Nebraska
Trump allies make another push to change Nebraska's Electoral College law
A top Donald Trump ally is pressuring Nebraska Republicans to award all of their state’s Electoral College votes to the statewide winner, a late-stage rule change that could potentially help return Trump to the White House.
Nebraska and Maine are the only states that split their electoral votes by congressional district, and both have done so in recent presidential elections. In Nebraska, which is solidly Republican, that means one of the state’s five votes is competitive for Democrats.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., met recently with GOP lawmakers in the state to encourage them to make a change supported by the state’s all-Republican congressional delegation and Republican Gov. Jim Pillen. The change was discussed earlier this year but lacked the votes to pass. Now, with Trump in an extremely close race against Democrat Kamala Harris where every electoral vote matters, his allies are making another push.
“To my friends in Nebraska, that one electoral vote could be the difference between Harris being president and not, and she’s a disaster for Nebraska and the world,” Graham said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
Trump’s allies have been calling on Nebraska Republicans for months to make a switch despite a lack of necessary support in the state legislature. But there’s new urgency to their push with fewer than 50 days until the election and Trump and Harris locked in a tight race across several battlegrounds.
There is a plausible scenario where the election ends up being decided by the voters in Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District, a swing district in the Omaha area.
This year, if Harris wins the three so-called blue wall battlegrounds of Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania while Trump wins the four Sun Belt battlegrounds of North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada, the result would be a 269-268 split in the Electoral College in favor of Harris.
Nebraska’s 2nd District, which went for President Joe Biden four years ago, could give Harris the decisive 270th electoral vote. Or, if Trump were to win, the election would end in a 269-269 tie. In that scenario, the president would be chosen by the House of Representatives, with each state’s delegation getting a single vote — a scenario that favors the former president.
The five Republicans who represent Nebraska in Congress urged their colleagues in the state to change the law in a letter dated Wednesday, saying “the state should speak with a united voice in presidential elections.”
Any legislative change would require Pillen, the governor, to call lawmakers into a special session. He said in a statement he would “enthusiastically” do so if he gets a “clear and public indication” that there are 33 votes in favor, the minimum necessary to pass in Nebraska’s single legislative chamber.
Nebraska Democrats have started showing support for the state’s electoral vote split with yard signs showing a blue dot on a white background, symbolizing their potential role of the metro Omaha district as an island of blue surrounded by Republican red in the rest of Nebraska.
Republicans currently control 33 seats in the Legislature but they are not united in support. One of those Republicans, state Sen. Mike McDonnell, recently switched parties but still represents a district that includes Democrats who oppose an Electoral College switch.
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A McDonnell spokesperson told KETV in Omaha on Thursday that the senator “has heard compelling arguments from both sides, and as of today, remains a ‘no.’”
The system has long confounded Republicans, who have been unable to force the state into a winner-take-all system since Barack Obama became the first presidential contender to shave off one of the state’s five electoral votes in 2008. Biden in 2020 was the only other Democrat to capture Nebraska’s 2nd District electoral vote.
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This story has been updated to correct the spelling of a state senator’s name as Mike McDonnell, not McDonald.
Nebraska
Shelter in place issued after suspicious object found in mailbox
GRAND ISLAND, Neb. — UPDATE: Grand Island Police said around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday that the shelter in place order has been lifted .
GIPD said the item was retrieved by the Nebraska State Patrol Bomb Squad, who is investigating.
The area has also now been reopened.
ORIGINAL STORY:
The Grand Island Police Department has cordoned off a local block and is urging residents to shelter in place.
According to GIPD, officers responded to the 4300 block of Sherwood Road just before 2:00 p.m. Tuesday afternoon. A resident reported finding a suspicious cylindrical object wrapped in duct tape inside a home.
The Nebraska State Patrol Bomb Squad has been called to the scene to investigate the device.
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Nebraska
68 students chosen as Nebraska Young Artist Award winners
The University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts has announced the winners of the 29th annual Nebraska Young Artist Awards.
The awards recognize 11th-grade students from Nebraska for their talents in visual art, dance, music, theatre, and film and emerging media arts.
Sixty-eight students from more than 40 high schools across the state have been selected as award winners and will be invited to a day of activities on campus March 25.
“Our faculty always look forward to this event,” said Chris Watson, director of recruitment for the college and coordinator of the awards. “They love meeting enthusiastic young artists, working with them and celebrating their talent.”
Students applied for the recognition and submitted an example of their work. Applications were received from 92 students. Hixson-Lied College faculty chose the winners.
Award winners were also asked to nominate the teacher who provided them with the greatest amount of mentoring and support in the development of their special talents.
Each student will receive a certificate and an original piece of artwork commissioned for the event and created by a School of Art, Art History and Design student.
Following is a list of award winners by hometown, with their high school and specialty area(s).
Aurora:
- Calvin Miller, Aurora, music
Beaver City:
- Johnathan Eakin, Southern Valley, visual arts
Bellevue:
- Mami Lloyd, Bellevue West, music
Bennington:
- Liliana Martic, Bennington, music
Eagle:
- Jorie Goings, Waverly, dance
Firth:
- Petra Van Cleave, home school, music
Fremont:
- Xavier Herre, Bergan Catholic, theatre
Fullerton:
- Lylla Sabata, Fullerton, music
Gretna:
- Lillian Bock, Gretna, music
Harvard:
- Allee Jarzynka, Harvard, music
Hendley:
- Lily Jordan, Southern Valley, visual arts
Hooper:
- Leo Arellano, Logan View, visual arts
- Ellsie Meier, Logan View, visual arts
Kearney:
- Kruz Flamig, Kearney, visual arts
- Isaac Hooton, Kearney, visual arts
- Mariah Kaslon, Kearney, visual arts
- Landen Tilley, Kearney, visual arts
Lincoln:
- Alissa Brenning, Norris, dance
- Kali Brewer, Lincoln Southeast, visual arts
- Ava Engel, Lincoln Northeast, dance
- Emalie Fischer, Lincoln North Star, dance
- Adelyn Haden, Lincoln Standing Bear, dance and music
- Audrey Haugen, Lincoln Southwest, theatre
- Andrea Hu, Lincoln East, music
- Logan Lambrecht, Lincoln Southwest, music and theatre
- Mckinzey Lile, Lincoln North Star, dance
- Hayley Marshall, Lincoln Southwest, dance
- Riley Minster, Lincoln East, music
- Joslyn Morgan, Lincoln Southeast, music
- Ariadne Ottoson, home school, music
- Megan Plander, Lincoln Lutheran, theatre
- Lauren Ramey, LPS Arts and Humanities Focus Program, visual arts
- Blake Semrad, Lincoln Southwest, dance
- Emma Shaeffer, Lincoln Southwest, dance
- Taylor Sharpe, Lincoln Southwest, dance
- Hugh Skretta, Lincoln High, music
- Samuel Sulzle, Lincoln Northwest, music
- Brooks Xia, Lincoln East, music
Martell:
- Reese Thomas, home school, music
Norfolk:
- Noah Asbury, Norfolk, music
- Emily Henkel, Norfolk, music; Nathan Kaiser, Norfolk, music
- North Platte: Brett Pfeifer, North Platte, theatre
Omaha:
- Asher Abuhl, Trinity Classical Academy, music
- Adam Campagna, Omaha South, film and emerging media arts
- Liam Cowherd Richardson, Creighton Preparatory, music
- Regina Ho, Millard South, film and emerging media arts
- Connor Holmstedt, Fort Calhoun, music
- Kara Leininger, Duchesne Academy, music
- Jayden Li, Millard North, music; Violet Little, Omaha Central, dance
- Mrethi Magesh, Millard North, dance
- Venkatesan Marichamy, Millard North, dance
- Moyra Matthews, Duchesne Academy, dance and music
- Jackson Mu, Millard North, music
- Gauri Nair, Millard North, dance
- Angela Qi, Millard North, music
- Jackson Ramsey, Gretna East, music
- Tara Richardson, Creighton Prep, music
- Vandana Santhanam, Marian, music
- Caroline Soderlin, Millard North, music
- Akshara Venkatesan, Millard North, dance
- Caleigh Walkenhorst, Millard West, music
Osmond:
- Donovan Heiman, Osmond, theatre
Papillion:
- Emelia Weaver, Papillion-La Vista, music
Pierce:
- Spencer Sindt, Pierce, music
Randolph:
- Brecken Shearer, Randolph, visual arts
York:
- Allison Holmes, York, visual arts
Nebraska
Nebraska completes sweep over Michigan State in 12-2 seven-inning win
Nebraska baseball (10-5, 3-0) closed out its three-game series with Michigan State (3-11, 0-3) on Sunday afternoon. The Huskers completed the sweep over the Spartans, earning a 12-2 run-rule win in seven.
Nebraska shut down Michigan State early, scoring five runs in the bottom of the first after the Spartans took a 1-0 lead. The Huskers scored 11 straight before surrendering another run. The team totaled 11 hits and held Michigan State to three. The Spartans also suffered five errors.
Nebraska struck three home runs on the day, two off the bat of Dylan Carey. He hit 3-for-4 for four RBIs after hitting multiple two-run home runs. Preston Freeman also blasted a two-run shot over the wall to finish 1-for-3.
Case Sanderson brought in three RBIs after batting 2-for-4 with a double. Drew Grego also finished 2-for-4, earning one RBI. Mac Moyer grabbed one RBI off a double. Jett Buck and Joshua Overbeek each delivered one hit.
Gavin Blachowicz (2-1) won at the mound and pitched all seven innings for the Huskers. He struck out a career-high 11 batters and allowed three hits for two runs.
Nebraska remains at home for its next matchup, hosting North Dakota State on Wednesday night. The first pitch is set for 6 p.m. CT on B1G+.
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