Former Nebraska State Senator Brett Lindstrom is one step closer to running for governor. Lindstrom has submitted the signatures to appear on the November ballot. Lindstrom's campaign announced yesterday that they had filed more than 57-hundred petition signatures to the Nebraska Secretary of State's Office.
State Senator Margo Juarez has revealed her breast cancer diagnosis. In a social media post Monday morning, Juarez says she remains committed to serving her constituents while receiving treatment. She added that she's approaching this journey "with faith, determination, and gratitude for the outstanding care I am receiving." Juarez was elected to the Legislature in 2024 and represents District 5.
Iowa is one of 15 states calling for transparency and accountability from OpenAI following the hacking of another AI company. The Iowa Attorney General's Office says this comes after Open AI used an experimental model that hacked into AI company Hugging Face. In a letter, the states argue OpenAI may have violated state and federal consumer protection laws and are asking the company to preserve any relevant documents or data regarding the hack and to ensure that no OpenAI employees face backlash for reporting any unlawful activities.
A new state report shows staff turnover at Iowa nursing homes has improved, but remains high. Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand says 44-percent of registered nurses employed at nursing homes in 2024 had left by the next year. Sand says state inspections of nursing homes rose substantially to once a year, compared to once every 17 months reported in 2024.He credits the funding approved by the Reynolds administration and the Iowa Legislature to hire more inspectors.The report also shows the number of nursing homes in Iowa declined by 17 since 2024, but the number of residents per facility is low and among the best in the country.
A relief fund for businesses along Omaha's streetcar construction route is launched. The five-million-dollar fund will offer grants and loans to business owners who have documented losses from more than a year of construction. The Nebraska Enterprise Fund has teamed up with the Streetcar Alliance and a private donor to deliver 10-thousand-dollar grants to 27 businesses in phase one of the program. Phase two calls for a 10-thousand-dollar grant plus a forgivable loan of up to 50-thousand-dollars for businesses that have a 10-percent revenue drop year over year, while phase three provides loans up to 100-thousand-dollars with two percent interest for newer businesses along the streetcar route.