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A GOP push to change how Nebraska awards its electoral votes appears to have stalled

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A GOP push to change how Nebraska awards its electoral votes appears to have stalled


The Nebraska State Capitol is seen in Lincoln, Nebraska, on May 14, 2024.

Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images


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Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images

The Nebraska state lawmaker at the center of the debate over whether the state will switch to a winner-takes-all system in the Electoral College says he will not change his position and “will oppose any attempted changes to our electoral college system before the 2024 election.”

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“I have notified Governor [Jim] Pillen that I will not change my long-held position and will oppose any attempted changes to our electoral college system before the 2024 election,” said state Sen. Mike McDonnell in a statement Monday. “I also encouraged him and will encourage my colleagues in the Unicameral to pass a constitutional amendment during next year’s session, so that the people of Nebraska can once and for all decide this issue the way it should be decided – on the ballot.”

Nebraska is one of two states — Maine being the other — that allow split ballots if a candidate wins the popular vote in a congressional district. It’s “blue dot” — the state’s 2nd Congressional District — has gone for Democratic candidates in recent presidential elections.

Any change to the way Nebraska awards its five electoral votes could have had a major effect on the contours and strategy of the final few weeks of the campaign. Candidates need to secure 270 electoral votes in order to win the White House. For Vice President Harris, winning the electoral vote from the 2nd Congressional District would allow her to reach 270 were she able to also win the so-called Blue Wall states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. Harris would reach 270 even if she were to lose every other battleground state.

Without that one vote, Harris would go from a 270-268 advantage in the electoral college to a 268-268 tie with former President Trump. In that scenario, the House of Representatives would choose the next president, with each state’s delegation getting one vote. With Republicans expected to have an edge in the total number of state delegations they control, that vote would all but likely go to the former president.

Trump and his allies had been hoping to persuade Republican Gov. Pillen to call a special session to change how the state accords its votes. Those efforts included a visit to the state last week by Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who traveled to Nebraska to lobby lawmakers for the change.

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Pillen had said that he would do so if he had the votes. Tuesday’s statement from McDonnell — a former Democrat who in April changed his party affiliation to Republican — suggests he does not.

“It would have been better, and far less expensive, for everyone!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform following McDonnell’s announcement. “Unfortunately, a Democrat turned Republican(?) State Senator named Mike McDonnell decided, for no reason whatsoever, to get in the way of a great Republican, common sense, victory. Just another “Grandstander!”



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Nebraska outfielder Will Jesske coaches local legion team

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Nebraska outfielder Will Jesske coaches local legion team


LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) — After a hamstring injury during Nebraska’s baseball season, Will Jesske was advised to take it easy this summer. He is, but Jesske has found a new way to stay involved in the game.

Jesske is coaching a local legion baseball team. He is a volunteer assistant for Lincoln Hotel Group, the senior legion team for Standing Bear High School.

Jesske, a Lincoln Southeast graduate, describes himself as the “hype man” in the LHG dugout. He brings energy and enthusiasm, which players enjoy. Jesske said coaching is a way he can give back to local players while helping LHG’s coaching staff. Jesske played under Tanner Lewis and Kyle Beacom in high school. They now lead the LHG legion program.

Jesske is entering his senior season at Nebraska. He has appeared in 95 games over his career, including 33 during the Huskers’ 43-win season this spring. Jesske was injured early in the season but played through it as Nebraska hosted an NCAA regional. He hit .318 in his junior season. Jesske said he is fully healthy and credited extended rest with his recovery.

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Copyright 2026 KOLN. All rights reserved.

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Former Nebraska wrestler AJ Ferrari wanted in Lincoln, accused of assaulting pregnant woman

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Former Nebraska wrestler AJ Ferrari wanted in Lincoln, accused of assaulting pregnant woman


LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – Former Nebraska wrestler AJ Ferrari is wanted in Lancaster County on suspicion of assaulting a pregnant woman in May.

An arrest warrant was filed for Ferrari on Thursday. He faces three felony charges which include first-degree false imprisonment and assault by strangling a pregnant woman.

According to an arrest affidavit, a woman from California contacted police in Lincoln on May 8 just after midnight. She told officers her daughter called for help and pointed them to Ferrari’s apartment.

Police arrived at the apartment and knocked on the door. A pregnant woman came out after several minutes of knocking with no answer. Officers said the woman was visibly upset.

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She told officers that Ferrari tried taking her phone away after an argument, but she wouldn’t let him take it. The arrest affidavit shows Ferrari then dragged her off a bed by her feet.

Police think Ferrari then got on top of her and strangled her, likely until she was unconscious. The woman told police that she felt as though her throat “collapsed” and that she was “breathing through a straw.”

Once regaining consciousness, police said the woman tried hiding in a closet and contacting her mother on another device. But Ferrari followed her, pushed her onto a bed and sat on her until she apologized, according to the affidavit.

She apologized in order to be released, police said. The woman then tried to leave the apartment, but police said Ferrari dragged her by the arm back inside. She found her phone and contacted her mother, yelling “help!”, prosecutors wrote.

Ferrari grabbed the phone and hung up, according to the affidavit. The woman’s mother tried calling several more times before calling police.

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Authorities transported the woman to Bryan West for treatment. Officers said she sustained injuries consistent with strangulation, including bruising around her neck and other abrasions.

Last weekend, Ferrari was arrested in Lincoln County on suspicion of flight to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving and obstructing the police. He was cited after a trooper chased a Corvette in the North Platte area.

Lincoln County authorities told KOLN that Ferrari is out on bond. His current whereabouts are unclear.

Court records show that the woman has filed for a protection order against Ferrari. A hearing has been set for July 7 to give him an opportunity to show the court why one should not be issued.

AJ Ferrari appears in Lancaster County Court(KOLN)

Previously, Ferrari was booked in Lancaster County, Nebraska for an outstanding warrant in January of this year, but those charges were dismissed later that week.

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Ferrari parted ways with the Huskers in April of this year.

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Copyright 2026 KOLN. All rights reserved.



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Discounted tickets for Nebraska State Fair over 4th of July Weekend

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Discounted tickets for Nebraska State Fair over 4th of July Weekend


The Nebraska State Fair is celebrating America’s 250th anniversary with a special 72-hour flash sale on Season Passes.

From July 3 through July 5, fans can purchase a 2026 Season Pass for just $50—a significant discount from its regular value of $132.

The pass includes one admission per day for all 11 days of the 2026 Nebraska State Fair, making it ideal for visitors who plan to attend multiple days.

Fair officials say the promotion is one of the biggest Season Pass discounts offered in years and will not be extended.

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After July 5, Season Passes will remain available at a higher discounted price.



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