Two new political parties are certified in Nebraska. Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen issued certifications that establish the Nebraska Working Party and the America First Party. The move comes following a ruling by the Nebraska Supreme Court, which allowed the formation of the two political parties. The parties can now field candidates for the November election.
A Lancaster County judge is throwing out a lawsuit that sought to place Democrat William Forbes back on the ballot for Nebraska's U.S. Senate seat. Judge Susan Strong ruled yesterday in favor of the Nebraska Democratic party and dismissed the case with prejudice. The move will allow the Nebraska Democratic Party to continue supporting independent candidate Dan Osborn's campaign against Republican incumbent Senator Pete Ricketts. Forbes, who lost the Democratic primary to Cindy Burbank, filed a lawsuit last month after Burbank dropped out of the race.
Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers has announced a 17-point-one-billion dollar settlement with Meta Platforms Wednesday morning. Meta must implement a series of safety measures, including hard caps on daily time limits for children and enhancements to the age-verification process on Facebook and Instagram. The attorney general's office said the agreement resolves claims by 47-states and four U.S. territories that the company built Instagram features, knowingly harmed young users' mental health and misled the public about safety. Under the settlement, Nebraska will receive over 201-million dollars.
A curbside composting program in Omaha is urging more residents to sign up. Hillside Solutions Composting Club is trying to increase its membership from 300 homes to more than 16-hundred homes by the end of the year. The program, which is in its fourth month of operation in Omaha, collects trash and turns it into farming material.
Omaha police are taking new measures to protect people in the Old Market area. Officials say they have newly assigned dedicated officers in the area. A new security camera has also been installed. The changes come after residents and business owners reported an increase in aggressive panhandling and unhoused people in the area.
The Omaha City Council has voted to approve a downtown hotel development that had been recommended for denial in the past. Construction for the Drury Hotel near 10th and Harney is set to continue as planned. Hotel officials applied for a tax incentive to help cover construction costs, but Omaha's downtown hotel incentive policy stated that it didn't meet the city's "upper upscale class category." The council voted 7-0 to approve the project and the tax incentive with some written guarantees from the hotel developer.