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Great News: American Burying Beetle Makes a Comeback in Nebraska’s Loess Canyons

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Great News: American Burying Beetle Makes a Comeback in Nebraska’s Loess Canyons


Once believed to be on the verge of extinction, the American burying beetle (Nicrophorus americanus) has shown signs of recovery in southwestern Nebraska’s Loess Canyons. According to a study published in Biological Conservation, the region has witnessed a population increase, marking the first positive trend for the species since it was listed under the Endangered Species Act in 1989.

A Fragile Icon of Ecosystem Health

The American burying beetle, measuring up to five centimeters, is North America’s largest carrion beetle. Its role as a scavenger is vital to ecosystem health, as it cleans up vertebrate carcasses and recycles nutrients. Yet, the species has struggled due to shrinking grassland habitats and the decline of small to mid-sized wildlife species that serve as its primary food source.

Historically present in 35 states and three Canadian provinces, the beetle’s range has contracted to isolated areas in just 10 U.S. states, including Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Nebraska. The Loess Canyons, a 130,000-hectare expanse in southwestern Nebraska characterized by steep hills and mixed-grass prairies, has become a surprising sanctuary for the species.

Quick Facts About the American Burying Beetle

  • Size: Up to 5 cm
  • Diet: Vertebrate carcasses weighing 100–200 grams
  • Habitat: Moist, treeless grasslands
  • Key Threats: Habitat loss, invasive species, and declining prey availability

The Role of Invasive Species and Habitat Restoration

One of the beetle’s biggest threats has been the encroachment of eastern red cedar trees (Juniperus virginiana), which have transformed historically treeless prairies across the Great Plains. Without fire to control their spread, these fast-growing trees displace native grasses and degrade habitats critical for a wide variety of wildlife.

Research led by Caleb Roberts, a U.S. Geological Survey ecologist, shows that the beetles thrive in grasslands where tree cover is minimal—ideally less than 10 trees per hectare. Even minor encroachments of trees or agricultural land can cause beetle populations to plummet.

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In the Loess Canyons, a coalition of over 100 private landowners, along with organizations like Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Pheasants Forever, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, has tackled the problem head-on. Since 2002, they have reintroduced controlled burns to eliminate invasive red cedars, restoring grasslands to their historical state.

Habitat Restoration Impact in the Loess Canyons

Metric Pre-Restoration Post-Restoration
Tree cover density > 25% in some areas
Beetle population (2007) 168
Beetle population (2019) 196
Grassland cover (%) ~60% ~75% (target for doubling beetle numbers)

How Beetles Signal Broader Success

For the beetles, a more diverse prairie offers not only better burrowing conditions but also increased access to appropriately sized carcasses, including birds like bobwhites and small mammals. Thomas Walker, a wildlife biologist with Nebraska Game and Parks, emphasizes that the landowners driving these efforts are critical to the beetle’s success. “Ultimately, they’re the ones that are leading the success on all of this,” he says.

The collaboration demonstrates the potential of targeted conservation strategies to reverse declines in not just one species, but entire ecosystems. The American burying beetle’s comeback signals broader recovery in grassland biodiversity, providing a blueprint for addressing other conservation challenges across the Great Plains.

The study was published in Biological Conservation.

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Former Nebraska U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse says he has stage-four pancreatic cancer

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Former Nebraska U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse says he has stage-four pancreatic cancer


Former Nebraska U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse on Tuesday said he was diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer.

Sasse, 53, made the announcement on social media, saying he learned of the disease last week and is “now marching to the beat of a faster drummer.”

“This is a tough note to write, but since a bunch of you have started to suspect something, I’ll cut to the chase,” Sasse wrote. “Last week I was diagnosed with metastasized, stage-four pancreatic cancer, and am gonna die.”

Sasse was first elected to the Senate in 2014 and won reelection in 2020. He resigned in 2023 to serve as the 13th president of the University of Florida after a contentious approval process. He left that post the following year after his wife was diagnosed with epilepsy.

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Sasse was an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump, and he was one of seven Republican senators to vote to convict the former president of “incitement of insurrection” after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Sasse, who has degrees from Harvard, St. John’s College and Yale, worked as an assistant secretary of Health and Human Services under President George W. Bush. He then served as president of Midland University before he ran for the Senate. Midland is a small Christian university in eastern Nebraska.

Sasse and his wife have three children.

“I’m not going down without a fight. One sub-part of God’s grace is found in the jawdropping advances science has made the past few years in immunotherapy and more,” Sasse wrote. “Death and dying aren’t the same — the process of dying is still something to be lived.”

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Nebraska Cornhuskers could lure 4,000-yard QB away from Big Ten football rival | Sporting News

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Nebraska Cornhuskers could lure 4,000-yard QB away from Big Ten football rival | Sporting News


The Nebraska Cornhuskers are in search of a new quarterback. While there appear to be a few on the market, one of them appears to reportedly be interested in replacing Dylan Raiola.

Enter Michigan State Spartans transfer quarterback Aidan Chiles.

Nebraska coach Matt Rhule is focused on what’s best for his team, and although he didn’t mention Chiles by name, he is intrigued by the possibilities of a new signal-caller.

“We’re really grateful for all he did, and if he needs a fresh start,” Rhule told reporters. I’ll pray that he finds the right place and has a lot of success. With that being said, there are a lot of great quarterbacks out there, and a lot of them want to play at Nebraska.”

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According to On3’s Pete Nakos, Raiola’s Nebraska exit opens the door for Chiles.

“Two schools have been mentioned early on for the Michigan State quarterback,” Nakos wrote. “Sources have linked Aidan Chiles to Cincinnati and Nebraska. The Cornhuskers are not only looking at one quarterback.”

Nakos followed up by reiterating how strategic this process will be in Lincoln.

“Sources have said Matt Rhule is evaluating the entire quarterback field in the portal, and that could include Boston College’s Dylan Lonergan and Notre Dame’s Kenny Minchey, among others.”

We’ll see how the Cornhuskers end up, but it seems some preliminary movement is just beginning.

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Nebraska Emerging as Contender for 2027 Edge Rusher

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Nebraska Emerging as Contender for 2027 Edge Rusher


Nebraska continues to make its presence felt on the recruiting trail, this time turning attention toward 2027 three-star edge prospect Griff Galloway.

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The Cornhuskers have positioned themselves as a serious contender early in the process, signaling their intent to build future defensive depth with a versatile pass rusher who’s already drawing national interest. As Galloway’s recruitment heats up, Nebraska’s involvement underscores the program’s commitment to securing impact talent for the years ahead.

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Galloway, a defensive line prospect from Providence Day School in Charlotte, North Carolina, stands at 6-foot-3 and weighs 240 pounds. A member of the Class of 2027, Galloway has already drawn attention on the recruiting trail, earning a player rating of 88 from 247Sports. He ranks as the No. 45 defensive lineman nationally and is among the top prospects in North Carolina, positioning himself as a name to watch as his timeline unfolds.

Galloway’s recruitment has quickly gained momentum, with the Providence Day standout already collecting ten scholarship offers. Among the programs showing strong interest, Nebraska, SMU, Notre Dame, and Tennessee have emerged as the schools in the final mix. As the Class of 2027 defensive lineman continues to evaluate his options, these four programs stand out as the leading contenders for his commitment, underscoring the national attention his talent has drawn at an early stage.

According to MaxPreps, Galloway has shown steady production across his high school career at Providence Day. As a junior, he recorded 27 solo tackles and 39 assists for a total of 66 stops, averaging 5.5 tackles per game with 13 tackles for loss. His sophomore campaign was even more impressive, as he tallied 31 solo tackles and 48 assists, finishing with 79 total tackles, 6.6 per game, and ten tackles for loss.

Galloway first made his mark as a freshman, posting 39 solo tackles and 21 assists for 60 total, averaging 4.6 per game with 9 tackles for loss. The numbers highlight his consistency and growth as a disruptive force on the defensive line.

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On film, Galloway flashes several standout traits that make him a compelling defensive prospect. His quick first step allows him to penetrate gaps and disrupt plays right at the snap, while his relentless motor ensures he pursues ball carriers across the field with consistent energy. Galloway’s versatility is another asset, as he has lined up both inside and outside, showing the flexibility to play on the edge or slide into a 3-tech role depending on scheme.

The production backs up the tape. His MaxPreps numbers reveal steady growth in tackles and tackles for loss each season, underscoring his ability to finish plays and impact games at multiple levels of the defense.

While Galloway’s film shows plenty of promise, there are clear areas for growth that could elevate his game. He needs refinement in hand usage and pad level to consistently win battles against stronger offensive linemen, ensuring he can maintain leverage and control at the point of attack. In addition, developing a wider array of pass-rush counters will be crucial to his progression, helping him move beyond being a solid disruptor to becoming a true difference-maker on the defensive front.

Nebraska’s defensive vision under Matt Rhule emphasizes toughness and versatility up front, and Galloway’s skill set fits seamlessly into that approach. With the ability to line up both on the edge and inside, his size and motor make him a natural fit for the Huskers’ multiple 3 looks. Nebraska is actively recruiting pass rushers to strengthen its defensive line rotation, and Galloway’s recruitment shows the program’s commitment to targeting national prospects with high upside.

With continued development, Galloway projects as a player who could contribute early in a rotational role before growing into a starter capable of setting the edge and generating consistent pressure. If the Huskers can secure him, he’d be a valuable addition to their 2027 class, offering both immediate depth and long-term upside as a disruptive edge presence.

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