Published by maggie@omahadai... on Tue, 07/21/2026 - 12:00am
The Omaha City Council on Tuesday followed its counterpart in Lincoln and passed a local ordinance keeping its minimum wage at $15 an hour for all workers.
The council voted 4-3 to approve the ordinance after rejecting a proposal to put it on file, which would have essentially delayed a decision until a later date, giving Omaha a chance to see what happens in the state’s case against Lincoln.
Published by maggie@omahadai... on Tue, 07/21/2026 - 12:00am
ATLANTA (AP) — Federal health officials have identified lettuce from Mexico served at Taco Bell locations across five U.S. states as a source of the widespread outbreak of diarrhea-causing parasite cyclospora.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention late Thursday warned consumers not to eat shredded iceberg lettuce from Taco Bell restaurants in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia. A record number of cyclospora cases have been reported in more than 30 states, and experts have said not every recent U.S. illness might be caused by a single source.
Published by maggie@omahadai... on Tue, 07/21/2026 - 12:00am
The World Cup has been a bonanza for beer in the U.S. Bars in Boston reported needing emergency deliveries to keep taps from running dry on some game days. Fans downed a total of 290,000 stadium beers during the six matches in Philadelphia, FIFA organizers said.
But all that frothy foam obscures a cold reality: Beer sales have been struggling globally, and it’s unclear if soccer's world championship tournament can reverse the trend despite having three countries and 16 cities as co-hosts this year.
Published by maggie@omahadai... on Tue, 07/14/2026 - 12:00am
NEW YORK (AP) — Launching an artificial intelligence tool to take notes and summarize important information from a virtual meeting can be alluring. Seconds after one of the agents attends an hour-long video conference, it can deliver a recap of key points and outline a to-do list for all the participants.
Published by maggie@omahadai... on Tue, 07/14/2026 - 12:00am
CHICAGO (AP) — George E. Johnson Sr., a pioneer in Black hair care whose multimillion-dollar business was the first Black-owned company to be listed on the American Stock Exchange, has died at age 99, according to his family.
Johnson died Monday at his home in downtown Chicago. A cause of death was not released.
Published by maggie@omahadai... on Tue, 07/14/2026 - 12:00am
This story is made possible through a partnership between Flatwater Free Press and Grist, a nonprofit environmental media organization.
Google’s Nebraska data centers consumed about 732 million gallons of water in 2025, the tech giant recently self-reported.
Viewed one way, that’s a lot of water: More than Omaha Metropolitan Utilities District customers use in an average week, combined, according to data from MUD.
Published by maggie@omahadai... on Tue, 07/14/2026 - 12:00am
Clearly, there is a difference between the ‘letter of the law’ and a law’s ‘spirit’. You can identify the adherents of the former by the way they push their glasses up and say, “ackshually" (I am calling out my schoolboy self, there; self-reflection is good, no?). Those who split straws over ideas are those who also miss the point – or are disingenuous and are seeking wiggle room to get out of a promise. Thus, I bring to you, Dear Reader, Lieutenant Governor of Texas, Dan Patrick.
Published by maggie@omahadai... on Tue, 07/14/2026 - 12:00am
OMAHA — Nebraska officials raved Tuesday about a new federally-funded Workforce Pell Grant program they expect will boost the state’s labor force and more quickly connect trainees with high-demand jobs.
Gov. Jim Pillen and State Labor Commissioner Katie Thurber discussed the program on the grounds of Omaha Metropolitan Community College — one of the first community colleges in the nation prepared to launch Workforce Pell.
Published by maggie@omahadai... on Tue, 07/14/2026 - 12:00am
WASHINGTON — Students pursuing several advanced degree programs can now access higher loan caps, but the temporary relief has ushered in a wave of uncertainty amid an ongoing legal battle.
Graduate-level programs such as nursing, occupational therapy and speech-language pathology are, for now, considered “professional” degrees by the U.S. Department of Education after a court order in late June halted the agency’s new “professional” definition while a legal challenge unfolds.
Published by maggie@omahadai... on Tue, 07/07/2026 - 12:00am
A proposed class-action lawsuit has been filed against Hy-Vee Inc., alleging the grocery store chain violates federal labor laws by failing to pay overtime for department managers.
The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa on behalf of former employee Dawn Nicosia and other Hy-Vee workers. It seeks to recover what it claims are unpaid overtime wages, plus penalties and interest for violations of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.