Nebraska
Nebraska labor union told members political rally was 'mandatory' – Washington Examiner
EXCLUSIVE — Divisions spilled over in a Nebraska labor union after it initially said members were required to attend a political event for the state’s independent Senate nominee, Dan Osborn.
The long shot candidate is challenging Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) in a Trump-dominated state for a seat that has become more competitive but still favors the second-term GOP incumbent. There is no Democratic candidate.
The United Association of Steamfitters and Plumbers Local 464 is hosting a Saturday rally for Osborn that includes United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain, but the event has been tainted in controversy after members were told five days in advance that attendance at the union hall was “mandatory” and that absent members would face repercussions.
A steamfitters union instructor informed the chapter’s several hundred apprentices by email Monday that they were “required” to be at the union hall Saturday at the same time as the Osborn rally, according to emails obtained by the Washington Examiner. The message made no mention of the political event.
“You all are needed! This Saturday, October 12, you are all required to be at the hall at 11 am,” the email said. “If you are not present it will be counted as an unexcused absence. You will be required to do 2 Saturday Make ups if absent. This Saturday is MANDATORY ATTENDACE.”
A longtime union member, who was granted anonymity out of fear of retribution from union leaders against him and other members, accused steamfitters union leaders of orchestrating a political event akin to a “phantom gun” to avoid scrutiny and that apprentices feared speaking out.
“If it looks like a duck, it’s a duck,” the union member told the Washington Examiner. “If you look at the time that they’re to meet, and then they say, ‘Oh, it’s just a coincidence they’re having this rally and we’re invited, so let’s go.’”
Osborn was a former steamfitter apprentice at the same union chapter before launching his Senate bid.
“They really support Osborn. I’m okay with it,” the union member continued. “But there’s moral ethics, and when you force people to do something, where’s the free-will choice?”
Fischer and other Republicans have dubbed Osborn a “Democrat in sheep’s clothing,” an unrelenting moniker that he’s tried to distance himself from publicly by disassociating with Democrats and far-left figures, such as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT). Privately, he’s continued to praise Sanders. Fain’s support has played into the GOP narrative, as he also endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris and vehemently opposed former President Donald Trump.
It was unclear whether the original mandatory rally could have run afoul of labor laws or the union’s own bylaws, but legal experts described it as an eyebrow-raising scenario due to warnings of consequences.
After the Washington Examiner reached out to the union, the same individual who sent the mandatory notice sent a follow-up email informing apprentices that their attendance would no longer be required but was still encouraged.
“Due to a conflict with other events that were recently scheduled at the hall, the mandatory JATC Saturday event will be cancelled,” the email said. “You are still encouraged to bring your families to the events that are taking place at the hall this weekend.”
Brett DaHart, the union business manager, said the initial requirement was the result of a rogue apprentice instructor and a “complete miscommunication” over other unrelated events set to occur at the union hall around the same time as the Osborn rally.
“I communicated with him and asked him to reach out to get as many people as we could to attend this event,” DaHart said in a phone interview. “He, in turn, not even having the authority or knowing what he was doing, sent out an email that it was mandatory to come. That is absolutely not the case. He had two things misconstrued on what was going on, and I will take responsibility for it because I must not have explained myself well enough.”
DaHart reiterated that members would not face repercussions and that such a threat should not have been conveyed. He said a health fair for retirees will be held indoors while the Osborn rally will take place outside in the parking lot as an entirely separate and voluntary event.
“I did ask him to ask some of the kids to come and represent because Dan is one of our members, but it was never going to be a mandatory thing to come to that event,” DaHart said of the rally.
The Osborn campaign said it was unaware of the saga and that steamfitter union leaders also informed them it was a mistake.
Fischer Campaign Manager Derek Oden said in a statement to the Washington Examiner that there was “no excuse to force [Osborn’s] own former union members to work for his campaign against their will. We encourage him to follow the law and respect those steamfitters who choose not to support him.”
Labor union legal experts suggested the union originally operated in a grey territory of the law.
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“I’ve never seen a union try to level penalties against a member for not going to a political rally,” said attorney David Pryzbylski, who represents employers in union matters for Barnes & Thornburg. “I don’t know that that would be a violation of the National Labor Relations Act, but certainly, I think that could be viewed the wrong way by some people.”
Georgia State University College of Law professor Daniel Bowling said it would be one thing to invite a candidate to a union meeting to discuss political matters but that mandating a rally “would be very problematic legally, and certainly if they threatened people with punishment for not attending.”
OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – A deeper look tonight as First Alert 6 continues to dig deeper into the state of mental health care in Nebraska and possible solutions, ever since last week’s two instances involving law enforcement.
A Douglas County sheriff’s deputy was shot responding to a domestic call. Investigators said the suspect, Brian Huggins, had a history of behavioral health issues. Huggins died by suicide.
And then Noemi Guzman, who police say kidnapped a 3-year-old from inside an Omaha Walmart and cut him in the arm and face with a stolen kitchen knife. Omaha police officers shot and killed her before she could strike again.
Guzman had been on a court-ordered mental health treatment plan since last summer for her schizophrenia. According to court records, psychiatrists determined she could live in the community. Remember, this was after she was arrested for setting her father’s house on fire and threatening a priest with a knife.
Monitoring system
We wanted to know who is part of the system monitoring those who may not be following their mental health treatment plan and are a risk to others or themselves. When that happens, the Board of Mental Health will often notify the local sheriff so a warrant can be issued and deputies can track the individual down.
Here are the numbers since 2023:
In 2023, 842 warrants were issued for those not following their treatment plans according to the Board of Mental Health. In 2024, 756. In 2025, 690. So far in 2026, 190.
But out of these 2,500 warrants, 85% of them didn’t have a second warrant, meaning deputies picked them up, got them back into treatment and the individuals continued to thrive after the one hiccup.
But in 15% of these cases, the individuals messed up again and had another warrant issued by the Board of Mental Health. Twenty-five individuals had five or more issued in Douglas County.
Sheriff Hanson said there has to be a better way, a more team approach for this.
One model to explore is the way Nebraska’s problem-solving courts work like drug court and veterans’ treatment court where experts from a variety of stakeholders help individuals who are on the fringes to do everything to make them productive citizens.
Copyright 2026 WOWT. All rights reserved.
(InvestigateTV) — Sometimes sports are about more than the final score.
For Jack Burke, a high school football player in Nebraska, a medical diagnosis at birth has never stopped him from competing — and a touchdown catch in his first play back from open heart surgery proved it.
Born with a rare heart defect
Burke was born with Scimitar syndrome, a rare heart defect in which babies are born with an underdeveloped right lung and pulmonary artery. The condition also affects blood flow to the right lung. Treatment often includes surgery, and many adults with the condition go on to live healthy lives.
“As a kid, I never really understood,” Burke said. “It was always natural for me that I had to push myself harder to keep up.”
His mother, Bridget Burke, says the condition was not initially considered dangerous for sports participation.
“His Scimitar Syndrome never really came into play as being dangerous for him to play sports,” she said.
The decision to operate
That changed in the spring of 2025, when Burke’s family and doctors decided it was time for a surgery that had been anticipated for years.
“I’ve kind of known I’ve had to get surgery my whole life,” Burke said. “Once I knew I could get the surgery sooner, I was all in. I wanted to get it so I could get back to sports.”
His father, Ryan Burke, says the timing was deliberate.
“This will be done before school gets started, and still have a chance to do almost everything you want to do,” Ryan Burke said.
Jack Burke underwent open-heart surgery, leaving a visible reminder of what he went through.
“There’s a six-inch scar in the middle of his chest that represents a pretty big thing that happened,” Ryan Burke said.
For Bridget Burke, the moment her son was taken to the operating room was difficult.
“When the rubber hits the road and your kid is being wheeled back to the OR, it is scary and emotional,” she said.
The comeback
Burke eased back into football following his cardiologist’s recommended recovery timeline. His return came in week three of the season.
“Before the Schuyler game I talked to his dad and he’s like, ‘I think we might be ready,’” said coach Jay Landstrom.
Bridget Burke says the family approached the return with caution.
“I mean, I was nervous. We didn’t really know how much he would play. It was going to be some cautious situations,” she said.
Those concerns were set aside — at least for a moment — when Burke caught a touchdown pass on his very first play back.
“All the parents were high-fiving everybody and they were like, ‘Was that really Jack?’” Bridget Burke said.
Landstrom called it a special moment.
“It was just meant to be and that was really special,” he said.
For Burke, the touchdown meant something beyond the scoreboard.
“I just remember one of my teammates came up to me and said, ‘He’s back. He’s back,’” Burke said. “It kind of shows something that tried to stop me — I hurdled that obstacle.”
Burke says the surgery has given him a new sense of freedom.
“Now I can do whatever I want. Nothing can hold me back,” he said.
Copyright 2026 Gray Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
The results are in for the Nebraska Lottery’s draw games on Sunday, April 19, 2026.
Here’s a look at winning numbers for each game on April 19.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from April 19 drawing
4-3-3
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 5 numbers from April 19 drawing
14-19-24-30-34
Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning 2 By 2 numbers from April 19 drawing
Red Balls: 01-02, White Balls: 09-26
Check 2 By 2 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning MyDay numbers from April 19 drawing
Month: 08, Day: 16, Year: 61
Check MyDay payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from April 19 drawing
32-42-52-53-55, Bonus: 05
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Nebraska Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3, 5: By 10 p.m. CT daily.
- Lucky For Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
- 2 By 2: By 10 p.m. CT daily.
- MyDaY: By 10 p.m. CT daily.
- Lotto America: 9:15 p.m CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a USA Today editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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