
Nebraska Republican Loudly Booed Over SNAP Cuts At Town Hall
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Nebraska Republican Mike Flood's town hall got off to a rocky start on Monday evening as he faced anger and pushback from the crowd over many of the Trump administration's policies.
The event, held in Lincoln, Nebraska, erupted into boos and yells within minutes of Flood taking to the stage as he addressed President Donald Trump's spending bill.
"There's been a lot of misinformation about the bill," Flood began, before the crowd erupted, shouting, "Liar!"
The representative was later asked why the administration had cut SNAP benefits and health care research.
"We do not have unlimited money in the United States," Flood responded before his voice was drowned out by the loud boos from the crowd.
This is a breaking news story, updates to follow.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Newsweek
8 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Russia's Richest Billionaires Are Getting Wealthier Fast
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Russia's richest individuals added more than $20 billion to their collective fortunes over the last year, with several sanctioned oligarchs—including Russia's wealthiest billionaire, Vladimir Potanin (net worth $30.6 billion)—leading the gains, according to Bloomberg's Billionaire Index. Why It Matters The rapid increase in wealth among Russia's billionaires is significant in the context of ongoing Western sanctions aimed at denting the country's economic power. Sanctions were imposed on dozens of Russian business figures following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, a move intended to curb President Vladimir Putin's influence and dissuade Moscow's aggression. Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Getty/AP Newsroom However, data indicates these measures have not prevented Russia's ultra-rich from growing even richer, raising questions about the effectiveness of the sanctions regime. This trend is unfolding as the Kremlin touts economic resilience, and some tycoons are regaining assets amid an exodus of Western corporations from Russia. But Russia may face more sanctions soon, after President Donald Trump promised "severe" secondary tariffs on the country if Putin does not agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine. What To Know Russia's richest individuals tracked by the Bloomberg Billionaires Index have seen the following increases to their wealth in the year leading up to August 4: Pavel Durov — $3.27 billion — $3.27 billion Alisher Usmanov — $3.23 billion — $3.23 billion Viktor Vekselberg — $3.12 billion — $3.12 billion Suleiman Kerimov — $2.75 billion — $2.75 billion Vladimir Potanin — $2.74 billion — $2.74 billion Alexey Mordashov — $1.89 billion — $1.89 billion Victor Rashnikov — $1.57 billion — $1.57 billion Leonid Mikhelson — $1.38 billion — $1.38 billion Andrey Guryev — $1.30 billion — $1.30 billion Leonid Fedun — $1.25 billion — $1.25 billion Vagit Alekperov — $939 million — $939 million Roman Abramovich — $939 million — $939 million Gennady Timchenko — $835 million — $835 million Mikhail Prokhorov — $528 million — $528 million German Khan — $507 million — $507 million Alexander Abramov — $292 million — $292 million Andrey Melnichenko — $148 million The latest wealth increases have occurred in spite of international sanctions imposed since 2022. Key Russian billionaires, such as Potanin, Vagit Alekperov, and Alisher Usmanov, have seen new bans or asset freezes but continued to see their fortunes rise, largely because of sustained high global commodity prices and Russia's relative insulation from some foreign investment shifts. The main wealth drivers for Russia's billionaires remain the metal, mining, oil, gas, and chemical sectors. Individuals such as Potanin (Norilsk Nickel), Alekperov (Lukoil), and Leonid Mikhelson (Novatek) derive most of their net worth from these extractive and export-centric industries. Russia has made a total of 847 billion euros in fossil fuel revenue since the war in Ukraine began. Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen at the Kremlin in Moscow on August 4, 2025. Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen at the Kremlin in Moscow on August 4, 2025. AP What People Are Saying Kyle Haynes, an assistant professor at Purdue University's Department of Political Science said of Russia's fossil fuel revenue: "Sanctioned states always try to find workarounds using intermediaries, shell companies, smuggling, etc." President Donald Trump said last week of peace efforts in Ukraine: "We thought we had that settled numerous times, and then President Putin goes out and starts launching rockets into some city, like Kyiv, and kills a lot of people in a nursing home or whatever, you have bodies lying all over the street." He added: "I'm disappointed in President Putin. Very disappointed in him. So, we're going to have to look, and I'm going to reduce that 50 days that I gave him to a lesser number because I think I already know the answer [to] what's going to happen." What Happens Next The sustained growth of Russian billionaires' fortunes is seen as a challenge for Western policymakers seeking to use sanctions to limit Russian economic power. Analysts and observers expect continued scrutiny of both the sources of this wealth and the ability of international sanctions to restrict it.


CNN
5 hours ago
- CNN
Crowd draws boos as tensions erupt at GOP town hall
Rep. Mike Flood (R-NE) was met with boos and jeers after his answer about funding for migrant detention facilities and ICE during a town hall in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Rep. Mike Flood booed at Nebraska town hall after defending Trump policies
Congressman Mike Flood said he wanted to talk about President Donald Trump's signature legislation and declared there was "a lot of misinformation" surrounding it. That's when the shouting started, continuing for more than an hour as the Republican lawmaker faced a rowdy town hall crowd in Lincoln, Nebraska, on Aug. 4, full of people irate about Trump's new bill and other policies coming from his administration. Audience members in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Kimball Recital Hall pressed Flood on releasing the Jeffrey Epstein files, accused Trump of "fascism," and raised concerns about cuts to government programs. They yelled and booed continuously as Flood spoke. Trump carried Nebraska by 20 percentage points in 2024, and Flood won his district, which includes Lincoln and other communities in the eastern part of the state, by the same margin in 2024. But the town hall reflected an energized opposition to the new administration. Trump's top legislative priority, a package that includes sweeping tax cuts and deep reductions to spending on programs such as Medicaid, was a frequent target. One woman called the measure a "monstrosity." The president signed the new law on July 4. With the House in recess until September, lawmakers are now home in their districts, hearing directly from voters about the legislation. Polls indicate the measure is unpopular. Trump and the GOP have been gearing up to sell voters on it ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The town hall highlighted the challenges they face. The crowd unloaded on Flood, who tried to preempt some of the criticism by opening the event with a defense of the law, lauding the tax reductions and focusing on Medicaid work requirements and a fund to help rural hospitals. "More than anything, I truly believe this bill protects Medicaid for the future," Flood said. The crowd booed, and the criticism kept coming. The law is projected to cut $1 trillion mostly from Medicaid and Affordable Care Act insurance plans and eliminate insurance coverage for 11.8 million people over the next decade, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. A person raised concerns about thousands of Nebraskans losing health insurance coverage. Other constituents focused on the CBO projection that the law will increase the national debt by $3.4 trillion over a decade. With the Trump administration embroiled in a controversy over releasing government records about Epstein, a wealthy financier who died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges, one question posed to Flood: "Why are you covering up the Epstein files?" Flood said he favors releasing the records. The congressman was also pressed about how to ensure the accuracy of the nation's economic data after Trump decided to fire Erika McEntarfer, the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, following the agency's release of a report showing weak job creation. Flood said he didn't know the details, but that "if all that person did was get the data out there… and I don't know that's the case, but if that's all they did, I would not have fired her." "But I don't know because things are complicated," Flood added. Contributing: Ken Alltucker This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mike Flood booed by Nebraska constituents after defending Trump