LINCOLN — Nebraska is one of five states the Trump administration selected to participate in a pilot program aimed at improving the way the nation carries out the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, which is nearing its 30th year.

BLAIR, Neb. — Tucked away on a hillside in Blair, the Dana College campus sat vacant for the better part of 15 years. But in recent years the property has gained new life through the work of a local nonprofit.

When playwright Beaufield Berry recently needed actors in New York City for a reading of her musical about Black cowgirls, the Omaha native did what most people would do: She put out a call online.

Among those who auditioned: two fellow Omahans. At the reading, Berry noticed even more faces from back home in the crowd.