchants describe similar commercial declines. Some Latinos they know have uprooted from southwest Nebraska, spurred by what the couple believes is fear and uneasiness over an increased ICE presence.“And it’s not even open yet,” said Miguel Camacho, of the facility branded the “Cornhusker Clink” by federal officials. “Of all the 50 states, why here?”<h2>‘People want to know’</h2>Comments the Camachos made this week from their Carniceria — a few miles from where a state prison that holds up to 200 beds is being converted into a 300-bed ICE jail — reflected the sentiment of dozens who spoke against the project during a Friday hearing at the Capitol so full it required an overflow area.The meeting was hosted by the Legislature’s Urban Affairs Committee. Chairman Terrell McKinney of Omaha offered the space after the chair of the Legislature’s Judiciary Committee declined to hold a public hearing, calling the request premature.McKinney, a member of both committees, said that while he had been offered a private briefing by the Pillen administration, he opted for a broader discussion open to the public.He and other committee members said they were concerned about scant information shared about the state-federal plan to repurpose the McCook-based Work Ethic Camp into an ICE detention center for migrants. The state is still trying to relocate the camp’s remaining 155 inmates to different state prisons. Officials said they expect to start housing federal detainees in October.“Our people want to know, and they’re asking,” said State Sen. Victor Rountree of Bellevue, who also sits on both committees.&nbsp;“What happens is that when there’s no information provided, negativity and misinformation run rampant,” said State Sen. Stan Clouse of Kearney, the lone Republican committee member who attended the hearing.On Friday afternoon, the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services issued a statement saying that Corrections Director Rob Jeffreys had spoken Thursday with McCook Mayor Linda Taylor and City Manager Nate Schneider about public safety and community impact.Among the answers Corrections said it provided:<ul>
 <li>The converted ICE detention center will house an adult population with minor criminal records and nonviolent felonies.&nbsp;</li><li>Up to 65 staff positions will be added, all state positions, including additional medical personnel.</li><li>The state is exploring options for electronic translation services to assist non-English speaking detainees.</li><li>A perimeter fence and intruder petition system will be added, as well as armed patrols around the perimeter.</li>
 </ul>A formal contract between Nebraska and the federal government is still being hammered out, Correctional Services officials said.&nbsp;<h2>Four hours of testimony</h2>At the four-hour Urban Affairs hearing, about 40 people testified, none in support of the prison conversion that many worry could exacerbate state prison crowding elsewhere to accommodate the feds’ deportation push.&nbsp;Many said they were embarrassed. Some choked back tears. Others said they were angry to learn in news reports that the state had invited the Trump administration to consider Nebraska for such a facility.Not present were members of the Pillen administration, which told the committee in a Thursday letter it would not participate, arguing that the the Judiciary Committee and not the Urban Affairs Committee had the legal jurisdiction and oversight authority to examine the issues at hand.&nbsp;Pillen’s staff did not respond to a request for comment Friday.McKinney said he plans to ask the Judiciary Committee chair once again to hold a public hearing that he hopes Pillen’s staff would attend.&nbsp;Kenny Zoeller, Pillen’s policy research director, wrote in the Thursday’s letter that McKinney had wrongly suggested that the future migrant population at the center would trigger an overcrowding of the correctional system. Zoeller wrote that an emergency declaration is required when the prison population systemwide is over 140% of operational capacity. He said the average now is about 115%.“We have flexibility within our current corrections facilities to accommodate this new mission,” Zoeller wrote.Spike Eickholt, representing ACLU Nebraska, said Nebraska leaders for a decade have debated what to do about state prison crowding. Currently, Nebraska is building a new $310 million-plus prison in Lincoln.“Why are we committing to an investment of a new prison while giving up a current one?” he asked.Other speakers lamented the loss of the Work Ethic Camp’s rehabilitative focus and programming aimed at transitioning criminal offenders for successful re-entry into society.<h2>Nebraska’s role in deportation</h2>But most of Friday’s testimony centered on Nebraska’s role in Trump’s push for mass deportations. Pillen has said he is proud to be part of the president’s effort to “make sure we keep our community safe.”“This stuff hits close to home and hits every corner of this state and country,” the governor has said.Holly Burns said her grandparents, Jose Flores Arsiaga and Margarita Martinez Arsiaga, farmed in Mitchell, Neb., and raised an extended family that’s part of the state’s rich history and multicultural landscape.“Are we willing to risk that and be made a joke nationally as the ‘Cornhusker Clink’ — for money that we may or may not get — and that breaks all values of Nebraska?” she asked.Guillermo Enrique Peña Valladares of Grand Island said he comes from a family of immigrants and that federal enforcement tactics have created anxiety and intimidation even among those legally in the country for generations.“Should I fear saying my name?” he asked, voice cracking. He said his family works in meatpacking plants and his mom speaks broken English. “Every day we have to ask ourselves, ‘Are we going to be alright?’”As his family’s first college graduate, Peña said, he felt a responsibility to speak out.“You are trying to imprison the agricultural hands of Nebraska. They are already battered and bruised,” he said.Anne Wurth, associate legal director of the Center for Immigrant and Refugee Advancement, said a worry is the “lack of planning” and demeaning behavior by ICE toward migrants.She said her nonprofit saw it first hand, representing several of the 78 workers detained in the June 10 immigration raid at Omaha’s Glenn Valley Foods. Wurth described, for example, the early 48 hours when some families did not know where relatives were being held and said some wounds went untreated.“Their goal is to terrorize immigrants,” she said of the federal government. “They continue to demean and dehumanize a population that is integral to the state of Nebraska … We must not do this for them.”<h2>‘Pissed off grandmas’</h2>Don Hooper, a retired educator, was among several who decried the politics. He said he does not want “Cornhusker Clink” to join Nebraska’s “good life” and “home of Arbor Day” signs on the highway.If the facility comes, he said: “It should be named … ‘Pillen’s prison’ in honor of the individual who wants this in Nebraska.”McKinney said he appreciated a petition opposing the immigration detention center coordinated by Nebraska Appleseed, as it reflected statewide opinions. Appleseed’s Ruby Mendez said the effort collected more than 18,000 signatures from people in nearly 400 Nebraska communities.Faith Colburn said she drove in from North Platte with concerns about legal and other services that migrants would have available in McCook.&nbsp;“I’m here representing 50 people,” she said. “Many of them are furious, pissed off grandmas.”About 650 people also submitted written testimony to the Urban Affairs committee. Because it was for an interim hearing, McKinney said, the correspondence had not been categorized into opponents, proponents or neutral.<h2>Carniceria survival plan&nbsp;</h2>In McCook, Miguel and Mayra Camacho said they would not close shop, and hope that business picks up.The family’s move six years ago from Kansas to the Nebraska community of about 7,200 people was calculated, they said. The area has a Walmart and other key stores that draw residents of surrounding towns.Their two kids attend local schools, and have felt a sting from the proposed ICE facility. A classmate asked their daughter if she had seen her “new house,” said Camacho.The small business owners said they are trying to form a group to provide information and support to Latinos in the community. They said they’ve enjoyed the McCook area and their patrons.&nbsp;The couple rode out the COVID-19 slump, opening the Carniceria’s doors every day. Gesturing toward the empty store and restaurant, Camacho said the plan now is to do the same: “Stay here, protect it, survive.”He added, ‘If the community tells me I’m not welcome, we’ll move.”

Conversion of McCook facility into ICE detention hub draws overflow hearing, statewide concerns

A Special Initiative Roundtable on Catholic Principles, Human Costs, and Pastoral Challenges

This summer, the United States has witnessed families torn apart, communities full of fear, and people afraid to go to church and work because of the threats and realities of deportations on a wide scale. Catholic leaders have been on the frontlines speaking out and standing in solidarity with immigrants, united in a belief in the God-given dignity of all people, and faced with one of the most dramatic disruptions of the U.S. Church’s life in recent decades.

Pope Francis reminded the U.S. Catholic bishops in February 2025 that the “common good is promoted when society and government, with creativity and strict respect for the rights of all… welcomes, protects, promotes and integrates the most fragile, unprotected and vulnerable.”&nbsp;And in recent weeks, Pope Leo XIV has encouraged us to see migrants as “messengers of hope” in a world darkened by ongoing violence and war—a stark contrast to the rhetoric and fear stoked by many politicians.&nbsp;

As bishops and other Catholic leaders uphold these teachings through their public witness, policymakers and the rest of us must seek the common good, find paths to unity and solidarity, and remember that a just society defends the rights and interests of its most vulnerable members. This urgent dialogue brought together Catholic bishops, academic and policy experts, and community leaders to explore how the principles of Catholic social teaching can help us seek a better way forward.&nbsp;

Kim Daniels, director of the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life, moderated the dialogue.

Georgetown UniversityA Special Initiative Roundtable on Catholic Principles, Human Costs, and Pastoral ChallengesThis summer, the United States has witnessed families torn apart, communities full of fear, and people afraid to go to church and work because of the threats and realities of deportations on a wide scale. Catholic leaders have been on the frontlines speaking out and standing in solidarity with immigrants, united in a belief in the God-given dignity of all people, and faced with one of the most dramatic disruptions of the U.S. Church’s life in recent decades.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Mt_J7S38sPU?si=PsgqLQbKSK3o3tan&amp;start=5" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Pope Francis reminded the U.S. Catholic bishops in February 2025 that the “common good is promoted when society and government, with creativity and strict respect for the rights of all… welcomes, protects, promotes and integrates the most fragile, unprotected and vulnerable.”&nbsp;And in recent weeks, Pope Leo XIV has encouraged us to see migrants as “messengers of hope” in a world darkened by ongoing violence and war—a stark contrast to the rhetoric and fear stoked by many politicians.&nbsp;As bishops and other Catholic leaders uphold these teachings through their public witness, policymakers and the rest of us must seek the common good, find paths to unity and solidarity, and remember that a just society defends the rights and interests of its most vulnerable members. This urgent dialogue brought together Catholic bishops, academic and policy experts, and community leaders to explore how the principles of Catholic social teaching can help us seek a better way forward.&nbsp;Kim Daniels, director of the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life, moderated the dialogue.

🎥US Catholic bishops decry immigration raids upending church life

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/hrV8gVIacd">pic.twitter.com/hrV8gVIacd</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1966905599847002299?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">A LETTER SENT BY PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP TO ALL NATO NATIONS AND, THE WORLD: <a href="https://t.co/x5CrJjPgLr">pic.twitter.com/x5CrJjPgLr</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1966846399355732034?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

Read Trump's letter to NATO nations on ‘major sanctions’ for Russia 

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Food and Drug Administration announced sweeping reforms to rein in misleading direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertisements.

The FDA is sending thousands of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/188616/download?attachment">letters</a>&nbsp;warning pharmaceutical companies to remove misleading ads and issuing approximately 100 cease-and-desist letters to companies with deceptive ads.&nbsp;In addition to enforcing existing law, the FDA is initiating rulemaking to close the “adequate provision” loophole created in 1997, which drug companies have used to conceal critical safety risks in broadcast and digital ads, fueling inappropriate drug use and eroding public trust.&nbsp;“Pharmaceutical ads hooked this country on prescription drugs,”&nbsp;

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. said.&nbsp;“We will shut down that pipeline of deception and require drug companies to disclose all critical safety facts in their advertising. Only radical transparency will break the cycle of overmedicalization that drives America’s chronic disease epidemic.”The FDA is concerned patients are not seeing a fair balance of information about drug products. This concern is magnified when serious risks are not clearly presented, or the information is too difficult for seniors to read or hear.&nbsp;

“For far too long, the FDA has permitted misleading drug advertisements, distorting the doctor-patient relationship and creating increased demand for medications regardless of clinical appropriateness,”&nbsp;said&nbsp;FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, M.D., M.P.H.&nbsp;“Drug companies spend up to 25% of their budget on advertising. Those billions of dollars would be better spent on lowering drug prices for everyday Americans.”

Americans also live in a new era of social media. An increasing reliance on digital and social media channels, including undisclosed paid influencer promotion, has blurred the lines among editorial content, user-generated media and pharmaceutical advertising, making it increasingly difficult for patients to distinguish between evidence-based information and promotional material.&nbsp;

A 2024 review in the Journal of Pharmaceutical Health Services Research reveals that while 100% of pharmaceutical social media posts highlight drug benefits, only 33% mention potential harms. Moreover, 88% of advertisements for top-selling drugs are posted by individuals and organizations that fail to adhere to the FDA fair balance guidelines.

The stakes surrounding prescription drug ads are high. While these ads can raise awareness of disease states and beneficial therapies, they must also disclose important risks and limitations. Current law requires that advertisements present a fair balance between a product’s risks and benefits; avoid exaggerating benefits; not create a misleading overall impression; properly disclose financial relationships; and include information regarding major side effects and contraindications.&nbsp;

Despite widespread violations, the FDA has been increasingly lax and reactive in its enforcement approach over the last few decades. The FDA used to send more than a hundred warning letters each year, and misleading ads were rare. But over time, enforcement waned and the number of warning letters sent to pharmaceutical companies dropped to one in 2023 and zero in 2024.

The FDA will no longer tolerate such deceptive practices. Going forward, the agency will aggressively deploy its available enforcement tools. The FDA is already implementing AI and other tech-enabled tools to proactively surveil and review drug ads.

The Trump Administration and HHS Secretary Kennedy are committed to restoring transparency, accountability, and trust in health care. By closing loopholes and stepping up enforcement, the FDA will protect patients, safeguard public health and hold the pharmaceutical industry accountable.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Food and Drug Administration announced sweeping reforms to rein in misleading direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertisements.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757549003301.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>The FDA is sending thousands of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/188616/download?attachment">letters</a>&nbsp;warning pharmaceutical companies to remove misleading ads and issuing approximately 100 cease-and-desist letters to companies with deceptive ads.&nbsp;In addition to enforcing existing law, the FDA is initiating rulemaking to close the “adequate provision” loophole created in 1997, which drug companies have used to conceal critical safety risks in broadcast and digital ads, fueling inappropriate drug use and eroding public trust.&nbsp;“Pharmaceutical ads hooked this country on prescription drugs,”&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">&quot;The President just signed an executive order that&#39;s an historic change in the way that pharmaceutical advertising is done on television,&quot; says <a href="https://twitter.com/SecKennedy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecKennedy</a>. Watch him explain the historic order: <a href="https://t.co/e2VJwUFv3M">pic.twitter.com/e2VJwUFv3M</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1965551393726714155?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 9, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. said.&nbsp;“We will shut down that pipeline of deception and require drug companies to disclose all critical safety facts in their advertising. Only radical transparency will break the cycle of overmedicalization that drives America’s chronic disease epidemic.”The FDA is concerned patients are not seeing a fair balance of information about drug products. This concern is magnified when serious risks are not clearly presented, or the information is too difficult for seniors to read or hear.&nbsp;“For far too long, the FDA has permitted misleading drug advertisements, distorting the doctor-patient relationship and creating increased demand for medications regardless of clinical appropriateness,”&nbsp;said&nbsp;FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, M.D., M.P.H.&nbsp;“Drug companies spend up to 25% of their budget on advertising. Those billions of dollars would be better spent on lowering drug prices for everyday Americans.”Americans also live in a new era of social media. An increasing reliance on digital and social media channels, including undisclosed paid influencer promotion, has blurred the lines among editorial content, user-generated media and pharmaceutical advertising, making it increasingly difficult for patients to distinguish between evidence-based information and promotional material.&nbsp;A 2024 review in the Journal of Pharmaceutical Health Services Research reveals that while 100% of pharmaceutical social media posts highlight drug benefits, only 33% mention potential harms. Moreover, 88% of advertisements for top-selling drugs are posted by individuals and organizations that fail to adhere to the FDA fair balance guidelines.The stakes surrounding prescription drug ads are high. While these ads can raise awareness of disease states and beneficial therapies, they must also disclose important risks and limitations. Current law requires that advertisements present a fair balance between a product’s risks and benefits; avoid exaggerating benefits; not create a misleading overall impression; properly disclose financial relationships; and include information regarding major side effects and contraindications.&nbsp;Despite widespread violations, the FDA has been increasingly lax and reactive in its enforcement approach over the last few decades. The FDA used to send more than a hundred warning letters each year, and misleading ads were rare. But over time, enforcement waned and the number of warning letters sent to pharmaceutical companies dropped to one in 2023 and zero in 2024.The FDA will no longer tolerate such deceptive practices. Going forward, the agency will aggressively deploy its available enforcement tools. The FDA is already implementing AI and other tech-enabled tools to proactively surveil and review drug ads.The Trump Administration and HHS Secretary Kennedy are committed to restoring transparency, accountability, and trust in health care. By closing loopholes and stepping up enforcement, the FDA will protect patients, safeguard public health and hold the pharmaceutical industry accountable.

Read the warning letter FDA sent drugmakers on deceptive TV ads

By:<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/camikoons/">Cami Koons</a>

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced it had improved and expanded its Farm to School Grant program and would invest up to $18 million to connect locally grown food to child nutrition programs.&nbsp;

The Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grants program was initiated in 2013, but according to a news release, the fiscal year 2026 investment represents the “largest total amount” the department has offered in a given year.&nbsp;

The Farm to School Grant announcement was made alongside U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s latest&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2025/09/09/repub/rfk-jr-lists-100-recommendations-to-make-america-healthy-again/" target="_blank">Make America Healthy Again report</a>, which called for more whole, unprocessed foods in children’s diets.

USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins said the grants are “one of the best ways we can deliver nutritious, high-quality meals to children, while also strengthening local agriculture.”&nbsp;

“These grants will open new doors for small family farms, expand access to healthy food in schools, and inspire the next generation of Great American Farmers,” Rollins said in the news release.&nbsp;

State agencies, tribal organizations, child nutrition programs, nonprofits, agricultural producers and groups of producers can apply for grants from $100,000 to $500,000 to support new and existing farm to school projects, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/grant/f2s/fy26?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery" target="_blank">grant website</a>.&nbsp;

Eligible projects are those that: incorporate more unprocessed and locally produced foods in school meals, encourage the consumption of fresh foods, train producers on food safety and procurement requirements or educate students on agriculture and nutrition.

The release from USDA said updates to the program will also streamline the application process, remove barriers to innovation and emphasize partnerships.

“Under President Trump’s leadership, USDA is proud to streamline this program, so it works better for families, farmers, and communities across our nation,” Rollins said in the release. “Putting America’s Farmers First starts with putting our children first.”

According to USDA’s latest&nbsp;<a href="https://farmtoschoolcensus.fns.usda.gov/census-results/states/ia" target="_blank">Farm to School Census</a>, more than 440 Iowa school food authorities, the entities that manage school food service, have participated in the program.

The grants can also be used to support agriculture education at schools through things like ag and nutrition classes, or school gardening programs. According to the census, nearly 50% of Iowa school food authorities had classroom programs and slightly more than 15% of Iowa school food authorities had edible gardens.&nbsp;

According to USDA, Farm to School Grant awards totaled $100 million since 2013.&nbsp;

The millions in Farm to School Grant dollars are significantly less than the billions of dollars that schools and food banks used under a pandemic-era program to support local food purchases.&nbsp;

These programs, Local Food for Schools and Local Food Purchase Assistance, were&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2025/03/11/usda-cuts-programs-bringing-local-food-into-schools-food-banks/" target="_blank">canceled in March</a>&nbsp;after USDA announced in October 2024 over a $1 billion in funds to continue the programs across the country.&nbsp;

Tommy Hexter, the policy director for Iowa Farmers Union, said the new investment from USDA is positive, but said it doesn’t make up for the loss of programs that provided “vital government support” to food farmers and players in the local food system.

Hexter said the canceled programs created relationships between farmers, food hubs, the state department of agriculture, schools and community, that are “fundamental to our food system in Iowa.”

“The first and foremost thing with this announcement is like, yes, let’s see how we can take advantage of this new announcement and make these programs come to Iowa,” Hexter said. “But we also are acknowledging that this investment does not replace the major loss of funding that happened earlier this year.”

This story was originally produced by&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2025/09/11/usda-to-invest-up-to-18-m-in-farm-to-school-grants/" target="_blank">Iowa Capital Dispatch</a>, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network which includes Kansas Reflector, and is supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757765534936.png" alt="USDA announced funding for its Farm to School Grant program. (Photo by Brandon O’Connor, NRCS/USDA )" />
 <figcaption>USDA announced funding for its Farm to School Grant program. (Photo by Brandon O’Connor, NRCS/USDA )</figcaption>
 </figure>By:<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/camikoons/">Cami Koons</a>The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced it had improved and expanded its Farm to School Grant program and would invest up to $18 million to connect locally grown food to child nutrition programs.&nbsp;The Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grants program was initiated in 2013, but according to a news release, the fiscal year 2026 investment represents the “largest total amount” the department has offered in a given year.&nbsp;The Farm to School Grant announcement was made alongside U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s latest&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2025/09/09/repub/rfk-jr-lists-100-recommendations-to-make-america-healthy-again/" target="_blank">Make America Healthy Again report</a>, which called for more whole, unprocessed foods in children’s diets.USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins said the grants are “one of the best ways we can deliver nutritious, high-quality meals to children, while also strengthening local agriculture.”&nbsp;“These grants will open new doors for small family farms, expand access to healthy food in schools, and inspire the next generation of Great American Farmers,” Rollins said in the news release.&nbsp;State agencies, tribal organizations, child nutrition programs, nonprofits, agricultural producers and groups of producers can apply for grants from $100,000 to $500,000 to support new and existing farm to school projects, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/grant/f2s/fy26?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery" target="_blank">grant website</a>.&nbsp;Eligible projects are those that: incorporate more unprocessed and locally produced foods in school meals, encourage the consumption of fresh foods, train producers on food safety and procurement requirements or educate students on agriculture and nutrition.The release from USDA said updates to the program will also streamline the application process, remove barriers to innovation and emphasize partnerships.“Under President Trump’s leadership, USDA is proud to streamline this program, so it works better for families, farmers, and communities across our nation,” Rollins said in the release. “Putting America’s Farmers First starts with putting our children first.”According to USDA’s latest&nbsp;<a href="https://farmtoschoolcensus.fns.usda.gov/census-results/states/ia" target="_blank">Farm to School Census</a>, more than 440 Iowa school food authorities, the entities that manage school food service, have participated in the program.The grants can also be used to support agriculture education at schools through things like ag and nutrition classes, or school gardening programs. According to the census, nearly 50% of Iowa school food authorities had classroom programs and slightly more than 15% of Iowa school food authorities had edible gardens.&nbsp;According to USDA, Farm to School Grant awards totaled $100 million since 2013.&nbsp;The millions in Farm to School Grant dollars are significantly less than the billions of dollars that schools and food banks used under a pandemic-era program to support local food purchases.&nbsp;These programs, Local Food for Schools and Local Food Purchase Assistance, were&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2025/03/11/usda-cuts-programs-bringing-local-food-into-schools-food-banks/" target="_blank">canceled in March</a>&nbsp;after USDA announced in October 2024 over a $1 billion in funds to continue the programs across the country.&nbsp;Tommy Hexter, the policy director for Iowa Farmers Union, said the new investment from USDA is positive, but said it doesn’t make up for the loss of programs that provided “vital government support” to food farmers and players in the local food system.Hexter said the canceled programs created relationships between farmers, food hubs, the state department of agriculture, schools and community, that are “fundamental to our food system in Iowa.”“The first and foremost thing with this announcement is like, yes, let’s see how we can take advantage of this new announcement and make these programs come to Iowa,” Hexter said. “But we also are acknowledging that this investment does not replace the major loss of funding that happened earlier this year.”This story was originally produced by&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2025/09/11/usda-to-invest-up-to-18-m-in-farm-to-school-grants/" target="_blank">Iowa Capital Dispatch</a>, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network which includes Kansas Reflector, and is supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.

USDA to invest up to $18 million in farm to school grants

‘It’s just an awful day for the University of Nebraska, no matter how you look at it,’ says John Shrader, president of UNL Faculty Senate

By:<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/zachwendling/">Zach Wendling</a> <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/03/17/lincoln-senators-clash-over-nebraska-school-retirement-bill-as-school-leaders-weigh-in/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — University of Nebraska-Lincoln administrators mapped out $27.5 million in proposed cuts that faculty say will be “devastating” to a campus that has already endured $75 million in cuts over the past six years.

UNL Chancellor Rodney Bennett<a href="https://budgetprocess.unl.edu/proposed-budget-reductions/" target="_blank">&nbsp;detailed the cuts</a>&nbsp;Friday, including $7.7 million from&nbsp;<a href="https://budgetprocess.unl.edu/faq/" target="_blank">eliminating six degree programs</a>, $5.5 million expected from buyouts for&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/08/08/nu-will-offer-tenured-faculty-buyout-program-to-help-close-budget-gaps/">long-term tenured faculty</a>, $4.6 million from a 1% reduction in&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraska.edu/offices-policies/business-finance/budget-and-planning" target="_blank">state-aided budgets</a>, $3.8 million in “efficiencies” from top administrative offices and four colleges, $2 million from merging four academic departments into two schools and $550,000 less for graduate assistantships.

The plan also seeks “targeted philanthropy” to backfill $2.5 million in mandated tuition remissions, a goal the university hopes to address over the long-term with state lawmakers.

John Shrader, president of UNL’s Faculty Senate, said the timeline to offer feedback on the cuts, by Oct. 10, is tight, and he said the damage could take years for the university to repair, “if ever.”

“The professors and the Extension and staff and students have not caused a $27.5 million deficit, but we’re paying for it,” Shrader told the Nebraska Examiner. “We’re the ones who are going to be deeply impacted.”

He added: “It’s just an awful day for the University of Nebraska, no matter how you look at it.”

Jessie Brophy, president of the UNL Staff Senate and director of external engagement and partnerships at the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, said that while the Staff Senate recognizes the need for the reductions, staff are deeply concerned about the impact.

“We are committed to representing staff perspectives, supporting our colleagues, and maintaining open communication as the process moves forward,” Brophy said in a statement.

Student leaders for the Association of Students of the University of Nebraska and Graduate Student Assembly did not immediately respond to requests Friday for comment.

The academic programs proposed for elimination are:

In the case of the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, which includes geology and meteorology and climatology, “high-performing faculty” may qualify for rehire in other UNL units “to preserve educational pathways and research expertise.”

The Department of Statistics is a stand-alone department. Undergraduate data science degrees in the College of Arts and Sciences and College of Engineering would be retained.

The Departments of Entomology and Plant Pathology would be merged under the proposal, as would the Departments of Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication (ALEC). If approved, faculty from the two units would devise a combined name and plan in the spring.

Additionally, there would be fewer graduate assistantships available in the College of Arts and Sciences ($325,000) and College of Engineering ($225,000).

University officials, keeping in line with a promise by NU President Jeffrey Gold, vowed that any students in eliminated programs —&nbsp;freshman or otherwise — would be able to complete their degrees, though making it happen might require compressed timelines or program modifications.

The cuts also would eliminate the remaining $850,000 in state-aided funding for UNL’s Office of Student Life, which a UNL spokesperson said would likely include a mix of programmatic reductions, operational efficiencies and salary impacts. That total is less than 1% of the office’s total budget, which includes student fees, housing and dining.

The Colleges of Business, Engineering, Fine and Performing Arts and Journalism and Mass Communications would need to find a combined $1.1 million in administrative and staff “efficiencies.”&nbsp;

Bennett’s office, as well as the top academic office and business and finance division, would need to find $2.69 million in unidentified “efficiencies.”

While it’s unclear what these “efficiencies” might look like, some deans have previewed the efforts.

Dean Shari Veil of the College of Journalism told her college that the “efficiencies” will mean fewer electives, some larger class sizes and additional course sections more dependent on demand and waitlists that might determine whether to offer more sections of courses.

While the journalism college faced no proposals to eliminate majors, Veil said the college will still look at revising its curriculum for “stronger connections” across majors and new courses.

“None of these changes will alter our core mission: to nurture curious and creative minds to thrive in the ever-changing media and communication professions,” Veil said in an email Friday.

Dean Andrew Belser of the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts told faculty and staff something Bennett’s announcement did not: that his college will look at combining its two performing arts schools — the Glenn Korff School of Music and Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film — to work more collaboratively under a shared director.

Belser said the reorganization brings new opportunities and the ability to “open the door to exciting new collaborations,” such as joint projects, shared production support and faster integration of emerging media arts.

“While this reorganization is, in part, a necessary response to budgetary realities, it is designed to make our college stronger and help us better prepare students for the 21st-century creative workforce they are entering,” Belser wrote.

Bennett, in a&nbsp;<a href="https://mediahub.unl.edu/media/25597" target="_blank">video message</a>&nbsp;Friday to the campus, said that while UNL and the broader NU system offer a significant return on investment —&nbsp;estimated at $10 for every $1 — UNL has faced declining revenues. That includes net tuition, fewer state funds than anticipated and sharply rising costs for utilities, health care, property and liability insurance.

He said UNL’s structural deficit has “compounded over time” with the latest plan meant to “help safeguard against repetitive budget reduction cycles” by eliminating the $21 million deficit but also finding $6.5 million more to trim.

Leslie Reed, UNL’s public affairs director, described the additional cuts as “proactive reductions to better position UNL for the future, so it can break out of this cycle of budget cutting.”

“I am hopeful this work will allow UNL more time to implement long-term strategies for financial sustainability,” Bennett said.

Reed said she was unaware how much of UNL’s cuts are meant to help NU with a systemwide $20 million deficit, which Gold has acknowledged would prove “<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/09/04/nu-president-budget-cuts-incredibly-painful-but-necessary-for-university-survival/">incredibly painful</a>.”

Since late June 2020, UNL has weathered $75 million in cuts. Bennett joined UNL in&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/06/22/university-of-nebraska-president-details-five-point-plan-to-get-nu-back-on-offense/">July 2023</a>.

Bennett said he appreciates the “sacrifices” many UNL community members have made, including repeatedly being asked to do more with less, which he acknowledged is unsustainable. But the chancellor, whose contract is currently slated to expire at the end of this fiscal year, said now is the time “to boldly reimagine our future.”

Top campus leaders evaluated programs and campus areas on quantitative and qualitative data, Bennett said. A university website says the data included program strengths, state needs and workforce alignment.

The metrics also had an eye toward a long-term goal to have UNL rejoin the prestigious Association of American Universities, Shrader said. UNL was voted out in 2011 after 100 years as a member.

The AAU particularly praises research and research funding, with campus leaders looking at awards, book publications, citations, unit growth and more.

Shrader, an associate professor in broadcasting and sports media and communications who joined UNL in 2017 said he worries for students and noted that while state leaders repeatedly say they want a Big Ten, Research 1 (R1), first-class university, investments have lagged behind, sometimes at the level of “uninvestment” or disinvestment, he explained.

“We need investment to make this a first-class university, and every year we don’t do that, we slip a little farther behind,” Shrader said.

Part of the budget deficit for NU as a whole also comes as state appropriations have slowed under Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen, who took office in 2023 after serving as an NU regent for a decade.

Pillen has been harder on his alma mater, proposing this January to cut NU’s budget by 2% in the first year of a two-year budget cycle. The NU Board of Regents had requested a 3.5% budget increase in each of the two fiscal years.

In the end,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/04/08/legislative-committee-reverses-cuts-to-university-of-nebraska-budget/">negotiations</a>&nbsp;between Gold and Pillen and legislative will landed at a smaller 0.625% increase this current fiscal year and a 1.25% increase on top of that slower-growing total the following year.

Reed did not answer a reporter’s question on what steps Bennett has taken to engage with state leaders or philanthropic donors, endeavors Gold has been more public about.&nbsp;

Bennett told the Examiner in 2023 he had been accustomed to&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/06/05/unl-chancellor-candidate-previews-research-economic-development-vision-for-nebraska/">being at the Mississippi Capitol</a>&nbsp;about three days a week during its legislative session while he led the University of Southern Mississippi. He had suggested he would do the same in Lincoln.

Reed did not directly answer the Examiner’s question of whether Bennett would seek a contract extension before his&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraska.edu/-/media/projects/unca/docs/transparency/contracts/rodney-bennett-contract-of-employment.pdf" target="_blank">contract expires June 30</a>. She said Bennett is committed to leading UNL “toward new levels of excellence well into the future.”

“He expects to continue to serve as long as he is called upon,” Reed said.

Sarah Zuckerman, an associate professor of education administration and president of the UNL chapter of the American Association of University Professors, urged campus leaders and regents to reject Bennett’s plan, which she called “extremely short-sighted.”

“They don’t take into account the long-term consequences of closing programs and letting faculty go who are uniquely valuable to the state of Nebraska,” Zuckerman said.

Many faculty speaking to the Examiner also questioned what happens if fewer than expected tenured faculty take the voluntary separation package. Faculty aged 62 or older who have been with NU for at least 10 are eligible. The&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraska.edu/offices-policies/business-finance/human-resources/2025-vsip" target="_blank">deadline to apply is Sept. 30</a>.

Most faculty and staff received no pay increases this year due to budget cuts and because UNL has no employee unions, unlike faculty in Omaha and Kearney.

Bennett encouraged the UNL community to offer feedback on the budget reduction plan to UNL’s Academic Planning Committee, an internal working group that includes faculty, staff and students. Feedback is due Oct. 10 and is expected to include public hearings.

The chair of that committee declined to comment Friday and directed questions to Reed.

“We have the opportunity to set the stage for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s next 155 years, and your voice in shaping our future matters,” Bennett said.

Shrader said that while UNL is not a big university, it has a “nice, hard-working community here that impacts the State of Nebraska as much as or more than any other institution in the state.”

“When you do things like this, it can be nothing but detrimental to all of us,” Shrader said. “It can be nothing but a negative impact on every single one of us.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757765849652.png" alt="University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chancellor Rodney Bennett speaks to Nebraska lawmakers on his campus. Dec. 7, 2023. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chancellor Rodney Bennett speaks to Nebraska lawmakers on his campus. Dec. 7, 2023. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>‘It’s just an awful day for the University of Nebraska, no matter how you look at it,’ says John Shrader, president of UNL Faculty Senate</h2>By:<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/zachwendling/">Zach Wendling</a> <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/03/17/lincoln-senators-clash-over-nebraska-school-retirement-bill-as-school-leaders-weigh-in/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — University of Nebraska-Lincoln administrators mapped out $27.5 million in proposed cuts that faculty say will be “devastating” to a campus that has already endured $75 million in cuts over the past six years.UNL Chancellor Rodney Bennett<a href="https://budgetprocess.unl.edu/proposed-budget-reductions/" target="_blank">&nbsp;detailed the cuts</a>&nbsp;Friday, including $7.7 million from&nbsp;<a href="https://budgetprocess.unl.edu/faq/" target="_blank">eliminating six degree programs</a>, $5.5 million expected from buyouts for&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/08/08/nu-will-offer-tenured-faculty-buyout-program-to-help-close-budget-gaps/">long-term tenured faculty</a>, $4.6 million from a 1% reduction in&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraska.edu/offices-policies/business-finance/budget-and-planning" target="_blank">state-aided budgets</a>, $3.8 million in “efficiencies” from top administrative offices and four colleges, $2 million from merging four academic departments into two schools and $550,000 less for graduate assistantships.The plan also seeks “targeted philanthropy” to backfill $2.5 million in mandated tuition remissions, a goal the university hopes to address over the long-term with state lawmakers.<h2>‘An awful day’</h2>John Shrader, president of UNL’s Faculty Senate, said the timeline to offer feedback on the cuts, by Oct. 10, is tight, and he said the damage could take years for the university to repair, “if ever.”“The professors and the Extension and staff and students have not caused a $27.5 million deficit, but we’re paying for it,” Shrader told the Nebraska Examiner. “We’re the ones who are going to be deeply impacted.”He added: “It’s just an awful day for the University of Nebraska, no matter how you look at it.”Jessie Brophy, president of the UNL Staff Senate and director of external engagement and partnerships at the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, said that while the Staff Senate recognizes the need for the reductions, staff are deeply concerned about the impact.“We are committed to representing staff perspectives, supporting our colleagues, and maintaining open communication as the process moves forward,” Brophy said in a statement.Student leaders for the Association of Students of the University of Nebraska and Graduate Student Assembly did not immediately respond to requests Friday for comment.<h2>Proposed cuts</h2>The academic programs proposed for elimination are:<ul>
 <li><a href="https://cehs.unl.edu/edad/home/" target="_blank">Department of Educational Administration</a>&nbsp;($1.95 million, 17 positions)</li><li><a href="https://eas.unl.edu/" target="_blank">Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences</a>&nbsp;($1.85 million, 12 positions)</li><li><a href="https://statistics.unl.edu/" target="_blank">Department of Statistics</a>&nbsp;($1.75 million, 12 positions)</li><li><a href="https://cehs.unl.edu/tmfd/home/" target="_blank">Department of Textiles, Merchandising and Fashion Design</a>&nbsp;($1.45 million, 11 positions)</li><li><a href="https://architecture.unl.edu/degree-programs/community-regional-planning/" target="_blank">Community and Regional Planning degree programs</a>&nbsp;($475,000, four positions)</li><li><a href="https://architecture.unl.edu/degree-programs/landscape-architecture/" target="_blank">Landscape Architecture degree programs</a>&nbsp;($225,000, two positions)</li>
 </ul>In the case of the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, which includes geology and meteorology and climatology, “high-performing faculty” may qualify for rehire in other UNL units “to preserve educational pathways and research expertise.”The Department of Statistics is a stand-alone department. Undergraduate data science degrees in the College of Arts and Sciences and College of Engineering would be retained.The Departments of Entomology and Plant Pathology would be merged under the proposal, as would the Departments of Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication (ALEC). If approved, faculty from the two units would devise a combined name and plan in the spring.Additionally, there would be fewer graduate assistantships available in the College of Arts and Sciences ($325,000) and College of Engineering ($225,000).University officials, keeping in line with a promise by NU President Jeffrey Gold, vowed that any students in eliminated programs —&nbsp;freshman or otherwise — would be able to complete their degrees, though making it happen might require compressed timelines or program modifications.The cuts also would eliminate the remaining $850,000 in state-aided funding for UNL’s Office of Student Life, which a UNL spokesperson said would likely include a mix of programmatic reductions, operational efficiencies and salary impacts. That total is less than 1% of the office’s total budget, which includes student fees, housing and dining.The Colleges of Business, Engineering, Fine and Performing Arts and Journalism and Mass Communications would need to find a combined $1.1 million in administrative and staff “efficiencies.”&nbsp;Bennett’s office, as well as the top academic office and business and finance division, would need to find $2.69 million in unidentified “efficiencies.”<h2>An eye toward ‘efficiencies’</h2>While it’s unclear what these “efficiencies” might look like, some deans have previewed the efforts.Dean Shari Veil of the College of Journalism told her college that the “efficiencies” will mean fewer electives, some larger class sizes and additional course sections more dependent on demand and waitlists that might determine whether to offer more sections of courses.While the journalism college faced no proposals to eliminate majors, Veil said the college will still look at revising its curriculum for “stronger connections” across majors and new courses.“None of these changes will alter our core mission: to nurture curious and creative minds to thrive in the ever-changing media and communication professions,” Veil said in an email Friday.Dean Andrew Belser of the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts told faculty and staff something Bennett’s announcement did not: that his college will look at combining its two performing arts schools — the Glenn Korff School of Music and Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film — to work more collaboratively under a shared director.Belser said the reorganization brings new opportunities and the ability to “open the door to exciting new collaborations,” such as joint projects, shared production support and faster integration of emerging media arts.“While this reorganization is, in part, a necessary response to budgetary realities, it is designed to make our college stronger and help us better prepare students for the 21st-century creative workforce they are entering,” Belser wrote.<h2>Long-term fix sought</h2>Bennett, in a&nbsp;<a href="https://mediahub.unl.edu/media/25597" target="_blank">video message</a>&nbsp;Friday to the campus, said that while UNL and the broader NU system offer a significant return on investment —&nbsp;estimated at $10 for every $1 — UNL has faced declining revenues. That includes net tuition, fewer state funds than anticipated and sharply rising costs for utilities, health care, property and liability insurance.He said UNL’s structural deficit has “compounded over time” with the latest plan meant to “help safeguard against repetitive budget reduction cycles” by eliminating the $21 million deficit but also finding $6.5 million more to trim.Leslie Reed, UNL’s public affairs director, described the additional cuts as “proactive reductions to better position UNL for the future, so it can break out of this cycle of budget cutting.”“I am hopeful this work will allow UNL more time to implement long-term strategies for financial sustainability,” Bennett said.Reed said she was unaware how much of UNL’s cuts are meant to help NU with a systemwide $20 million deficit, which Gold has acknowledged would prove “<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/09/04/nu-president-budget-cuts-incredibly-painful-but-necessary-for-university-survival/">incredibly painful</a>.”Since late June 2020, UNL has weathered $75 million in cuts. Bennett joined UNL in&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/06/22/university-of-nebraska-president-details-five-point-plan-to-get-nu-back-on-offense/">July 2023</a>.Bennett said he appreciates the “sacrifices” many UNL community members have made, including repeatedly being asked to do more with less, which he acknowledged is unsustainable. But the chancellor, whose contract is currently slated to expire at the end of this fiscal year, said now is the time “to boldly reimagine our future.”<h2>Future investment</h2>Top campus leaders evaluated programs and campus areas on quantitative and qualitative data, Bennett said. A university website says the data included program strengths, state needs and workforce alignment.The metrics also had an eye toward a long-term goal to have UNL rejoin the prestigious Association of American Universities, Shrader said. UNL was voted out in 2011 after 100 years as a member.The AAU particularly praises research and research funding, with campus leaders looking at awards, book publications, citations, unit growth and more.Shrader, an associate professor in broadcasting and sports media and communications who joined UNL in 2017 said he worries for students and noted that while state leaders repeatedly say they want a Big Ten, Research 1 (R1), first-class university, investments have lagged behind, sometimes at the level of “uninvestment” or disinvestment, he explained.“We need investment to make this a first-class university, and every year we don’t do that, we slip a little farther behind,” Shrader said.<h2>Executive, legislative fights</h2>Part of the budget deficit for NU as a whole also comes as state appropriations have slowed under Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen, who took office in 2023 after serving as an NU regent for a decade.Pillen has been harder on his alma mater, proposing this January to cut NU’s budget by 2% in the first year of a two-year budget cycle. The NU Board of Regents had requested a 3.5% budget increase in each of the two fiscal years.In the end,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/04/08/legislative-committee-reverses-cuts-to-university-of-nebraska-budget/">negotiations</a>&nbsp;between Gold and Pillen and legislative will landed at a smaller 0.625% increase this current fiscal year and a 1.25% increase on top of that slower-growing total the following year.Reed did not answer a reporter’s question on what steps Bennett has taken to engage with state leaders or philanthropic donors, endeavors Gold has been more public about.&nbsp;Bennett told the Examiner in 2023 he had been accustomed to&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/06/05/unl-chancellor-candidate-previews-research-economic-development-vision-for-nebraska/">being at the Mississippi Capitol</a>&nbsp;about three days a week during its legislative session while he led the University of Southern Mississippi. He had suggested he would do the same in Lincoln.Reed did not directly answer the Examiner’s question of whether Bennett would seek a contract extension before his&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraska.edu/-/media/projects/unca/docs/transparency/contracts/rodney-bennett-contract-of-employment.pdf" target="_blank">contract expires June 30</a>. She said Bennett is committed to leading UNL “toward new levels of excellence well into the future.”“He expects to continue to serve as long as he is called upon,” Reed said.<h2>‘Long-term consequences’</h2>Sarah Zuckerman, an associate professor of education administration and president of the UNL chapter of the American Association of University Professors, urged campus leaders and regents to reject Bennett’s plan, which she called “extremely short-sighted.”“They don’t take into account the long-term consequences of closing programs and letting faculty go who are uniquely valuable to the state of Nebraska,” Zuckerman said.Many faculty speaking to the Examiner also questioned what happens if fewer than expected tenured faculty take the voluntary separation package. Faculty aged 62 or older who have been with NU for at least 10 are eligible. The&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraska.edu/offices-policies/business-finance/human-resources/2025-vsip" target="_blank">deadline to apply is Sept. 30</a>.Most faculty and staff received no pay increases this year due to budget cuts and because UNL has no employee unions, unlike faculty in Omaha and Kearney.<h2>‘Set the stage’</h2>Bennett encouraged the UNL community to offer feedback on the budget reduction plan to UNL’s Academic Planning Committee, an internal working group that includes faculty, staff and students. Feedback is due Oct. 10 and is expected to include public hearings.The chair of that committee declined to comment Friday and directed questions to Reed.“We have the opportunity to set the stage for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s next 155 years, and your voice in shaping our future matters,” Bennett said.Shrader said that while UNL is not a big university, it has a “nice, hard-working community here that impacts the State of Nebraska as much as or more than any other institution in the state.”“When you do things like this, it can be nothing but detrimental to all of us,” Shrader said. “It can be nothing but a negative impact on every single one of us.”

UNL proposes $27.5 million in ‘devastating’ cuts, six program areas for elimination

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757689066912.png" alt="Tyler Robinson-photo released by the Utah Governor's Office" />
 <figcaption>Tyler Robinson-photo released by the Utah Governor's Office</figcaption>
 </figure><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Utah <a href="https://twitter.com/GovCox?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GovCox</a>: &quot;We got him. On the evening of September 11th, a family member of Tyler Robinson reached out to a family friend who contacted the Washington County Sheriff&#39;s office with information that Robinson had confessed to them or implied that he had committed the incident.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/qULwsRRfBX">pic.twitter.com/qULwsRRfBX</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1966507038269137063?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 12, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;Essentially, somebody that was very close to him turned him in.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/JB9H7yTs5C">https://t.co/JB9H7yTs5C</a> <a href="https://t.co/TMCwKbfH2m">pic.twitter.com/TMCwKbfH2m</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1966474851809403193?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 12, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;I hope he gets the death penalty.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/JB9H7yTs5C">https://t.co/JB9H7yTs5C</a> <a href="https://t.co/iLXw6XXiAE">pic.twitter.com/iLXw6XXiAE</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1966475601268601320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 12, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥New details on capture of Charlie Kirk murder suspect

’Honestly, it’s not for everyone’ tagline earned awards but also detractors as a ‘mockery’

LINCOLN – John Ricks, the state tourism director who deployed the edgy and controversial marketing pitch “Nebraska. Honestly, it’s not for everyone,” has resigned.

Ricks, who was paid $133,838-a-year, could not immediately be reached for comment. His resignation was accepted Thursday by the State Tourism Commission, which has since appointed Deputy Director Heather Hogue as interim executive director, as was reported first by the Nebraska Rural Radio Network.

While Ricks got mixed reviews on the tourism pitch, an official with the Nebraska Travel Association said he played a key role in helping increase tourism in the state, citing a 26.4% growth rate in state lodging taxes from 2019-2022 compared to only 2.5% nationally.

“Ricks is to be commended for putting Nebraska on the tourism map,” said Kerri Rempp, president of the state travel association.

Hired in 2016 by then Gov. Pete Ricketts, Ricks had worked as an associate director in Colorado’s state tourism office before taking the Nebraska job. His hiring was touted as bringing a fresh perspective to a state that had been rated by one group as the “least likely” for tourists to visit.

That led to the new “Nebraska: Honestly, it’s not for everyone” marketing pitch, which included advertising emphasizing off-beat adventures in Nebraska, from floating down a river in a horse tank to hop-scotching across Badlands-like formations in Toadstool Park.

The self-deprecating pitch grabbed national attention, and, in 2022, won a national award for best integrated marketing and messaging. According to the State Tourism Commission, it also raised Nebraska’s tourism profile from last to 45th.

But some state leaders, including Gov. Jim Pillen and then Nebraska Department of Economic Development Director Tony Goins, disliked the motto, which was coined by a marketing firm from Colorado. Goins said it “made a mockery” of the DED’s pitchline for new residents: “The Good Life is Calling.”

By 2024, the “not for everyone” tagline was dropped by the Tourism Commission and state legislators passed a bill seeking to better coordinate marketing pitches between the independent commission, also known as “Visit Nebraska” and state economic development officials.

The Nebraska Travel Association, in a press release this week, urged the State Tourism Commission to “act swiftly” to replace Ricks.

The tourism agency is funded by lodging taxes paid on motel and hotel bills. Its budget this year is $10.1 million to promote an industry that generates $4.5 billion in spending annually and supports over 41,000 jobs throughout Nebraska.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757679920780.png" alt="Nebraska tourism swag featured the now-dropped tagline, “Nebraska: Honestly, it’s not for everyone.”(Courtesy of Visit Nebraska)" />
 <figcaption>Nebraska tourism swag featured the now-dropped tagline, “Nebraska: Honestly, it’s not for everyone.”(Courtesy of Visit Nebraska)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>’Honestly, it’s not for everyone’ tagline earned awards but also detractors as a ‘mockery’</h2>Paul Hammel <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/04/07/wall-of-shame-still-used-by-nebraska-to-convince-delinquent-taxpayers-to-pay-up/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN – John Ricks, the state tourism director who deployed the edgy and controversial marketing pitch “Nebraska. Honestly, it’s not for everyone,” has resigned.Ricks, who was paid $133,838-a-year, could not immediately be reached for comment. His resignation was accepted Thursday by the State Tourism Commission, which has since appointed Deputy Director Heather Hogue as interim executive director, as was reported first by the Nebraska Rural Radio Network.While Ricks got mixed reviews on the tourism pitch, an official with the Nebraska Travel Association said he played a key role in helping increase tourism in the state, citing a 26.4% growth rate in state lodging taxes from 2019-2022 compared to only 2.5% nationally.“Ricks is to be commended for putting Nebraska on the tourism map,” said Kerri Rempp, president of the state travel association.Hired in 2016 by then Gov. Pete Ricketts, Ricks had worked as an associate director in Colorado’s state tourism office before taking the Nebraska job. His hiring was touted as bringing a fresh perspective to a state that had been rated by one group as the “least likely” for tourists to visit.That led to the new “Nebraska: Honestly, it’s not for everyone” marketing pitch, which included advertising emphasizing off-beat adventures in Nebraska, from floating down a river in a horse tank to hop-scotching across Badlands-like formations in Toadstool Park.The self-deprecating pitch grabbed national attention, and, in 2022, won a national award for best integrated marketing and messaging. According to the State Tourism Commission, it also raised Nebraska’s tourism profile from last to 45th.But some state leaders, including Gov. Jim Pillen and then Nebraska Department of Economic Development Director Tony Goins, disliked the motto, which was coined by a marketing firm from Colorado. Goins said it “made a mockery” of the DED’s pitchline for new residents: “The Good Life is Calling.”By 2024, the “not for everyone” tagline was dropped by the Tourism Commission and state legislators passed a bill seeking to better coordinate marketing pitches between the independent commission, also known as “Visit Nebraska” and state economic development officials.The Nebraska Travel Association, in a press release this week, urged the State Tourism Commission to “act swiftly” to replace Ricks.The tourism agency is funded by lodging taxes paid on motel and hotel bills. Its budget this year is $10.1 million to promote an industry that generates $4.5 billion in spending annually and supports over 41,000 jobs throughout Nebraska.