Nebraska
LULAC leadership, in rare visit to NE, lays plans for pilot program focused on immigrant workers
OMAHA, Neb. (Nebraska Examiner) – Top leaders of the nation’s oldest and largest Latino civil rights group made a rare visit to Nebraska this week to meet with business and civic officials as they seek to strengthen a local presence and forge new opportunities for Latinos and immigrants.
“We see it as the new frontier and growth opportunity for LULAC and Nebraska and the Heartland,” said David Cruz, senior advisor and national communications director for the Washington D.C.-based League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC).
Cruz said the trip marks the first to a state chapter for president Roman Palomares since he was elected to his post July 1, a sign he said recognizes Nebraska’s “strategic importance” for the country’s fastest-growing economic and labor demographic.
The two were joined by Hector Flores, past president and senior advisor to the LULAC president.
Used like a piñata
State LULAC director Elsa Aranda of Lincoln said a key meeting was held with Bryan Slone, president of the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce & Industry. The hope, she said, is to develop a pilot program that better taps the immigrant workforce to address the state’s labor shortage, and perhaps spread that model nationally.
“Immigration is being used like a piñata right now politically,” said Flores. He said LULAC is interested in ensuring that rights of immigrant workers are respected and in demonstrating how their contributions can contribute to local economies.
The group on Friday toured Metropolitan Community College’s 100,000-square-foot Automotive Training Center, which opened in late 2021 to prepare students for high-paying careers in the auto industry.
Palomares said he was impressed with the operation. He foresees LULAC working with Metro, whose student population is 18% Latino, to help build upon programming and perhaps bring successful models to other LULAC sites.
“My big deal is growing the youth and opportunities for young adults,” said Palomares.
While not a new presence in Nebraska, the LULAC advocacy organization, which has 535 councils and 145,000 members nationwide, has recently started to become more active locally.
It identifies as nonpartisan. But after their Omaha meetings, the LULAC team headed to Nevada, where members of the organization’s PAC executive board and others planned Saturday to announce their endorsement of Kamala Harris for president.
The political arm of the nearly century-old LULAC, formed in 1929 to protect rights of Americans of Mexican descent, says it marks the organization’s first endorsement of any president.
Attention to Nebraska
Within the last year, the national LULAC sent out media releases drawing attention to Nebraska events, including a fatal shooting of two Hispanic men by off-duty Omaha police officers and the Omaha City Council’s decision to overlook “three highly educated, successful Latino candidates” to fill a vacant seat and instead appoint a white male to represent the council district with the highest concentration of Latinos.
The national group also called out the Nebraska Chamber for not inviting LULAC to an earlier event regarding the state’s immigrant workforce.
Palomares said it was the same general subjects that prompted the visit: underrepresentation of Latinos in elected positions, police relations and immigration.
He said much work is ahead, but that he felt “well received” by those he met, including Slone, a few Omaha City Council members, a deputy Omaha police chief, Douglas County Commissioner Roger Garcia, State Sen. Tony Vargas of Omaha.
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Nebraska
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.
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
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.”
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.
Nebraska
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.
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.
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.
Several schools are starting to stand out for 2027 EDGE Griff Galloway, according to @ChadSimmons_ 👀
Read: https://t.co/x6Oa8PXNGy pic.twitter.com/mMAQszZZgb
— Rivals (@Rivals) December 19, 2025
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.
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.
Grateful to be named RBC player of the week vs Rolesville @ChadGrier_ @PrepRedzoneNC @pepman704 @247recruiting @RBC pic.twitter.com/zlqa4DFMah
— Griff Galloway (@Griff_Galloway) September 6, 2025
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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