Nebraska

Nebraska change that could hand Donald Trump win is “50/50″—Lindsey Graham

Published

4 days ago

September 23, 2024

Nebraska change that could hand Donald Trump win is “50/50″—Lindsey Graham

Republican South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham has described the chances of Nebraska changing how it hands out its Electoral College votes before November’s election as “50/50.”

Graham is among several Donald Trump supporters pushing for Nebraska to switch to a winner-takes-all system and recently traveled to the state to meet with GOP lawmakers to discuss bringing forward the change.

Currently, Nebraska divides up its five Electoral College votes by giving one to the winner of each of the state’s three congressional districts, with two votes going to the presidential candidate who wins the popular vote statewide.

The change to the system—giving the winner of the statewide popular vote all its Electoral College votes—could have a major impact on the neck-and-neck race between Kamala Harris and the former president. The vice president is currently expected to get one Electoral College vote by winning Nebraska’s 2nd congressional district, as President Joe Biden did in 2020.

In this scenario, Harris could reach 270 Electoral College votes by just winning the three so-called “blue wall” battleground states of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan, barring any shock results elsewhere in November.

If Trump were to win all of Nebraska’s five Electoral College votes in a winner-takes-all system, as well as the swing states of North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada, the election would end in a 269-269 tie. In that scenario, the president would be chosen by the GOP-controlled House of Representatives, which favors Trump.

Senator Lindsey Graham on July 31, 2024, in Washington, D.C. Graham described the chances of Nebraska changing how it hands out Electoral College as “50/50.”

Kent Nishimura/Getty Images

Speaking to NBC’s Meet the Press, Graham discussed the likelihood of Nebraska voting to change to a winner-takes-all system, noting the importance of such a change in the 2024 race.

“It is a very close election. 63 days ago, [Senate Majority Leader] Chuck Schumer led a coup to overthrow Joe Biden, and he’s telling me, or any other Republican, what we should be doing,” Graham said.

“If they change the law in Nebraska, it won’t be on the phone in the middle of the night. It will be through a democratic process. The entire federal delegation of Nebraska, House members and two senators, want this change.

“To my friends in Nebraska, that one electoral vote could be the difference between Harris being president or not, and she’s a disaster for Nebraska and the world,” Graham said.

Host Kristen Welker pushed back on claims the Democrats ran a “coup” against Biden, who ended his reelection campaign in July in the wake of his poor performance at the CNN presidential debate, as the party has a “right to change” who’s at the top of the ticket.

In response, Graham said, “So does Nebraska.”

When asked what he believes are the chances of such a change taking place, Graham replied, “50/50, down to two people.”

Nebraska State Senator Mike McDonnell of Omaha, who switched from Democrat to Republican in April, recently said he is against switching to a winner-takes-all system.

Graham’s office has been contacted for comment via email.

Nebraska, a GOP stronghold, changed its Electoral College system for the 1992 presidential election. Maine, a historically blue state, is the only other state not to implement a winner-takes-all system in presidential elections.

The five Republicans who represent Nebraska in Congress support a move to a winner-takes-all system.

Nebrask’s Republican Governor Jim Pillen said he would call a special session to vote on a change if he has the required support from 33 Republican state senators to break the filibuster threshold.

In a statement, the Nebraska Democratic Party said that voters “don’t need out-of-state interests to come in and tell us to change the way we’ve been doing things for decades—especially when ballots have already been sent out.”

“We are proud of the state senators who have been consistent and steadfast in standing up for Nebraskans having a voice in our electoral process and will continue to do so,” the statement added.

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Nebraska

Two West Nile virus deaths reported in central Nebraska

Published

5 hours ago

September 27, 2024

Press Room

Two West Nile virus deaths reported in central Nebraska

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — Nebraska reported its first West Nile virus deaths of the year on Thursday.

The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services said two deaths had been reported in the central part of the state.

There are an average of six West Nile deaths in Nebraska each year.

Fatal cases of the virus are very rare. Only about 1 in 150 people infected develop a serious illness.

People 50 or older and those with compromised immune systems are at the greatest risk, according to DHHS.

The are no vaccines or medicines for West Nile, the department said.

Tags: Central Nebraska, compromised immune systems, deaths, DHHS, fatal, Illness, Nebraska, nebraska department of health and human services, serious illness, virus, West Nile, west nile virus

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Nebraska

How to Watch Purdue Football’s Big Ten Opener vs. Nebraska

Published

16 hours ago

September 26, 2024

Press Room

How to Watch Purdue Football’s Big Ten Opener vs. Nebraska

Purdue’s football team is looking to get back on the right track this weekend after losing back-to-back games to Notre Dame and Oregon State. The Boilermakers open Big Ten play on Saturday, playing Nebraska.

The Huskers are also hungry to get back in the win column after suffering a heartbreaking overtime loss to Big Ten foe Illinois last weekend.

Here’s everything you need to know about how to watch and listen Saturday’s game between the Boilermakers and Cornhuskers.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Ryan Walters, Purdue: Walters is in his second season as the coach at Purdue, coming off a 4-8 campaign in 2023. Although Walters had stops as a defensive coordinator at Missouri and Illinois, he acknowledged that he met some challenges in his first season as the leader of a program. Throughout the offseason, Walters said he “learned a lot” in his first year with the Boilermakers. Walters’ second season has gotten off to a roller coaster start, with Purdue defeating Indiana State 49-0 in the opener and falling 66-7 to Notre Dame and Oregon State 38-21 in the first three games of the 2024 campaign.

Matt Rhule, Nebraska: Rhule is in his second season with Nebraska after leading the Huskers to a 5-7 record in the 2023 season. Known for his ability to rebuild programs, there was a lot of hype surrounding the 2024 campaign in Lincoln. Rhule’s team is off to a 3-1 start, with the lone loss coming to Illinois in overtime on Sept. 20. Nebraska’s calling card comes on the defensive side of the football but has made significant strides overall with quarterback Dylan Raiola running the show. Prior to his arrival at Nebraska, Rhule had stops with Temple, Baylor and a brief stint with the NFL’s Carolina Panthers. Rhule has an overall record of 55-51 across nine seasons in college football.

NEBRASKA AD SENDS LETTER TO BIG TEN: Nebraska athletic director Troy Dannen isn’t a fan of hosting Friday night games. He confirmed sending a letter to Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti about it. CLICK HERE

BIG TEN WEEK 5 POWER RANKINGS: Michigan ran all over USC in a 27-24 win. Was Alex Orji the answer at quarterback all along? Can the Wolverines run through the Big Ten again? CLICK HERE

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Nebraska

Nebraska Soccer kicks off home portion of conference slate Thursday

Published

1 day ago

September 26, 2024

Press Room

Nebraska Soccer kicks off home portion of conference slate Thursday

LINCOLN, Neb. (Nebraska Athletics Press Release) – The Nebraska soccer team (3-6-0, 0-3-0 Big Ten) is looking to bounce back after a four-match losing skid as the Huskers host a pair of conference foes in Illinois and #15 Penn State. Both matches will be played at Hibner Stadium, as NU faces the Fighting Illini on Thursday at 7:05 p.m. (CT) and the Nittany Lions on Sunday at 12 p.m. (CT). Thursday’s match will be streamed on Big Ten Plus, while Sunday’s game will be aired nationally on BTN.

Fans can purchase general admission and single match tickets to each game by calling 1-800-8 BIG RED or by visiting //Huskers.com/tickets.

Scouting Illinois

Illinois finished the 2023 season with a 6-8-3 mark overall and 2-6-2 record in conference play. The Huskers topped Illinois 4-2 to close the season, and Illinois didn’t qualify for postseason play.
The Fighting Illini are 4-4-2 on the season with quality wins over DePaul and Illinois State. After traveling to Nebraska on Thursday, Illinois will host Maryland on Sunday.
Head Coach Janet Rayfield is in her 23rd season at the helm of the Illinois soccer program. The winningest coach in Illinois soccer history holds a 230-179-45 career record, while totalling 104 conference victories.
Illinois leads the all-time series 8-6-0 between the two teams. NU has won the last three matchups.

Scouting #15 Penn State

In the 2023 season, Penn State finished 16-3-4 overall and made it to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament but fell 2-1 to top-ranked Clemson.
Penn State has opened the 2024 season with an 8-2-1 record and six shutouts. The Nittany Lions face #18 Iowa on Thursday night before its matchup against Nebraska on Sunday.
Head Coach Erica Dambach is in her 18th season at Penn State and 31st season overall. With the Nittany Lions, Dambach holds a 282-94-30 record.
Penn State leads the all-time series between the programs, 7-3-2, dating back to 2011. Most recently, PSU topped Nebraska in 2023, 1-0.

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