Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska provides resettlement help to refugees, but that is just part of its mission. It also offers behavioral health care and services to other families and children. Now organization leaders fear their work is in jeopardy.

The Midwest Newsroom y sus socios le pidieron a los departamentos policiales y a las oficinas de sheriffs en Iowa, Kansas, Missouri y Nebraska que nos informen si van a cooperar con el Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas y otras agencias federales como parte del plan de “deportaciones masivas” de la Casa Blanca de Trump.

As the cost to buy a home continues to rise in the Midwest, real estate experts say the regional rental market offers affordable housing options and biding your time before buying may be the smart move in 2025.

The Midwest Newsroom and its partners asked police departments and sheriff offices in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska to tell us whether they will cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal agencies as part of the Trump White House “mass deportation” plan.

In our series “Unhoused/Unschooled,” The Midwest Newsroom and its regional partners explored the complicated federal system designed to support K-12 public school students experiencing homelessness, particularly in rural communities.

Urban and suburban school districts may have a funding and staffing edge when it comes to implementing laws to support students with unstable housing. But, homeless education liaisons in small rural districts say close-knit communities make for efficient identification and support for students eligible for services.

The case hinges on whether Sniper 1’s safety outweighs the public’s interest in knowing the name of the Joplin, Missouri, police officer who killed two-year-old Clessie Crawford in Baxter Springs, Kansas.

Through reporting in Iowa, Nebraska and other states, The Midwest Newsroom has found a pattern of rural school districts relying on nonprofit organizations and community members to provide support and services where federal funding fails to meet needs.

In the past year, the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) has promoted a “journey to inclusion,” as a better way to teach students with disabilities. It’s a newer practice for Nebraska schools, and administrators are confident it will work.

While some school district leaders report positive immediate outcomes, there is limited research to show how shortening the school week affects student learning and socialization — or how parents tackle child care and work schedules.