Humanities Desk | Net Radio

Ho-Chunk Incorporated officially expanded to Omaha on Wednesday. It broke ground on a similar racetrack - casino or “racino” in Lincoln in early July.CEO Lance Morgan said that the new casino in Omaha will employ more than 1,000 employees and bring in over $100,000 in revenue in the first year.

Unanimously passed, the $20 million will just provide a chunk of the cost for the new, more centrally located, library at the corner of 72nd and Dodge. The rest of the cash will be covered by a local nonprofit, Heritage Omaha. The new library is scheduled for a 2025 opening.

Native American tribes and communities are creating formal programs that focus on their traditional foods to not only combat systemic food insecurity, but also connect people to their culture.

The White House is asking Gov. Ricketts to help promote a federal program offering reduced internet costs

A new virtual reality art exhibit at KANEKO in Omaha gives viewers a front-row seat to the immigration crisis at the U-S, Mexico border. KANEKO is one of the few places in the world right now where you can see the exhibit after numerous sold-out international tours. Nebraska Public Media’s Jackie Ourada has more on the Oscar award-winning Carne y Arena exhibit that shows what many people endure as they try to find the “American dream.”

Thirteen years after the federal government last raised the federal minimum wage, a ballot initiative in Nebraska aims to raise Nebraska’s minimum to $15 per hour by 2026. “I think Nebraska's graduated scale is fairly conservative and will be easy to hit,” said Mike Draper, who owns Raygun, a clothing and design store in Omaha.

High input costs have pushed up food prices at grocery stores. But local farmers have been able to keep prices more stable, and that’s attracting new customers.

Every two years the Nebraska Hall of Fame Commission selects a prominent person whose residence in the state contributed to their greatness and place in history. This year nominees, put forward by members of the public, include the controversial civil rights leader Malcolm X, a famed baseball pitcher, a Pulitizer Prize-winning composer, and a pioneer in promoting women’s sports. Public hearings on the candidates begin this evening in Lincoln.

The U.S. Congress passed the “Keep Kids Fed Act,” which returns the school lunch program to an income-based system. The act passed just days before the universal free lunch program was scheduled to end June 30.VanLear was shocked and panicked to hear the news.“Crap, I got to reach out [and] figure out the budget,” she said.Who qualifies?Penny VanLear works two jobs. One at H&R Block where she’s been for 12 years. The other at the City of Lincoln’s Treasury office. VanLear said they didn’t have to worry about paying for lunches before the pandemic.“We were still qualifying for free at that point, with the four kids,” VanLear said. Adam, 19, has since graduated and goes to Southeast Community College in Lincoln. Now with three dependents instead of four, VanLear is put into a different income bracket. She fears her three kids won’t qualify for free lunches.

There aren’t any definite numbers about how many farmers belong to the LGBTQ community in the U.S, but many are making a point to become more visible in their rural communities.

A U.S, Court of Appeals ruling could throw out at least one ballot initiative aimed for the November elections

Following the reversal of Roe v. Wade, 24 senators urged President Biden to ensure American’s right to an abortion, according to a letter sent to the president. One part mentioned “using federal property and resources to increase access to abortion.”A separate Supreme Court ruling states that non-natives can be prosecuted for violating state law on Native American land, which is federally owned. That and pushback from Native American spokespeople makes it unlikely for an abortion clinic to open on reservation land.

Thousands of people in Nebraska suffer from Long COVID, suffering long-lasting symptoms.

In his rookie season, Briscoe became the first black man to start at quarterback professionally. He started five games. He broke the Bronco rookie record with 1,897 yards of total offense and 14 touchdown passes.

A restaurant in Lincoln is, like many businesses, offering financial help to employees who may need to travel to get an abortion.

Don Bacon said the court’s decision means a successful day for those fighting for decades to overturn Roe v. Wade.Bacon said he believes life starts prior to 15 weeks of conception but encourages anti-abortion state senators to work with those they may not agree with. Tony Vargas is state senator for the 7th District of Nebraska, which is in the Omaha area. The Democrat U.S. congressional candidate for Bacon’s current seat says he stands by women’s reproductive rights.Vargas says there’s a group of senators that will stand up against abortion bans in the state legislature.

A missile silo from the 1960's in York has been converted into an underground home, and it is now on the market for someone looking for a unique place to call home.

Hosted by UNL’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion, a few hundred gathered outside the school’s union on Monday afternoon. Juneteenth, the oldest commemoration of slavery’s end, was celebrated with snow cones, music and educational posters.

Nearly 5.5 million chickens and turkeys have died or had to be destroyed in Buena Vista County, Iowa, during the latest bird flu outbreak — more than in any other county in the nation. That’s impacted producers, as well as workers and their families.

Ukrainian War Refugees are coming to Lincoln, but need rental housing. Two families, a total of 23 people, are currently living in on home owned by a local relative of one of those families.