I love it when we get you the cold, hard numbers. That’s what Jeremy Turley did today, in an important story about the massive transportation project happening in our state’s largest city.
Many business owners have argued — some loudly — that streetcar construction, and related underground work, is harming the restaurants, bars and shops along the route.
Turley worked hard to dig out the actual facts. Today, he presents you new data that shows just how much it’s hurting restaurants along the route.
He also did a fine job reporting the story in a nuanced way, including an interview with a restaurant owner in Kansas City, who believes that streetcar’s construction wounded her business … and then that streetcar’s opening helped her reach new heights.
This story is part of a collab we’re doing with Nebraska Public Media and their Omaha publication The Reader. We also published NPM reporter Jessica Wade’s story this week on the winding history of the streetcar in Omaha. We love NPM and working with them.
Wolf in Dem’s clothing? What an absolutely wild story from Paxton. Flatwater reporter Andrew Wegley got his hands on tapes of sermons given by Rev. Bill Forbes, the Democrat running in the primary for a U.S. Senate seat — a Democrat that Democrat leaders accuse of being a plant meant to help Sen. Pete Ricketts and harm independent Dan Osborn in the general election.
In these sermons, the pastor says he doesn’t believe in evolution, scientific research or the separation of church and state. And he says much more that makes him seem far more Trumpy than lefty — and in fact, he confirmed to Flatwater that he voted for Trump three times.
Wegley then travelled to Paxton, to get Forbes’ take on all this. It got even weirder from there.
Blue dot bruises: A giant talking point in the Dem primary race for Nebraska’s open congressional seat, amplified by millions in attack ads, goes as follows: Should he emerge victorious, John Cavanaugh’s resulting departure from the Legislature will clear the path for Republicans to pass laws Democrats will hate, like ending “The Blue Dot.”
We actually got an email from a reader several weeks ago, asking us, kind of pleading with us, to help her and other voters understand this as they make their decisions. Veteran reporter Henry Cordes took up the challenge.
His resulting story details the big money sloshing into the race, and works to get to the bottom of what The People Who Know Things actually think of this.
And as a bonus, he did a little story detailing the races that will decide the balance of power in the Legislature later this year.
You guys are awesome: During our spring pledge drive, some 308 new readers donated to Flatwater for the very first time. These people hail from an astonishing 55 different cities and towns in Nebraska, as big as Omaha, as small as Belgrade and as far west as Chadron.
And Nebraska natives who now live elsewhere showed up for us, too. We received new donations from 19 different states and the District of Columbia in April.
It’s hard to overstate how much this means for the present and future of Flatwater. Many more of you are now giving us a few hard-earned dollars each month, a recurring donation we can bank on as we hire more journalists and do more important Nebraska stories. (If you’d care to join ‘em, click here.)
Our journalism is powered by you. And as always, I love you for that. Thank you.
Questions: Like I said earlier in email, the “Blue Dot” story came directly from a reader question. Do you have a question that our reporters need to look into? Reach our newsroom at [email protected].
Sincerely,
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:
- Nebraska’s college students are drinking less. Why? An important story from UNL student Kennedy Lawrence, writing for the Nebraska News Service.
- The annual Berkshire Hathaway weekend, aka Capitalism Woodstock, was last weekend. Warren Buffett sat for a few interviews around it, and he gave a blunt — and frankly a little bit scary — message on CNBC about the stock market in this story written by The Street.
- Fertilizer prices are skyrocketing, and farmers are now saying they can’t afford to buy the fertilizer they need, according to this story from Investigate Midwest that contains survey info on corn and soybean farmers.
- The abortion pill suddenly being blocked from being shipped around the country has the potential to greatly affect Nebraskans and others, according to this story from the Associated Press. Flatwater reporter Yanqi Xu, currently on a fellowship with the New York Times, did a good story about how Nebraskans were using that pill in 2024.
- CBS’ Steve Hartman with a heartwarming story about the help given to some Nebraska ranchers after the devastating Sandhills wildfires earlier this year.
- Dave Utterback, Nebraska’s most acclaimed chef, got the profile treatment in the Omaha World-Herald this week. Nice story from Marjie Ducey, and it makes me excited … because I’m gonna be eating Dave’s sushi tonight! (You may need OWH subscriber info to read.)
- More Nebraska homeowners are planting native plants, reports Nebraska Public Media’s Hannah Nazarenus.
- You know you want the Trump Barn update. Nebraska Examiner Editor Aaron Sanderford has you covered.
- And finally: A Nebraska small town is building housing for its residents, trying to solve one of the state’s most widespread problems. Nice one from the Examiner’s Cindy Gonzalez.
