Nebraska

Blood kicks off bid against Flood in Nebraska's 1st District U.S. House race | Nebraska Examiner

Published

2 years ago

January 27, 2024

Blood kicks off bid against Flood in Nebraska's 1st District U.S. House race | Nebraska Examiner

LINCOLN — State Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue came to Lincoln seven years ago to serve in the Nebraska Legislature. Now she is asking the region’s voters to send her to Congress.

Blood formally kicked off her 1st District campaign against U.S. Rep. Mike Flood during a rally Saturday at a union hall for electrical workers in suburban southwest Lincoln. The 12-county district also encompasses Fremont and Norfolk.

U.S. Rep. Mike Flood, left with microphone, speaks to a Walk for Life audience in Lincoln on Saturday. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)

Flanked by Nebraska Democrats and several of her legislative peers, Blood said it was time to remind Flood that Nebraska voters liked him better when he seemed more moderate.

“Our Congress is in complete disarray, and our congressman, Mike Flood, has forgotten his nonpartisan roots and ability to work with the other side because of this blind allegiance to political parties,” Blood said, eliciting cheers.

The former Bellevue City Councilwoman criticized Flood for focusing too much attention on a “vocal minority,” instead of his entire constituency.

Fighting national GOP playbook

She said she expects Flood to follow the national GOP playbook and attack her on immigration enforcement even though the House GOP has had chances to fix the issue and hasn’t acted.

About 100 people filed in to listen to State Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue formally launch her congressional campaign on Jan. 27, 2024, in Lincoln. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)

On border security, Congress and presidents from both parties have negotiated potential deals that a divisive House GOP then killed, she said. She said some House Republicans act like babies and need “a timeout.”

“The fact that we don’t have enough border patrol, immigration judges and humanitarian resources for this crisis sits squarely on Mike Flood and the GOP, who refuse to pass a long-term budget bill to protect our border,” she said.

Flood’s campaign had no immediate comment Saturday about Blood’s campaign kickoff or her criticism of the incumbent.

Flood, who is seeking a second full term, has emphasized the need for House Republicans to restrain the spending impulses of Democratic Senate leaders and President Joe Biden.

State Sen. George Dungan of Lincoln praised Blood on Saturday for her tenacity and compassion. He said she has worked in the Legislature to protect its independence.

Parts of Blood’s announcement mirrored her pitch during her run for governor in 2022 against Jim Pillen, when she stressed the need for leadership for “all Nebraskans.” Blood secured 36% of the statewide vote against Pillen, in a state where Republicans outnumber Democrats 2-to-1.

In the Legislature, she represents a GOP-leaning slice of Sarpy County.

Differences with Flood

State Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue details some of her priorities as a congressional candidate in Lincoln on Jan. 27, 2024. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)

On Saturday, she said she would protect the social safety net for Nebraska seniors and people in need, saying she would keep political hands off Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

She said Republicans keep trying to find ways to offer options or privatize parts of benefit programs Americans have earned.

She also emphasized her support for public schools and said Flood, by contrast, supports the Opportunity Scholarship Act tax credit for donors funding private school education for students in need.

Blood said the widest gulf between the two candidates was on abortion.

Flood spoke Saturday to a crowd of more than 1,000 at the March for Life, where organizers applauded his work authoring Nebraska’s former 20-week ban (abortions are now banned in Nebraska after 12 weeks gestation) and nearly passing a trigger ban that would have effectively outlawed abortion.

Flood told the March for Life crowd near the Capitol steps that Nebraskans need to defeat a November ballot measure that could enshrine the right to an abortion in the State Constitution.

U.S. Rep. Mike Flood visits the University of Nebraska-Lincoln on June 19, 2023. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)

“What they’re pushing in Washington (D.C.) will end up on our ballot in November, and it means all of us have to step forward and raise our hands and say it is our turn,” Flood said. “It’s our turn to stop what happens in November, and it starts today.”

Blood initially supported a bill in 2020 aimed at outlawing dismemberment abortions but backed off in the end, expressing concerns about its language. During that debate, she described herself as “pro-life.” She said later she only supported the bill as an “olive branch” so more senators would listen to her perspective.

She said things are clearer now, after the Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade in 2022. The threat to women’s rights is real and no longer theoretical, she said.

Ready to fight for reproductive rights

On Saturday, she emphasized her commitment to protecting women’s reproductive rights. She said she would push back on House GOP efforts to restrict abortion.

“I hear from women of every party who say that they feel that they’re being disrespected, that their voices aren’t being heard,” Blood said after her speech. “Now they’re concerned that politicians … refuse to listen to the medical community.”

Blood helped defeat Flood’s trigger ban by joining a filibuster against it. She also joined a failed fight last session to stop Legislative Bill 574, which shortened Nebraska’s abortion ban to 12 weeks gestation.

The Biden administration is negotiating with a group of bipartisan senators to strike a deal that would tighten immigration restrictions and thus ease passage of more than $100 billion in emergency supplemental aid for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and U.S. border security. Shown is the U.S. Capitol at sunset on Dec. 14, 2023. (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)

On Saturday, she told a campaign crowd of about 100 that she believes “safe and accessible reproductive health care” is a basic human right.

She also said Nebraskans deserve respect regardless of what they look like or how they identify. LB 574, in addition to restricting abortions, added new restrictions on gender-affirming care for trans minors.

As of the last federal campaign finance reporting period, Flood listed $235,000 in campaign cash on hand. Last year, Blood listed $2,700 in cash on hand left from her gubernatorial bid. She raised six figures during her gubernatorial bid.

She also received more votes in her race in the 1st District than Flood did in his, though political observers say state races typically draw more crossover voters than races for federal office.

She said she is in the race to win — and that she plans to knock on voters’ doors in the 12-county district the same way she did when running for the Legislature in her Bellevue district.

“That’s how races are won,” she said.

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Nebraska

Former Husker Medically Retires from Football, Forgoes NFL Draft

Published

3 hours ago

January 5, 2026

Press Room

Former Husker Medically Retires from Football, Forgoes NFL Draft

Ernest Hausmann is electing to hang it up after a four-year run in college football.

The former Nebraska football and Michigan linebacker announced on social media Saturday that he is medically retiring rather than pursuing a pro football career. Hausmann concludes his college football career with over 250 career tackles in 50 career games. The Columbus, Neb., product finished his final season as Wolverines with 44 tackles, including 5.5 tackles for loss and a sack.

Prior to becoming a national champion with Michigan during his sophomore campaign in 2023, Hausmann was a true freshman standout for Nebraska, playing for his in-state team. The Columbus High School graduate was one of the top prospects in Nebraska during his prep career, becoming an All-Nebraska selection and earning a three-star recruitment rating as the No. 5 player in the state for the Discoverers. Hausmann signed with Nebraska over Arizona State, Iowa, Kansas State, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota and others.

The linebacker would play in every game of the 2022 season as a true freshman, earning seven starts while finishing with 54 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, a sack, and a fumble recovery in Scott Frost’s final season as head coach. After Frost was fired early in the season, interim coach Mickey Joseph led lead the team as Hausmann’s play improved as the season continued. The linebacker had a 12-tackle performance at Wisconsin in Nebraska’s 15-14 loss in his second-to-last performance as a Cornhusker before ending the year with six solo tackles and a fumble recovery in a Nebraska win at Iowa.

Hausmann entered the transfer portal after his freshman campaign, electing to join the Michigan Wolverines for the 2023 season. He appeared in all 15 games in the Wolverines’ 2023 national championship run, finishing third on the team with 46 total tackles, including two tackles for loss. He also earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors in Michigan’s Big Ten Championship Game win over Iowa, totaling eight tackles against the Hawkeyes.

Hausmann started all 13 games as a junior for Michigan in 2024, leading the team with 89 tackles, seven tackles for loss, two sacks, two pass breakups, and one interception. His performance led to an All-Big Ten honorable mention selection by the media and coaches, as well as earning a ReliaQuest Bowl win over Alabama while being named a captain for the game.

Oct 18, 2025; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines linebacker Cole Sullivan (23) and linebacker Ernest Hausmann (15) celebrates in the first half against the Washington Huskies at Michigan Stadium. | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

During his senior campaign, Hausmann was named a Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year semifinalist while earning an All-Big Ten Third-Team selection. He earned four Defensive Player of the Week honors for the Wolverines, and started in Michigan’s 30-27 win at Nebraska on Sept. 20, totaling nine tackles and a sack.

Hausmann was born in Uganda and was legally adopted when he was two years old, but did not join his Hausmann family until he was five years old in 2008. Prior to his senior campaign at Michigan, Hausmann returned to Africa and later partnered with One Million Wells, a nonprofit that seeks to provide water to impoverished communities.

The Wolverine linebacker began communication with his biological family through social media in the past few years, as Hausmann was able to speak to his mother for the first time in 2024. His return journey to Uganda was featured on ESPN’s College GameDay as a feature story earlier in the college football season.

Hausmann stated in his social media post that it was time to “focus on my true purpose on this earth full time.” He added that he would finish his degree at the University of Michigan.

Apex Receives Exploration Permit for Rift REE Project, Nebraska; Drill Program Preparation Underway

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15 hours ago

January 5, 2026

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Apex Receives Exploration Permit for Rift REE Project, Nebraska; Drill Program Preparation Underway

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / January 5, 2026 /Apex Critical Metals Corp. (CSE:APXC)(OTCQX:APXCF)(FWB:KL9) (“Apex” or the “Company”), a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on the identification and development of critical and strategic …

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Nebraska

Challenging Week Ahead in Nebraska Men’s Basketball

Published

1 day ago

January 4, 2026

Press Room

Challenging Week Ahead in Nebraska Men’s Basketball

If this were a football road trip for Nebraska, yikes. The Huskers this week visit Ohio State and Indiana.

But maybe, given Nebraska’s 14-0 basketball start, it’s the Buckeyes and Hoosiers who should be concerned.

The basketball version of the Buckeyes and Hoosiers is difficult enough, as both Nebraska opponents are formidable, both are capable of making the NCAA Tournament and both are capable of pinning that first loss on the Huskers.

Nebraska has played one true road game, a victory at Illinois. The Huskers play Ohio State on Monday and Indiana on Saturday, Jan. 10. The No. 13 Huskers are flying, coming off a 58-56 victory over No. 9 Michigan State on Friday night at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Defeating the Spartans was the kind of tense victory over a legitimate basketball powerhouse that could define the Huskers’ season.

Back to reality for Huskers

“Everybody that played, I think, made a big contribution,” Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg said at a postgame news conference about the victory over Michigan State.

The victory led to a wild, court-filled celebration at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

But, now, back to the harsh reality of life in the difficult Big Ten. There’s not much turnaround time for Nebraska before the Ohio State game.

“We’ve got to bounce back [Saturday, Jan. 3] with a good mental day [of] prep and get one more day,” Hoiberg said.

Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg has led his team to a 14-0 record with road games this week at Ohio State and Indiana. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

“We’ll practice a little bit, and travel day, but it was a hell of a tough turnaround to play back-to-back 8 o’clock games with two days’ prep, and now you go on the road for two.

“So, it’s a great win for us. I’m not going to discount that. Huge win for our program but we got to get past it and move on to Ohio State.”

The Huskers are tied for first place in the Big Ten with Michigan and Purdue at 3-0. One of these teams is not the like the others, at least based on preseason projections and historical precedent. Purdue and Michigan were expected to be Big Ten contenders. Nebraska was not, but has become one of the best national college basketball success stories so far this season.

‘It’s been a fun ride’

“We’ve done something that hasn’t been done in this program ever … running the table in the non-conference hasn’t been done in almost 100 years,” Hoiberg said. “So, there’s a lot of things these guys can be proud of, but at the same time, the most impressive thing to me about this group is how they’ve handled it. They haven’t gotten big-headed.

“You know, a lot of things have been written and listen, if it flips, it’s going to go the other way and they got to handle that well.

“Hopefully, it doesn’t, but it’s been a fun ride with this team and they’ve seen how much effort and time you’re putting into it to go out and execute game plans, get chewed out at halftime and handle it and respond.

“Again, I’ve talked a lot about this group. They’ve been a joy to be around and they’ve been fun because of their daily approach …

“When you go on the road, you got to be fresh physically and mentally as much as possible. Had guys play a lot. Rienk [Mast] hadn’t played this amount of minutes in awhile. So, it’s going to be important to get him back fresh and go out and hopefully play well on the road.”

Nebraska at Ohio State

When: Monday, 5:30 p.m. CT
Where: Schottenstein Center, Columbus
Records: Nebraska 14-0, 3-0 in Big Ten; Ohio State, 10-3, 2-1 in Big Ten. The Buckeyes are 7-1 at home.
TV: FS1

Rankings updated based on games through Saturday.

Ohio State rankings

* Associated Press Top 25: Not ranked
* NCAA Net Ratings: 46 (dropped two places)
* USA Today Coaches Poll: Not ranked
* Kenpom.com: 39
* ESPN Power Rankings: 36
* Top 25 and 1: Not ranked
* Team Rankings.com: 62

In Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology projections, Ohio State is an 11-seed as one of the “last four in” for the 68-team NCAA Tournament.

Nebraska rankings

* Associated Press Top 25: 13 (new poll is released Monday)
* NCAA Net Ratings: 11 (improved four places)
* USA Today Coaches Poll: 13
* Kenpom.com: 22
* ESPN Power Rankings: 26 (dropped one place)
* Top 25 and 1: 9 (improved four places)
* Team Rankings.com: 7 (improved one place)

In Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology projections, Nebraska is a 4-seed for the 68-team NCAA Tournament.

Nebraska-Ohio State analysis

Something to watch: How Nebraska bounces back from a highly emotional win over Michigan State. The Ohio State crowd will be revved up at the sight of the 14-0 Huskers. The Buckeyes can enhance their NCAA resume with a win over the Huskers. If Hoiberg has his team focused and the players are “business-like” as the coach says they are, Nebraska could be in good position to keep the winning streak going. Last season, the Huskers lost in Columbus, 116-114, in double overtime on March 4, a defeat that likely hurt their NCAA chances.

Nebraska at Indiana

When: Saturday, 11 a.m. CT
Where: Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, Bloomington
Records: Nebraska 14-0, 3-0 in Big Ten; Indiana, 10-3, 1-1 in Big Ten. The Hoosiers are 9-0 at home.
TV: BTN

Indiana rankings

* Associated Press Top 25: Not ranked
* NCAA Net Ratings: 33
* USA Today Coaches Poll: 39
* Kenpom.com: 28
* ESPN Power Rankings: 17 (improved by two places)
* Top 25 and 1: Not ranked
* Team Rankings.com: 68 (dropped three places)

In Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology projections, Indiana is an 11-seed as one of the “last four byes” for the 68-team NCAA Tournament.

Nebraska rankings

In Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology projections, Nebraska is a 4-seed for the 68-team NCAA Tournament.

Indiana guard Lamar Wilkerson is averaging 20.2 points in home games. Nebraska is at Indiana on Saturday. | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Nebraska-Indiana analysis

Indiana is 9-0 at home and has two games before Nebraska comes to Bloomington — Sunday vs. Washington (the Hoosiers’ first game since Dec. 22), and Wednesday at Maryland.

If the Hoosiers can stay focused and not be distracted by the football team’s run to the College Football Playoff semifinals, IU won’t be easy for Nebraska.

Indiana features balanced scoring. Indiana guard Lamar Wilkerson — no relation to the legendary Hoosier Bobby Wilkerson of the 1976 NCAA championship team — should be the focus of the Huskers’ defense. Wilkerson, a 6-foot-6 senior, can light it up, averaging 20.2 points in home games and 19.0 points overall.