Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen is facing backlash after comments he made about the Chinese nationality of a reporter whose story cited environmental concerns at farms owned by the governor
. Flatwater Free Press reporter Yanqi Xu wrote a story in September revealing that 16 of Pillen's farms recorded nitrate levels at least five times higher than what is considered safe to drink. Consuming high levels of nitrate has been linked to health problems such as thyroid disease, birth defects and cancer, according to the report. Pillen, a Republican, was asked on a radio show days later about the story. “No. 1, I didn’t read it. And I won’t,” Pillen said. “No.
What more do you need to know?” In a column posted Tuesday, Flatwater Free Press Executive Director Matt Wynn wrote that the governor's comments infuriated him as an employer and saddened him as a believer in democracy and a free press. “As a Nebraskan, it embarrasses me,” Wynn wrote. An email message left Wednesday with Pillen's office wasn't immediately returned. Xu grew up in China but has lived in the U.S. since 2017.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Suicide prevention program at Nebraska children’s hospital emphasizes encouraging, ‘life-saving’ notesA program at Children's Nebraska, a hospital in Omaha, has had resounding success in keeping teenage suicide survivors from re-attempting to end their lives.
Read more »
Nebraska officer, suspect injured in confrontation over knife pulled on busA Chicago man has reportedly been shot and injured by a Nebraska police officer after pulling a knife on a bus and striking another officer in the neck.
Read more »
Jim Jordan says he feels 'really good' going into speaker's raceRep. Jim Jordan, the Republican nominee for House speaker, has been meeting with and making calls to shore up support from the GOP conference to shore up support for his bid to be speaker.
Read more »
Speaker vote: Jim Jordan asks 'energetic' House GOP conference to support speakership bidJack Birle is a breaking news reporter for the Washington Examiner. A 2022 graduate of Villanova University with majors in communication and political science, he has previous journalism experience with the Center Square and as a fellow with the National Journalism Center. He was born in Pennsylvania and grew up in Southern California.
Read more »
House Democrats target vulnerable Republicans to vote against Jim Jordan speakershipCami Mondeaux is a congressional reporter. She started with the Washington Examiner as a copy editor, later joining the breaking news team and eventually settling on the Congress beat. A Utah native, Cami graduated from Westminster College in Salt Lake City in 2021 and covered state government as a breaking news reporter for KSL News Radio.
Read more »
Jim Jordan's opposition dwindles ahead of speaker vote, but resistance remainsAshley Oliver is a Justice Department reporter for the Washington Examiner. She previously covered Congress and campaigns for Breitbart News. Originally from Fredericksburg, Virginia, she graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in classics and philosophy before spending six years in Massachusetts working in the real estate industry.
Read more »