The Dan Parsons Show

President Trump came to Grand Island with a message for Nebraska farmers, including a temporary change involving red-dyed diesel. But Nebraska Farmers Union President John Hansen says the problems facing agriculture run much deeper.Hansen joins Dan Parsons to break down what the diesel action actually does, the financial pressure facing Nebraska farms, the impact of tariffs and trade policy, and Congress’ failure to finish a new Farm Bill.Then the conversation turns political: Are struggling farmers ready to vote differently in 2026?Hansen offers his assessment of Nebraska’s Senate and governor’s races, and explains why he believes rural voters are increasingly willing to reconsider their traditional political loyalties.A wide-ranging conversation about agriculture, economics and the political mood in rural Nebraska.

Why did President Trump come to deep-red Nebraska just weeks before Election Day?Trump’s Grand Island rally was about more than firing up the crowd. With Gov. Jim Pillen and Sen. Pete Ricketts facing unusually competitive races, the president came to Nebraska to energize Republican voters, and made news by signing an executive order expanding access to tax-free red-dye diesel.Dan is joined by longtime Nebraska journalist Paul Hammel and Democratic candidate for governor Lynne Walz to break down Trump’s visit, the political trouble facing Nebraska Republicans, concerns about agriculture and the economy, and the biggest question of all:Will Trump’s visit actually change what happens on November 3?Beyond the Headlines on The Dan Parsons Show.

The battle over White House press access has taken another turn.After a federal judge ordered access restored to CNN, MS NOW and Politico, the White House Friday night blocked CNN from accompanying President Trump on his Saturday trip to Tennessee.Dan talks with longtime Omaha television news director Rose Ann Shannon about the fight over presidential press access, the role of the television pool and what these restrictions mean for the public’s ability to see and scrutinize its government.

Nebraska is changing the way it assesses and funds services for people with developmental disabilities. Families say some people are seeing substantial reductions in funding even though their needs haven't changed.But is this simply an attempt to modernize the system, or are Nebraska's budget problems influencing those decisions?Dan Parsons talks with State Sen. Victor Rountree, sponsor of LR404; Carol Salber, a licensed independent mental health practitioner and parent; and Mike Browne, father of two adult sons with profound developmental disabilities and a member of Nebraska's Developmental Disabilities Advisory Committee.They examine concerns about the interRAI assessment, a reported $68,000 annual funding reduction for one individual, questions about the state's financial assumptions, and whether Gov. Jim Pillen and DHHS should pause reductions while an independent review is underway.It's a conversation about budgets, accountability — and what these decisions mean for some of Nebraska's most vulnerable citizens.

Nebraska’s race for Secretary of State is about more than who occupies the office. It comes as the country debates mail voting, federal involvement in elections, voter data and public confidence in the system.Democratic candidate Sarah Slattery joins Dan Parsons to explain why she believes she should be Nebraska’s next chief election officer.Dan presses Slattery on whether Nebraska’s election system is fundamentally working, the security of voting by mail, voter ID, petition fraud, federal access to Nebraska voter information and what political neutrality means for an office filled through a partisan election.And there’s a crucial hypothetical: If Slattery were Secretary of State and her own party challenged an election that Nebraska officials determined it had lost, would she certify the result?It’s a wide-ranging conversation about the future of Nebraska elections — and the responsibilities that come with running them.

Flatwater Free Press reporter Yanqi Xu and executive editor Matthew Hansen join Dan for a candid conversation about Xu’s latest reporting involving Gov. Jim Pillen, Pillen Family Farms and immigrant labor.The conversation goes beyond the investigation itself.Yanqi describes pursuing Pillen after a news conference and confronting him directly about her reporting. Matthew discusses the role of an editor when a reporter becomes part of the story—and what happened when the Omaha World-Herald documented the encounter.There’s also history here. Dan first met Yanqi through an earlier investigation into nitrate contamination involving Pillen’s hog operations. Shortly afterward, Pillen publicly dismissed the reporting and referenced Xu’s Chinese background.Now, years later, Xu is still reporting. Pillen is still pushing back. And the questions about journalism, political power and accountability are bigger than one investigation.Dan, Yanqi and Matthew discuss how investigative journalism actually gets done, what happens when elected officials attack the messenger, and why persistence still matters.Plus, Dan introduces his new Patreon segment, “Off the Record,” where he goes beyond the interview to share his own perspective on the stories, personalities and experiences behind the headlines.Sign up for the Flatwater Festival here: https://flatwaterfreepress.org/events/flatwater-festival-2026/