I write you to today from south-central Nebraska, still basking in the afterglow of a day spent talking journalism with residents of Hastings and the surrounding areas. The highlights included reporter Emily Wolf leading a conversation with incredible panelists and a Hastings Museum audience on the topic of intimate partner violence. We had a fun, freewheeling discussion with the smart readers of the Hastings Tribune.
We toured this stunning new business incubator. And of course ate dinner at Odyssey, one of my two favorite central Nebraska restaurants. (This is the other.)
It’s always so fulfilling to get out into Nebraska and talk about our shared problems, solutions — our future. (More on our shared future in a minute.)
But first, the news: In the wake of the Glenn Valley immigration raid, one of the largest in our state’s history, FFP reporter Joshua Shimkus asks crucial questions.
Maha is Back: After a one-year break, Nebraska’s best music festival (says me) is back. This year, it’s coming to the newly redeveloped Omaha riverfront. The headliner: The Pixies.
Palace of Prime Rib: Chances R, the 93-year-old steakhouse in York, is a massive restaurant in a town of 8,000 people. And yet: Wander in on any given night, and it’s likely bustling.
FlatFest III: Friends, I am so excited about this. I have been chomping at the bit to tell you about this. On Sept. 17, we are hosting the third annual Flatwater Free Press Festival, code named FlatFest. And it’s a whole thing.
In the evening, it’s the best damn journalism party in Nebraska — in the entire Great Plains — held this year at the gorgeous Kiewit Luminarium on Omaha’s riverfront. Food, drink, live music, convos with FFP journalists and how’s this for a big name: I’m going to be grilling Dean Baquet, the legendary editor of the New York Times, on the future of journalism and democracy.
Buy your tickets here and buy them quick. Last year we sold out way before FlatFest, and this year’s tickets are already moving fast.
And that afternoon, we’re holding a series of free “journalism on stage” conversations on the future of Nebraska. Panelists include Omaha Mayor John Ewing, experts on Nebraska’s changing population and economy, the state’s biggest philanthropists and smart people thinking about the future of Nebraska news. This one is absolutely 100% free to attend, and you will also be able to livestream and view it from anywhere.
Yanqi Goes Big: FFP senior reporter Yanqi Xu is on a quest to make sure every Nebraskan can pronounce her name. (For the record, it’s “Yen-chee Shoe.”)
I’m so thrilled to tell you that Yanqi has received the prestigious New York Times local investigations fellowship, which allows her to work with Times’ editors, including the aforementioned Mr. Baquet, on a yearlong investigative project she’s doing in Nebraska. When it’s finished, this project will be published by the New York Times — and the Flatwater Free Press.
Yeah, that’s pretty cool. Congratulations to Yanqi, who has already won national awards for her coverage of nitrate in Nebraska’s water supply.
More journalism on stage: If you can’t tell, we are really stepping up the pace on these “journalism on stage” events. On Aug. 21, we have another free and really important convo that we’re co-hosting with the Omaha Community Foundation. Simply put: Too many Nebraska babies die. Our infant mortality rates for babies born to Black mothers is, in some years, the absolute worst in the country. And all our babies die at rates higher than the national average.
Sara Gentzler recently wrote this important story on infant mortality, on Aug. 21 she will be moderating a conversation with three leading voices on the problem — and people working on solving it.
Learn more and join us for free at the historic, and recently renovated, Benson Theatre.
One more and I’m outta here: We are hiring a new reporter! And it’s in collaboration with national climate publication Grist. If you know anyone who is qualified and interested — three years reporting experience preferred — send them to the job posting here.
Questions wanted: Some of our best story ideas come from readers, and they typically start with a burning question that just cries out for an answer. Have a question that our reporters need to look into? Complete this form or reach our newsroom at [email protected].
Sincerely,
—Matthew Hansen, Executive Editor
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:
- A wild one from Metro Community College. First a board member got caught saying horrific, and frankly unprintable, things about a Nebraska activist. Then he refused to resign. Then he got arrested — for an unrelated thing! — during a board meeting. And then he did resign.
Who said community college meeting coverage is boring?
Read all about it from Omaha World-Herald reporter Luna Stephens and KETV Channel 7’s Maddie Augustine. (You may need OWH subscriber access to view the OWH story.) - Nebraska’s congressional delegation is in some cases enthusiastically supporting and in some cases defending its “yes” votes on the “Big, Beautiful Bill” that passed into law last week, which cuts some taxes and will greatly shrink federal spending on Medicaid. Story by Nebraska Public Media’s Kassidy Arena.
- The federal government is investigating the University of Nebraska at Omaha over whether two of its scholarship programs favor minorities and immigrants. Stories by the OWH’s Justin Diep and by KETV Channel 7.
Important to note: Our previous story, by FFP fellow Shelby Rickert, points out that both of the scholarships that UNO is now being investigated for have already been altered. - We’re back in the hole. Nebraska lawmakers now face a budget deficit that’s nearing $100 million months before it reconvenes in Lincoln — and likely starts slashing more into the state budget, which must be balanced. Story by the Nebraska Examiner’s Erin Bamer.
- Another bill passed recently will harm public radio and public television in Nebraska. The OWH’s Grace Lewis, published here in the Lincoln Journal Star, breaks down what that may mean for public radio stations and TV stations you rely upon around the state. (You may need Journal Star subscriber access to view this story.)
