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A Nebraska Air Force employee was arrested Saturday for sharing classified information about the war in Ukraine. David Slater, a 63-year-old employee at the Offutt Air Force Base, faces one count of conspiracy to disclose national defense information and two counts of unauthorized disclosure of national defense information.

Purchasers of land in all or part of eight western Nebraska counties would have to certify they are not affiliated with any foreign adversaries.

As the University of Nebraska continues the search for a new president, interim president Chris Kabourek said he wants to keep the university moving forward. Nebraska Public Media’s Jolie Peal sat down with Kabourek to discuss his goals for the university as challenges like budget cuts continue.

Host Intro: Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen has vetoed a bill allowing Nebraska cities to establish needle exchange programs for drug users. Sen. Meghan Hunt, chief sponsor of the legislation, says she’ll try to override the veto.

Nebraska state senators approved two amendments Monday on LB 1087, which would increase Medicaid funding for the state’s hospitals.

School boards could let teachers and other staff carry guns in school, under a proposal advanced by the Legislature’s Education Committee today/Thursday. And senators advanced a proposal aimed at helping native American tribal members experiencing mental health crises.

A seventeen-year-old from Hall County, accused in a massive sextortion case involving multiple victims must face the charges as an adult. The judge in the case called the teenager “an extreme threat to the security of the public.” Cody Holum argued he would benefit from the counseling and rehabilitation services available to a juvenile defendant until he was 19 years old. A Hall County District Judge determined just a year’s worth of services would not provide enough time to deal with the “alarming” behavior he’s shown over several years.

Nebraska’s chief medical officer, Dr. Timothy Tesmer, was scheduled to provide clarification on the state’s gender affirming care regulations for minors at a briefing Thursday afternoon. However, he and the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services declined to attend. Last week, the Health and Human Services Committee requested a briefing from Tesmer to clarify the final rules and regulations of LB574, which was passed by the legislature last year.

The U.S. Department of Education aims to send completed 2024-25 Free Applications for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSAs, to colleges in March. The FAFSA typically goes out in October, but for the 2024-25 form, there have been roadblocks due to needed changes from the FAFSA Simplification Act.

The Nebraska legislature heard arguments for and against a bill that would allow a controversial execution method to be used in the state. Nebraska Public Media’s Kassidy Arena reports if passed, the state would be the fourth in the U.S. to approve nitrogen gas for executions.

Host Intro: Debate in the Nebraska Legislature over inheritance taxes Wednesday showed a generational divide, and raised questions about whether senators were debating things that are irrelevant to many Nebraskans.

As of January, Nebraskans can start donating to scholarship granting organizations, or SGOs, to fund tuition for students going to private schools. In return, donors receive a dollar-for-dollar tax credit. There are currently four certified SGOs in the state.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has launched a new program in an effort to attract and retain teachers from diverse backgrounds. Nebraska Public Media’s Kassidy Arena has the details.

Host Intro: Fines and penalties would increase for distracted driving that resulted in someone dying, under a proposal heard Tuesday by a legislative committee. And lawmakers continued to debate abolishing the state’s inheritance tax. From the Capitol, Fred Knapp of Nebraska Public Media News has this legislative update:

A pregnancy-related death is when a person dies during pregnancy– or within a year after the pregnancy due to complications or pre-existing conditions. In some Midwest states, maternal mortality rates are higher than the national average. As Nebraska Public Media’s Kassidy Arena/ KBIA’s Anna Spidel report for the Midwest Newsroom, the data on Hispanic women can be particularly challenging.

Leading up to the death of Kevin Carter at the Nebraska State Penitentiary in Lincoln, Angelo Bol allegedly threatened his cellmate's life. They remained in the same cell. That’s among the many accusations filed in federal court this month alleging negligence by former and current Nebraska Department of Correctional Services employees. Former director of the NDCS, Scott Frakes, and warden Michele Wilhelm are included in the total of 12 employees listed in the lawsuit.

A group of gun owners and the City of Lincoln will square off in Lancaster County District Court to argue whether there can be limits on carrying guns in parks and government buildings. Similiar restrictions put in place by Omaha's mayor have temporarily been put on hold by another judge.

Experts in media, election security and counterterrorism spoke on ChatGPT, deep fake videos, voice cloning and more at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Saturday for Civic Nebraska’s AI and Democracy Community Summit. The panel included UNL public relations professor Bryan Wang, UNL journalism professor Matt Waite, Douglas County Election Commissioner Brian Kruse and UNO counterterrorism center director, Gina Ligon.

The Nebraska Legislature moved Friday toward restoring its oversight authority for state agencies, and lawmakers heard a proposal to help veterans accused of crimes avoid convictions.

Lincoln Public School students at four high schools had the opportunity to learn more about H-B-C-Us this week. Nebraska Public Media’s Kassidy Arena reports the informational sessions offered some students a first-time look at some of these schools.