Interesting story to read minutes after I paid $42 for two pounds of coffee beans. (Up roughly 20% at my local coffeeshop this year.) www.nytimes.com/2025/11/13/u...

New at FFP It’s 103 years old. It ages its steaks, stirs strong cocktails, makes its carrot cake from scratch and serves maybe the best onion rings in Omaha. It’s Johnny’s. And it’s surviving and thriving, reports Sarah Baker Hansen 🔗 buff.ly/3QHCslI

Our little baby is getting so grown up

New at FFP: UNL’s Statistics Department is 1 of 6 programs set to close under proposed budget cuts. But stats professors say there’s a glaring problem: UNL used flawed data to determine which departments to slash. 🔗 buff.ly/o6onFrl

“In both cases, YRTC leaders learned of the alleged misconduct months earlier, but the state didn’t disclose it to probation officials, the boys’ attorneys or the judge.”

Left, right, middle, up, down, sideways…there’s only one thing for actual honest to goodness media to do here, and I don’t give a good goddamn who the president is. The answer, always: No.

Important, heartbreaking story. www.washingtonpost.com/investigatio...

We deported a Russian who stood against Putin and his invasion in Ukraine back to Russia, where he’s now imprisoned. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/16/w...

A tale of two media ecosystems.

A Venezuelan man in Nebraska awaiting an asylum case helped the U.S. government bust up a giant human trafficking ring. They arrested him anyway. Now he’s likely to be deported. @flatwaterfreep.bsky.social story from Jeremy Turkey and Emily Wolf. flatwaterfreepress.org/he-aided-a-h...

I’m interviewing Dean Baquet onstage on Sept 27 during FlatFest, the best journalism party in the Great Plains. We are 3/4 sold out…grab your tickets today, support the mission of nonprofit news and join the fun. flatwaterfreepress.org/events/flatw...

Arts organizations across Nebraska are feeling the DOGE cuts. New one from our newest correspondent Tynan Stewart, who did really nice work on this one.

Valley is using public tax $ to build new neighborhoods with multi-million dollar homes & private lakes off limit to the city’s other residents. It may have fueled growth in one of Nebraska’s fastest growing cities. But state leaders and experts think this use of tax increment financing looks fishy.

It’s time for Nebraska’s best journalism party. It’s the 3rd annual FlatFest, a Sept. 17 afternoon and evening where we put journalism on stage – and give you the mic. Learn more, buy tickets and register here. 🔗 buff.ly/gtCb0nV

We’re hiring! The Flatwater Free Press, in partnership with Grist, is seeking a reporter to cover climate change in Nebraska. Learn more: buff.ly/g8va2D3

What’s a Runza? Why do Nebraskans call it that? The answer goes back a few hundred years and thousands of miles from the first Lincoln restaurant. FFP reporter Natalia Alamdari explains our beloved pocket o’ meat. 🔗 buff.ly/oV5boL3

In the year 2000, there were exactly zero Dollar Generals in small town Nebraska. (Or really in any small town anywhere, I suspect.) Today: There are 115 in small-town Nebraska alone.

Bananas story out of Sarpy County, where the county attorney has filed a lawsuit against the county board — the board thar controls the county attorney’s purse strings.

Attention everyone: I think Carhenge, the weirdest tourism site in Nebraska, might be actually cool now? journalstar.com/life-enterta...

Sure sign of middle age: I have watched CBS Sunday Morning AND 60 Minutes today. It’s the 20th Century Daily Double!

In Nebraska, you can usually transfer your kid to a nearby public school. Unless your kid has a disability. Then the school’s answer is often no. Important story from @flatwaterfreep.bsky.social and @the74.bsky.social, as reporters Jeremy Turley and Lauren Wagner team up.

Proud of Natalia. Proud of her hard, skilled work. Proud we have built a little nonprofit newsroom where skilled, hardworking journalists can tell these stories.

Fewer Nebraska kids are vaccinated and protected against measles than at any point in many years on the day that the first measles case since 2017 was reported in Nebraska. Why? Story by @flatwaterfreep.bsky.social’s newest reporter, Emily Wolf.

Pondering Brooklyn.

At least 8 Nebraska school districts are hiring teachers from the Philippines. Fascinating story by @flatwaterfreep.bsky.social Greater Nebraska reporter Natalia Alamdari.

This sounds super shady, Nebraskans. But also another example of the excellent investigative reporting from FFP this year.

The Nebraska Public Power District just bought land for $5 million, double the appraisal. They bought it from two of their own executives, including one whose job title is chief ethics officer. Important one from @flatwaterfreep.bsky.social Destiny Herbers. flatwaterfreepress.org/nebraska-pub...

John Ewing was badly outspent and hit with attack ads while challenging 3-term incumbent Jean Stothert, who had absolutely wiped the floor with her most recent opponent. Tonight he’s the mayor of Omaha, and he’s winning by a whole bunch of votes. www.ketv.com/article/omah...

The president of the United States is taking a $400 million plane from the ruling family of Qatar — one he will likely use personally for the rest of his life — and there’s nothing to worry about because there are for sure, 100% no strings attached.

We are at the Kentucky Derby and just bet all the money on the horse named JOURNALISM. Because…yeah.

Some of the Americans most at risk to severe Covid cases aren’t gonna love this. www.nytimes.com/2025/05/01/u...

@saragentzler.bsky.social with the scoop. Planned Parenthood in Nebraska is in disarray, employees say, has lost all its nurses and is now rarely performing surgical abortions. It’s the last place in Nebraska where surgical abortions are performed.

It’s the @flatwaterfreep.bsky.social annual spring donor campaign! You digging what we do? Wann support it with $5 or $10 or $20 a month? Good news! It’s easy as pie! And you get a fresh new piece of FFP merch as a thank you!

The Speakeasy remains our fave small town steakhouse. SBH with her latest steak story for @flatwaterfreep.bsky.social

You aren’t & can’t be allowed to take away nonprofit status from a university because you don’t like them. It’s unlawful. And it would open a terrifying chapter for every university, church, nonprofit, which could have their tax status revoked at a president’s whim. www.nytimes.com/2025/04/17/u...

Our story published Friday. The police chief who had allegedly terrorized a 24-year-old woman was gone by Tuesday.

“The World Food Program estimates that the loss of U.S. funding in Afghanistan will end food assistance that about two million people rely on — including approximately 400,000 malnourished children and mothers.” www.nytimes.com/2025/04/09/u...

Important observation: At 10 AM every resort pool in America is solely middle aged dudes drinking coffee

incredibly depressing to read the replies here. "this is what they voted for" is just the stupidest, meanest response and if you start writing it please do yourself and me a favor and log off and pet the cat or something

So much talk of the importance of child care in Nebraska. Its importance to our state economy, our workforce, parents, kids, our future. So little action by lawmakers and state leaders. @saragentzler.bsky.social with the important story.

Omaha-area congressman, former commanding officer at Offutt Air Force Base, emerging as top Republican critic on this.

Definitely no secret stuff here, just the minute-by-minute breakdown of a surprise attack on a foreign adversary, sent from and to cell phones that could be under surveillance from foreign adversaries, and oh also the editor of The Atlantic.

Voters in Omaha and Lincoln face major decisions this spring. To help, we’ve compiled information on all the races and issues that will be decided. Omaha voter guide: buff.ly/1qyccAL Lincoln voter guide: buff.ly/f75WG3C

how is this real journalism

Join nearly 20,000 of your smartest neighbors and sign up for our free statewide email newsletter. You’ll get the latest Flatwater features, in-depth investigations and the best stories from news outlets around the state. Subscribe for free today 🔗 buff.ly/f1xOh0m

Weather forecasts are going to become less reliable as severe weather season hits. Budget cuts with consequences, reports veteran climate and environmental journalist Nancy Gaarder for the @flatwaterfreep.bsky.social.

DOGE cuts that damage our ability to collect taxes owed, therefore losing us money unless we decide to cheat on our taxes.

The Elon Musk-tied cost-cutting effort comes for federal buildings in Nebraska. And it’s a tad chaotic.

Their visas were secured. The $ had been raised for their move. They had booked their flights. They had sold their belongings. But now, after fleeing the Syrian war and spending 12 years as refugees in Jordan, they can’t come here to join their loved ones. Important one from FFP’s Natalia Alamdari.

My grandma & great aunt were identical twins. With their husbands they built a house the 4 of them shared. Swear this didn’t feel weird. Then grandma & great aunt died. My grandpa & great uncle kept living in the house. They looked like Bert and Ernie if they were farmers. Again: Never felt odd.