The No Tar Sands Oil Coalition is launching a new, nationwide campaign (video below) to push back on TransCanada's proposed Keystone XL pipeline which would pump the world's dirtiest oil through Nebraska's most precious resource, the Ogallala Aquifer.

A look ahead on an issue that all Nebraskans care about, healthy babies.

The Argument for Restoring Prenatal Care
Voices for Children Video
Prenatal Care Timeline

Before the Thanksgiving holiday, Bold Nebraska, Nebraska Wildlife Federation, Nebraska Sierra Club along with Nebraska landowners and citizens invited Plains Justice to report on TransCanada's inadequate emergency response plan for the Keystone I pipeline.  We also took a copy of the report to Gov. Heineman and Attn. Gen. Bruning to encourage them to act on the pipeline.

View the Full Report on the inadequate Emergency Response plan for TransCanada's current pipeline in Nebraska called Keystone I.

We hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are practicing safety this Black Friday (Malinda’s chosen to hunker down rather than brave the savage consumer waters). Speaking of savage consumers, Sarah Palin will be in Norfolk to sign copies of her new book America, By Heart tomorrow.  Here’s your Roundup:

Political junkies are getting their fix with turkey (and tofurkey if you are our News Director) today. But that doesn't stop any of us from also looking at our favorite political blogs, Facebook and Twitter.  Here is a round-up of some great holiday reading and viewing.  If politics happens to come up at the dinner table, encourage your friends and family to get involved in our opposition to the TransCanada pipeline.  Enjoy the time with your family and friends!

Omaha Reader asked local leaders what they are thankful for this year...we have a quote in there along with Sen. Johanns, Jeff Slobotski and Rachel Jacobson.

While this is a week of turkey, allow me just a few minutes to draw your attention to duck.  Lame duck, that is.  While the new kids on the block have already arrived at Capitol Hill for their orientation, the 111th Congress has some unfinished business to take care of before saying “adios” in December.  The lame duck session, which began Monday, November 15th and is expected to last until mid-December, contains high-profile legislation, some of which has been in the works for over a decade. However, there has been a public push from the Right to refuse passage for any legislation in the session.

Malinda is turning cartwheels and ingesting lots of coffee after seeing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 at midnight last night.  We won’t spoil anything, but she predicts most Potter fans won’t be disappointed.  In more sobering news, it’s the last day of the mayoral recall drive in Omaha.  Petitioners must turn in signatures before 5 pm today.  City officials will have until Dec. 4 to announce if the recall was a boom or bust. Here’s your Roundup:

Chairman of the Nebraska Republican Party Mark Fahleson is a real piece of work.  Once again, Fahleson is sticking the party’s nose (or trunk as it were) where it doesn’t belong: local, non-partisan races.

Fahleson’s already been rebuked by the Hastings Tribune for interfering in the local school board race -- the NE GOP was making robocalls to Hastings residents about candidate (and our fearless leader) Jane Kleeb.  And nothing’s come of Fahleson’s public accusation that Jane was breaking state campaign laws (she wasn’t and repeatedly defended herself on facebook, twitter and before the NADC).

This week’s wimp won’t be a problem much longer in our state government because he didn’t run for re-election this year.  However, we could not let his wimpy behavior pass unnoticed and undocumented.

State Treasurer Shane Osborn has disregarded the privacy of university students and the value of taxpayer dollars.

As the multi-billion dollar anti-aging market indicates, Americans are forever seeking the mythical Fountain of Youth, which supposedly grants eternal youth to all who a) find it and b) drink its water.  However, in today’s economic climate, trading in a few laugh lines for youth might be a terrible choice.  Jobs are scarce, college is breaking the bank and it looks like things aren’t getting better anytime soon.

A recent report from Young Invincibles explains that the unemployment rate for those of us between 18-34 is 12.5 percent, well above the 9.6 percent national average.  Even worse, the jobs that do get added back into the market don’t go to Miillenials.  Young men and minorities are affected worse than other groups, and young minority men get hit the hardest of all.  The breakdown across demographics looks like this: