DTrump Comes to Nebraska: Are Pillen & Ricketts in Trouble?

Why did President Trump come to deep-red Nebraska just weeks before Election Day?

Trump’s Grand Island rally was designed to energize Republican voters and give a boost to Gov. Jim Pillen and Sen. Pete Ricketts, both facing unusually competitive races. During the rally, Trump also signed an executive order expanding access to tax-free red-dye diesel, a move aimed directly at farmers and rising fuel costs.

I’m joined by longtime Nebraska journalist Paul Hammel and Democratic candidate for governor Lynne Walz to break down what Trump’s visit means, the pressure facing Nebraska Republicans, agriculture and the economy, and whether this rally could actually change the November 3 election.

Beyond the Headlines. The Dan Parsons Show.
#Nebraska #NebraskaPolitics #DonaldTrump #JimPillen #PeteRicketts #LynneWalz #Election2026 #GrandIsland

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$1 Million for Public Records. Can DHHS Prove Its Estimate?

$1 Million for Public Records. Can DHHS Prove Its Estimate?

Oct 21, 2026 |

$1 million and a 50-year wait for public records? Attorney Daniel Gutman explains why he believes a Nebraska Supreme Court ruling in the Flatwater Free Press case provides a path to challenge DHHS’s estimate, and requires the agency to justify its numbers.

Watch the full interview with Gutman and parent Curt Safranek on YouTube @danparsonsshow or listen wherever you get your podcasts.

#Nebraska #DHHS #DevelopmentalDisabilities #DisabilityRights #DisabilityAdvocacy #FamilyCaregivers #PublicRecords #GovernmentAccountability

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Nearly $1 Million. A 50-Year Wait. Nebraska Father Sues DHHS for Records.

Nearly $1 Million. A 50-Year Wait. Nebraska Father Sues DHHS for Records.

Oct 20, 2026 |

Curt Safranek wanted answers about Nebraska’s developmental disability services. DHHS responded to his public records request with an estimate of nearly $1 million—and a completion date in 2076.
Even after he narrowed the request, the estimate remained nearly half a million dollars, with a 25-year wait.

Safranek and his attorney, Daniel Gutman, join Dan Parsons to discuss the lawsuit, the services Curt’s 24-year-old son Will depends on, and why families are demanding transparency.

The records concern communications surrounding a proposed $420,000 consulting contract to review Nebraska’s controversial interRAI assessment system. Safranek explains his concerns about the review’s independence, while Gutman outlines their challenge to the state’s cost and time estimates.

What does accountability look like—and what happens to families while they wait?

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#Nebraska #DHHS #PublicRecords #DevelopmentalDisabilities #TheDanParsonsShow

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