Morning, Omaha – it’s Josh, writing my first newsletter intro.
Like many of you, we at Flatwater have been following the flood of news coming out of Washington, D.C. in recent months. Between tariffs, deportations and Signal group chats there was a story that stuck out to us: the remaking of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the cancellation of billions of dollars in grants around the country.
Diving into the deep complexity of social service funding is a daunting task, but I wanted to learn specifics about how these cuts were affecting Nebraska.
The narrative coming from the federal government is that since the canceled money was initially allocated as COVID-19 relief, and COVID is no longer a federal emergency, the recipients of these grants no longer need the money.
But through conversations with public health professionals around the state, I learned that the nearly $100 million cut in Nebraska is having impacts on things like domestic violence research at Nebraska universities, opioid treatment programs and preparedness for future public health emergencies.
On its own, the Douglas County Health Department lost $900,000 for responding to infectious disease outbreaks — like measles, which multiple health directors say is bound to reach Nebraska.
Read the story here (or click the photo above).
— Joshua Shimkus, Flatwater Free Press
As the new kid on the block, I’m looking far and wide for all the fun Nebraska has to offer. This weekend, my partner and I are gearing up for a weekend of cinematic adventures at the Benson Film Festival.
Finding community through film was a huge part of our lives in Fort Worth, Texas; we were active members of the local film club and still pop into their Discord channel on occasion. So imagine my delight when an idle scroll through Instagram landed me on the Benson Film Festival’s profile. We’ll be there with bells on — and hope to meet some of y’all!
The 32 films showing at the Benson Theatre from Friday through Sunday range from documentaries to narrative features to student productions. Learn more about the festival here.
— Emily Wolf, Flatwater Free Press
A developer plans to demolish the grain silos along the Field Club Trail in South Omaha and replace them with a 233-unit apartment complex with 278 parking stalls, according to Channel 3’s Jill Lamkins. Neighbors voiced concerns about traffic in the area at a Monday community meeting.
Tonight the Bookworm is hosting Nebraska native Lise Olsen to talk about her new book, “The Scientist and the Serial Killer: The Search for Houston’s Lost Boys.” Olsen is an investigative reporter whose focuses on crooked judges, an unjust execution, massive environmental disasters, myriad cases of corruption and unsolved serial killings, according to her website.
On Monday, Rep. Don Bacon became the first House Republican to call for the resignation of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Politico reported. Hegseth has shared sensitive military details with a journalist as well as his wife, brother and a personal lawyer, according to the New York Times. President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance dismissed the concerns.
A west Omaha club, already facing allegations of violating labor laws and trafficking sex and drugs, now faces a wrongful death accusation, KETV reports. The owner of Club 180 near 180th and Q streets called the civil lawsuit “ridiculous” and the allegations “fabricated.”
Omaha Archbishop George Lucas mourned the death of Pope Francis and fondly recalled his two meetings with the faith leader, The World-Herald’s Kevin Cole reported. Cardinal Blase Cupich, an Omaha native now serving as the Archbishop of Chicago, is among 16 North American cardinals eligible to vote for the next pope when the conclave convenes in Rome.
(You may need a subscription to read The World-Herald story.)
A small plane crashed into the Platte River south of Fremont, killing all three men on board. Two of the deceased, Jeff Bittinger and Randy Amrein, lived in Fremont, while the third, Daniel Williams, was from Kansas. Neighbors, including a 12-year-old who first called 911, were left shaken by the crash, KETV reported.
The University of Nebraska Medical Center is beginning construction on the institution’s biggest-ever building project, The World-Herald’s Julie Anderson reported. The new building, on the site formerly occupied by JP Lord Elementary School and the Munroe-Meyer Institute, will allow UNMC to add 200 more students in health professions each year, one official said.
(You may need a subscription to read this story.)
About 2,000 people protested President Donald Trump at the Gene Leahy Mall last weekend, the second protest of Trump and his allies this month, Kevin Cole at The World-Herald writes. The Omaha protest was one of 700 nationwide, according to a list published online. (You may need a subscription to read The World-Herald story.)
More public transit, better work conditions and diversity initiatives are a few of the things Omaha could be doing better to attract and keep young workers, say respondents of a recent survey. The data is part of a larger initiative by the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce to fight “brain drain,” writes Cindy Gonzalez at the Nebraska Examiner.
The Flatwater Free Press is published by the Nebraska Journalism Trust, a 501(c)(3) public charity