I write you today from a Delta flight currently somewhere above Iowa. We’re on our way to a long weekend in New York City, where on Monday I’ll turn 46, also known as halfway to 92.
Time stops for no one, not even the editor. Neither does the news. We have six stories for you. Let’s dive in.
The practice of quite literally fighting fire with fire is a move as old as time, but during a drought-marred 2026 that practice — known as a prescribed burn — also stirs serious controversy in parts of Nebraska.
Today, Flatwater’s Anila Yoganathan writes about these burns, which have both tamed wildfires and started at least one already this year.
The Great Pizza Debate: If you’re an Omahan, the neon Peppi sign pictured at the top of this newsletter may spark deep feelings of devotion or despair. (It makes me feel hungry … where are my complimentary in-flight Sun Chips?)
Venerable Nebraska food writer Sarah Baker Hansen, who is currently hogging our shared armrest, tells the tale of the debate over La Casa’s signature “Omaha-style” pizza. She also delves into its creation story, starring a carpenter who came to Omaha from Sicily and then, 73 years ago, opened a family restaurant that’s surviving and thriving today.
Going hungry in Lincoln:Sometimes, a story holds up a mirror. It has its readers look into that mirror and consider our shared reflection. It asks: Is this who we are? Is this who we want to be?
I think that’s true of an important story that Flatwater Lincoln reporter Emily Wolf wrote this week, a story I suggest you read.
Not long ago, Abdullah worked for the American military in Afghanistan. He fled the Taliban with his family of 10. The family landed in Lincoln, as so many refugees have in the past half century. And like so many, Abdullah was filled with hope, the promise of a better life.
Now, following new restrictions on a government food program, Abdullah’s hope is tempered by a sobering question he must ask himself each day: How will I put food on the table tomorrow?
Hanta huh? One of the many and varied services we provide you, dear reader, is a series called Flatwater Explains. As the name implies, it explains things and attempts to answer some Nebraska questions you may have.
Destiny Herbers does just that this week in her Flatwater Explains that answers the question, “Why are these hantavirus patients all landing in Nebraska, anyway?”
The Kearney scandal that keeps going: Earlier this week, Sara Gentzler followed up on an ever-widening teen sex abuse scandal that she has covered like no other Nebraska reporter. A third ex-employee of the state-run Kearney YRTC was arrested in the widening scandal, Gentzler reports.
Sam and Ed returned home? The Winnebago Tribe has long fought the U.S. Army to get back the bodies of Samuel Gilbert and Edward Hensley, two students who died at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School more than 125 years ago. On Friday, Herbers followed up on that story, reporting that a court has brought the tribe closer to victory. The court win is being celebrated by the Winnebago and other tribes who want the return of young Natives who died and were buried without their families’ consent at Carlisle, which is now part of the U.S. Army War College.
Well, that was quick: Nothing inspires brevity like six stories and dodgy Delta internet access. Thank you for joining the Mile High News Club today. And remember: If you have a question or a tip for our fantastic Flatwater journalists, hit us up at [email protected].
See you on the ground,
Matthew Hansen, Executive Editor
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Here’s what we’re into this week: News from around Nebraska
Every week, we like to share great Nebraska journalism, no matter who made it. Here’s what caught our eye this week:
- My favorite story to read this week: American medicine has scored a rare win against a previously undefeated foe, pancreatic cancer. This story in the New York Times (gift link provided) tells the story of how that trio of government funding, top-flight American research universities and cutting-edge private companies worked together to produce a medical miracle. Cancer patients, including former U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse, are already benefiting from the new resulting drug, a benefit currently measured in months but one that may soon extend to years, even decades.
- Nebraska held an election on Tuesday, and as far as primary elections go, it was action packed! In the Omaha metro, Denise Powell edged John Cavanaugh. Now, she’ll advance to the general election against Brinker Harding in what will be one of the most closely watched House races in the United States. A local story on the congressional primary, from the Nebraska Examiner, and a national story, from NPR. Other important elections: a Republican primary win by a Secretary of State candidate who has questioned the security of the state’s elections and the wildly strange Democratic primary for U.S. Senate.
- Two important stories from Nebraska Public Media that may have gotten lost on Election Night: Voter turnout took a dramatic nosedive in the Lexington area following the closure of the Tyson plant, and four out of six school bond issues failed at the ballot box.
- Washington Post columnist George Will writes an ode to retiring U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, saying that the Nebraskan’s departure from Congress is a loss for the country (gift link).
- Big win for Rep. Adrian Smith this week, as the bill he introduced that would allow E-15 gasoline to be sold year-round passed the U.S. House of Representatives. It now heads to the Senate. The bill, if it becomes law, could help Nebraska farmers, buoying the price of corn by increasing ethanol production. It may also slightly lower gas prices, since E-15 gasoline tends to be cheaper at the pump. But oil-state politicians, deficit hawks and environmentalists are all opposed.
Stories by Nebraska Public Media and the New York Times. - Julie Anderson of the Omaha World-Herald has more good coverage of those unfortunate cruise ship souls who took an unplanned trip to Omaha thanks to the hantavirus. (You may need OWH subscriber access to view this story.)
