Aug. 13 | Another independent candidate, new party cases

From the Nebraska Public Media Newsroom, this is the Nebraska update. Coming up, another independent candidate clears a signature hurdle to make it onto the general election ballot. Plus, increasing volatility in sky high prices and agriculture are making it a tough time for the next generation to take over. Just look at the price of machinery, you know, and the economies of scale it takes. to be successful. Those stories just ahead. I'm Jackie Arata. It's Thursday, August 13th. On this day in 2021, then NU regent, Jim Pillon, introduced a resolution to the Board of Regents that sought to prohibit the imposition of critical race theory. It was voted down five to three. Five years later, the regents will be meeting again on August 13th, but this time to discuss how to address NU's budget constraints. amid statewide budget chops under Governor Jim Pillen. The news is next. Vision shapes the future. Thanks to the family of Inez and Jim Doc Boyd for supporting the Ron Hull Studio. Their transformational gift fosters innovation and connection across Nebraska. Nebraska Public Media thanks the Boyd family for their generous investment. A Wednesday court hearing about efforts to keep two newly formed political parties off the ballot did not result in a decision. Nebraska Democrats are challenging the Working People Party and Republicans are challenging the America First Party. Both are suing Secretary of State Bob Evnan over his intent to certify those parties and allow them to select candidates for the November ballot. And both say those new parties are spoilers intended to confuse voters. But Jason Graham's, the attorney representing the America First Party, had this to say about that allegation. The idea that somehow the Nebraska Republican Party owns the phrase America First or owns conservative issues or conservatism itself is wrong. There will be another hearing next Monday in both cases. Evanan asked the judge to make a final ruling by August 20th. Independent candidate Mark Cohen is joining the crowded race for Nebraska's third congressional district. The Nebraska Secretary of State's office said Wednesday that Cohen turned in enough signatures to get his name on the November ballot. The Air Force veteran and former assistant U.S. attorney joins incumbent Republican Adrian Smith, Democratic candidate Becky Kelly Stilly, and legal marijuana now candidate David Else. Macy Budke is running a write-in campaign. Nebraska's federal delegation discussed many topics around Nebraska's future at the federal legislative summit in Ashland on Wednesday. Noel Annanin reports that chief among them was affordability, particularly around housing. Representatives like Congressman Mike Flood, who represents Nebraska's first congressional district, pointed out legislation in the works to help residents. The home that used to cost 275 in Columbus, Nebraska, stick built on site is now $415,000. and dad are both working and they're doing overtime. They can't afford it. Flood pointed to the 21st century Road to Housing Act as a moment of bipartisanship in D.C.

The bill broadens funding opportunities for housing and loosens regulation around its construction. Representatives say the bill will help make housing more affordable for Nebraska's housing market is generally well below national averages. Rent for one-bedroom apartments has spiked by 40% over the last five years. Reporting from Ashland, I'm Noelle Annen, Nebraska Public Media. China and its potential effects on the United States was another topic of conversation at the summit. When asked about AI, in data center development in Nebraska. Senator Pete Ricketts said any negative press on the subject comes from China. This is strategic, he says. These data centers are going to be a national security issue. Communist China thinks they can beat us with AI, and we're going to need data centers to make sure we stay ahead of Communist China. This is how Communist China wants to beat us militarily. So we're going to need AI and data centers to be able to compete on that field with Communist China. Congressman Adrian Smith and Mike Flood agreed with Pete Ricketts that AI is a future and that Nebraska should not stand in the way of it. This comes after more than a dozen Nebraska counties have approved or are on their way to approving data center moratoriums. Pete Ricketts hopes new federal legislation could help speed up response time when wildfires ignite. Pete Ricketts introduced the Prepare Act this month that would specifically help an early wildfire preparation earlier in the year. Nebraska has increasingly seen large wildfires develop outside of what used to be the regular wildfire season, late summer and the fall. This year, two large wildfires tore through Western and Central Nebraska in March. Nebraska's state forester endorsed the legislation, saying the investment in aerial firefighting can help before wildfire conditions become critical. Some K-12 schools in Nebraska are finding ways to use artificial intelligence to support teachers and students in the classroom. Jolie-Piel reports that education leaders say it shouldn't replace learning, though. When the calculator came around, Adam Larson, who works for an Omaha area educational service unit, says the focus turned to making sure students had a foundation for math. The rise of AI is similar. In education, we're working on keeping the teachers. and students focused on that foundational learning that they need to do so that they can take those next steps and get better at the thing and be able to use AI. Larson says for schools that are using AI, it's important to make sure the teacher is still the one doing the teaching. You can read more about our AI and education series at Nebraska Public Media.org slash news. I'm Jolie Peel, Nebraska Public Media News. The University of Nebraska Board of Regents will consider cutting several degrees across its main campuses at its meeting Thursday. The two proposed U&L degree cuts are degrees in ethnic studies and insect science.

The other proposals include cutting two medical certificates at UNMC, a PE science and long-term care management master's degrees at UNK, and one business certificate in two master's degree programs at UNO. Agenda materials show that the UNL, UNK, and UNMC cuts will have no effect on the budget, while the cuts at UNO will save about $42,000. The city of Omaha came one step closer to approving the proposed $1.7 billion 2020-27 budget this week. Jessica Wade has more from Omaha residents and council members on the proposed spending. Several non-profit leaders spoke in support of the Community Service Fund, which would allocate $3.6 million to more than 40 community programs. Among the speakers was Jason Fieldhouse, Executive Director of Threshold COC. From food pantries to youth services all the way to those that are actually serving our homeless population is an amazing show of the generosity of the city, generosity of the mayor, their staff, and hopefully the city council. Others called for a decrease in the city's tax levy, increased public transportation options, and infrastructure for biking. A handful of speakers criticized an increase in the Omaha Police Department budget. Reporting from downtown Omaha, I'm Jessica Wade, Nebraska, Public Media News.

In the U.S., farming is often a legacy business. One generation passes the farm onto the next, but a difficult agricultural economy is making that transition harder. Harvest Public Media's to Dale Ruiz Sandoval reports how steep costs and economic uncertainty are impacting farm succession plans. I see that? I brought my shoes up here. Mike Langseth, a North Dakota farmer, is showing me around his home, which has stood for more than a hundred years. His great-great-grandfather built a home, and his family has cared for it ever since. Every generation has had to do some sort of a fairly serious remodel and make it theirs. His farming journey mirrors his family home, with each generation adding their touch. Langseth became the farm's owner three years ago after a long period of taking on more responsibility for its expenses. Every time it stepped up to a bigger percentage of the farm, it was always a little bit of a financial stretch to have that money. to operate on a bigger scale. Same thing when it came time to start buying the machinery. All of a sudden, that felt like a stretch. It was like, whoa, okay. No, I've got to do that. And Langsith took over his farm at a tough moment for the ag economy. Shifting trade policies and supply chain disruptions have raised the price of gas, machinery, fertilizer, and other operating expenses. Wesley Tucker Carlson, a farm and ranch transition specialist at the University of Missouri, says that's partly motivating more farmers to hand off ownership to the next generation. Still, it can be a heart of the industry to break into. In general, the amount of capital it takes to farm today, land is a big part of that. We just look at the price of machinery, you know, and the economies of scale it takes. to be successful. John Shoup is an attorney and director of the Indiana Agricultural Law Foundation. He says the challenging economic situation means younger farmers have to be increasingly nimble. The volatility has created more of a business-like approach to the farm. And Shoup says because these transitions are happening between family members, it's typically a very involved process emotionally and financially. In West Minnesota, Andy Meyer is a few years away from taking over the family farm, which grows sugar beets, corn, soybeans, and more. To do so, he has to buy out his dad and uncle. And for that to happen, the farm has to do well. I don't have like a big savings account somewhere. It's all pretty much tied up in the business. So, like, the extra money that we make, if we have a good year, it just stays here.

and gets reinvested. And lately, good years have been hard to come by. For example, Meyer remembers when crop prices fell in 2018. A lot of people, even in his neighborhood, quit farming altogether. People my age, they had a college degree. Why am I out here working real hard and not gaining anything when I could just go to town and get a... decent job at a bank or at a wherever doing something much easier, much less stressful, and make a decent living for my family. For my year, it's rewarding to keep the farm going, taking crops from planting to harvest each year. But it's more than that. It isn't like the work of a day. It's the work of several years. decades, generations. It's a bittersweet time for his father, Rick Meyer, as he prepares to pass on the family farm. Even though he won't own it soon, he says he'll always worry about the farm's future. And the heritage or whatever you want to call it of 100 years, I don't want that to go away. Hopefully it makes 200 or whatever. And Rick Meyer says he'll be there to help his son Andy as he makes the farm his own. I'm Taddeo Ruizandoval, Harvest Public Media. This story is a part of tough times, a Harvest Public Media series looking at the economic stress that many American farmers are facing. Harvest Public Media is a collaboration of public media newsrooms in the Midwest and the Great Plains, including Nebraska Public Media. The Nebraska Update is Nebraska Public Media's Daily News Podcast. Follow wherever you listen, so you never miss an update. And make sure to share your story ideas and news tips with us online at Nebraskapublicmedia.org slash news tip. This episode was produced by Andy Herman with music from KJ. Tedder. I'm your host, Jackie Arenda. History has a way of repeating itself. The years and headlines change, but the questions don't. Join us to connect the past to today's conversations about politics, farming, food, and justice. Once again, a podcast from Nebraska Public Media.