Free Republic

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen on Wednesday signed into law the Stand With Women Act, which forbids biological males from competing in women’s sports in K-12 schools as well as at colleges and universities. “Because of the physical differences between males and females, having separate athletic teams based on the sex of the athlete reduces the chance of injury to female athletes, promotes equality between the sexes, provides opportunities for female athletes to compete against their female peers rather than against male athletes, and allows female athletes to compete on a fair playing field for scholarships and other athletic accomplishments,” the...

LINCOLN, Neb. (WOWT) - A bill on transgender athletes now goes to Gov. Jim Pillen’s desk. Wednesday night, state senators voted 33-16 to pass LB89, introduced by Omaha Sen. Kathleen Kauth. The bill was created to restrict trans athletes from participating in sports that align with their gender identity. Earlier this month, when the senators were debating the bill in the second round, lawmakers adopted Ralston Sen. Merv Riepe’s amendment, which removed part of bill that would have banned trans people from being able to use bathrooms that align with their gender identity in schools and state buildings

A middle-aged Nebraska surgeon ruined his enviable life after deciding to take part in a street-racing contest that left a 22 year-old woman dead. Mark Carlson, 63, was sentenced to 10-14 years in prison after he was convicted of the manslaughter killing of Anna Bosma in September, 2023. The thrillseeking medic was racing another driver when he lost control of his Mercedes and slammed head-on into Bosma's car at over 100mph, killing her on impact. Bosma's boyfriend was in the passenger seat and survived the deadly collision. The couple, who lived in South Dakota, was in Omaha for a Labor...

Omaha, NE – A 38-year-old woman was urgently transferred to the hospital after undergoing a dilation and curettage (D&C) abortion at the Planned Parenthood in Omaha, Nebraska, on February 3, 2025. According to 911 records secured by Operation Rescue, the woman was experiencing “heavier bleeding.” The 911 dispatcher, seeking to assess the urgency of the situation, asked the caller whether the bleeding was “pouring” or “squirting”—terms used to determine the potential for life-threatening hemorrhage. The clinic employee hesitated and then chuckled, saying she wasn’t “all the way down that end” to observe the bleeding directly. Such a careless attitude raises...

Former senior defense officials issued stark warnings to lawmakers Thursday about intensifying threats posed by unattributed drone incursions and unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) reported around the U.S. — particularly over military bases, assets, and nuclear facilities. “I don’t think the public is aware of the extent of our airspace vulnerabilities and failures, and the degree to which they’ve already been exploited and are being exploited today, and the challenge that we face in trying to sort this out,” Christopher Mellon, the former deputy assistant secretary of defense for intelligence, said during an event hosted on Capitol Hill by the UAP...

Ancient rhinos in Nebraska lived in large local herds and died slowly from volcanic ashfall, not sudden disaster. Credit: John Haxby/The University of Nebraska State Museum ************************************************************************* Volcanic eruption from 12 million years ago preserves a snapshot of extinct animal life. Rhinos that once roamed much of North America 12 million years ago likely lived in large herds, according to a new study by the University of Cincinnati. Researchers examined isotopes in the teeth of rhinos found in what is now northeast Nebraska. At this site, more than 100 rhinos died at a single water hole and were buried in...

A pregnant Nebraska woman's unborn baby helped save her life after she got into a nearly-fatal car crash, according to her doctors. Kate Via, a 23-year-old outdoors influencer, was 20 weeks pregnant with her son Isaac when her car crashed with a tow truck on November 21, 2024. The young woman was critically injured and is still battling through a rigorous recovery process. But her baby, who was born on Sunday, was miraculously unharmed and even helped her live through the traumatic incident. 'They said the baby saved me a little bit,' Via explained to KOAT, as her doctors said...

Nebraska Republican Mike Flood was heckled at a town hall event he hosted on Tuesday in Columbus, with a section of the crowd at one point chanting "tax the rich" at the House representative. Newsweek contacted Flood for comment on Wednesday outside of regular office hours via telephone and voicemail message. Why It Matters Flood is the latest in a succession of Republican politicians to receive a rough reception at town hall meetings across the U.S. since President Donald Trump's inauguration, with House Speaker Mike Johnson advising his GOP colleagues to stop hosting the in-person events earlier this month. Criticism...

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - As Republican lawmakers are being discouraged to hold town halls, Rep. Mike Flood (R-Neb.) powered on as the crowd chanted, “tax the rich.” “So your proposal to solve this is to tax the rich?” Flood asked the crowd. They responded with cheers. From social security to international relations, Nebraskans grilled Flood. “Would you oppose going to war with Canada?” one person asked. “Yes,” said Flood. “Canada is a long-time important ally of the United States of America.” The crowded liked that answer. Others elicited boos. This tense town hall is just a snapshot of politics across...

Deputies have been investigating at least four incidents of drivers either hitting or swerving to miss large objects left on Highway 36 at night — from a coffee table to a chair, and even a kid’s bicycle. In one instance, a young married couple escaped with their lives after dodging what they thought was a television in the middle of Highway 36 on a dark night in December. Their car crashed through a wire guardrail and slid into a ravine. They told First Alert 6 that they saw a man standing on the shoulder right after the crash. Sheriff Aaron...

Representative Don Bacon (R-NE) said Monday on CNN’s “The Situation Room” that President Donald Trump was playing into the hands of Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Ukraine conflict. Host Pamela Brown said, “Ukrainian President Zelensky will also be in Saudi Arabia but is not expected to attend these talks. Do you believe the white House is sidelining Zelensky in this peace process?” Bacon said, “That’s a terrible mistake not to have the Ukrainian leader in the talks.”

The story of a 1996 altercation in the parking lot of a Council Bluffs casino has seen new light after anonymous tips were made to news outlets in Seattle. Bruce Harrell, who was elected as the mayor of Seattle in 2021, allegedly confronted a person with a weapon and resisted arrest nearly three decades ago while outside the Ameristar Casino in Council Bluffs. The now-mayor said the incident was an example of racial profiling, and it inspired his position on police accountability. Harrell moved from Seattle to Omaha in the mid-1990s with his wife Joanne, who had accepted a job...

Nakara Alston was leaving her boyfriend when she learned she was eight weeks pregnant. In desperation, she got an abortion at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Albany, N.Y., and moved with her two daughters into a homeless shelter. But something was clearly wrong. Several weeks after the procedure, she was still bleeding heavily and suffering from painful cramps. She took another home pregnancy test, and when it came back positive, the clinic staff assured her that they had seen the aborted fetus and there was nothing to worry about. It was only after she went to an emergency room that...

The attorney representing the cities of Hobbs and Clovis, New Mexico, says he is “thrilled” with a ruling issued January 9 by the New Mexico Supreme Court that invalidates his clients’ local ordinances outlawing abortion. Jonathan F. Mitchell of Mitchell Law PLLC explained in a statement what might appear on the surface to be a surprising reaction to the loss. “This is the first court to hold that an ordinance requiring compliance with the federal Comstock Act prohibits the shipment and receipt of abortion-related paraphernalia in states where abortion remains legal,” Mitchell wrote. “We look forward to litigating these issues...

I would have written about this one yesterday, but I was enjoying the experience of getting a colonoscopy. But the story is still timely and, more importantly, a perfect example of how the Democrats and the Pravda Media create a nasty hoax out of an innocent event. I am speaking of the Great Handshake Controversy of January 6th. It was, according to the left, a very dark day in American history. Scott Jennings snarkily called it the High Holy Day of January 6th. This time the horror that must be expressed was not the storming of the Capitol building but...

Bruce Fischer, the husband of U.S. Senator for Nebraska Senator Deb Fischer, had an awkward exchange with Kamala Harris during the one-on-one ceremonial swearing-in of senators with their families. Following the oath, Harris tells Senator Fischer congratulations and shakes her hand. She then turns to Bruce, who took part in the ceremony by holding the bible for his wife, and extends her hand. Bruce declined the opportunity to shake hands with Harris, who awkwardly quipped, “I won’t bite.” Fischer declined the handshake and put his hands in his pockets. Harris looked surprised and smiled awkwardly.

Not soon after the general election, and within two weeks of each other, two major financial institutions have left a United Nations Net Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA). This is after they joined three years ago, pledging to require environmental social governance standards (ESG) across their platforms, products and systems. According to the "bank-led and UN-convened" NZBA, global banks joined the alliance, pledging to align their lending, investment, and capital markets activities with a net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, NZBA explains. Since April 2021, 145 banks in 44 countries with more than $73 trillion in assets have joined NZBA, tripling...

A groundbreaking lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas accuses financial giants BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street of colluding to manipulate the U.S. coal market. The case, spearheaded by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and supported by 10 other state attorneys general, alleges that these firms have used their substantial ownership stakes in major coal producers to suppress competition and artificially raise energy prices. The states listed as plaintiffs are” Texas Alabama Arkansas Indiana Iowa Kansas Missouri Montana Nebraska West Virginia Wyoming According to the 108-page complaint, BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street collectively...

The company behind the project cancelled it and the steel that was in ground has been removed, but it’s on the president-elect’s energy to-do list. Donald Trump is looking to revive the Keystone XL oil pipeline on his first day back in the White House, according to three people familiar with the president-elect’s plan, even though no companies are trying to build it anymore. Trump believes declaring the 1,200-mile Canada-to-Nebraska crude project back on the table would drive the pro-oil message he delivered in his campaign, said people involved in the transition team discussions about the idea. Trump also wants...

CV NEWS FEED // In the wake of the 2024 election, the president of Students for Life is calling on pro-life advocates to remain engaged, emphasizing that despite recent victories, the movement still faces significant challenges ahead. In a November 6 letter, Kristan Hawkins celebrated one of the biggest wins for the pro-life movement, which came from Florida. The state’s extreme abortion amendment was defeated, an outcome anticipated to save tens of thousands of lives this year. This victory was hard-won, Hawkins reported, with support from Governor Ron DeSantis and key contributions from pro-life groups. Other pro-life measures succeeded too,...