Explore every episode of the podcast Once Again

More than a century ago, one of the most popular horse racing tracks in America called Nebraska home. Ak-Sar-Ben in Omaha drew race fans from across the Midwest, flourishing in the state’s largest city. That is until the 1990s when the track vanished. But how did Ak-Sar-Ben go from being the place to be to shuttering its gates for good? Nebraska Public Media’s Bill Kelly finds out, and explains how now, nearly 30 years later, Nebraska voters have Once Again put the state in the horse racing business. 

© 2025 Nebraska Public Media Foundation. All rights reserved.  

LISTEN TO THE MORE EPISODES OF THE PODCAST & SUBSCRIBE:

YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2actiXc9METaibkfpGs6PIGjaJw7O1zh&si=4quECDnhZUHbZIp8
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/18Yodeefl0NI2nZToXILpY
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/once-again/id1810071172  

Discover images and additional information about the series at https://NebraskaPublicMedia.org/onceagain.  

“Once Again” is a new history podcast from Nebraska Public Media where the past meets the present. Senior Producer Bill Kelly is on a mission: digging through archives, dusting off documents and uncovering compelling stories that matter – once again. Devoted history hunters and those who are casually curious about history will all find that each episode of “Once Again” revisits a fascinating chapter from recent Nebraska and Great Plains history and draws stunning parallels from the past to the present. The new Nebraska Public Media podcast features rich sound effects, music that is specific to the history of each episode and voice actors who make the stories come alive and create a picture for the podcast listener, much like a throwback to radio theater. The “Once Again” history podcast is a production of Nebraska Public Media News.  

Nebraska Public Media has been dedicated to connecting Nebraskans through news, sports, education, and entertainment since 1954. Providing global news and compelling stories from PBS and NPR, Nebraska Public Media also produces award-winning original content.  

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In the 1920s, a Nebraska law made teaching German to children illegal. Soon after the law went into effect, Robert Meyer was arrested, charged and convicted. Rather than paying a fine, he fought. Meyer’s defiance rippled through the United States legal system for years to come. He challenged the ruling, taking it all the way to the United States Supreme Court. This decision sparked conversation about which liberties in America should be guaranteed, and Meyer v. Nebraska has been cited in some of the most consequential court decisions of the past 50 years. Nebraska Public Media’s Bill Kelly dives into the research to explain how the actions of a school teacher in a small Nebraska town over 100 years ago are echoing through society, Once Again.

© 2025 Nebraska Public Media Foundation. All rights reserved.  

LISTEN TO THE MORE EPISODES OF THE PODCAST & SUBSCRIBE:

YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2actiXc9METaibkfpGs6PIGjaJw7O1zh&si=4quECDnhZUHbZIp8
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/18Yodeefl0NI2nZToXILpY
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/once-again/id1810071172  

Discover images and additional information about the series at https://NebraskaPublicMedia.org/onceagain.  

“Once Again” is a new history podcast from Nebraska Public Media where the past meets the present. Senior Producer Bill Kelly is on a mission: digging through archives, dusting off documents and uncovering compelling stories that matter – once again. Devoted history hunters and those who are casually curious about history will all find that each episode of “Once Again” revisits a fascinating chapter from recent Nebraska and Great Plains history and draws stunning parallels from the past to the present. The new Nebraska Public Media podcast features rich sound effects, music that is specific to the history of each episode and voice actors who make the stories come alive and create a picture for the podcast listener, much like a throwback to radio theater. The “Once Again” history podcast is a production of Nebraska Public Media News.  

Nebraska Public Media has been dedicated to connecting Nebraskans through news, sports, education, and entertainment since 1954. Providing global news and compelling stories from PBS and NPR, Nebraska Public Media also produces award-winning original content.  

FOLLOW US:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/NebraskaPublicMedia
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NebraskaPublicMedia
News Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NebraskaPublicMedia
X (Formerly Twitter): https://x.com/NebPublicMedia
News X: https://x.com/NebPubMediaNews
Instagram: https://instagram.com/NebraskaPublicMedia

“Once Again” is a new history podcast where the past meets the present.

On Thursday, May 1, 2025, the first two episodes of “Once Again” will drop with new episodes releasing each Thursday.

Senior Producer Bill Kelly is on a mission: digging through archives, dusting off documents and uncovering compelling stories that matter – once again.

Devoted history hunters and those who are casually curious about history will all find that each episode of “Once Again” revisits a fascinating chapter from recent Nebraska and Great Plains history and draws stunning parallels from the past to the present.

“As a longtime reporter, I think it’s important to view current events through the lens of history. This podcast dives deep into intriguing news stories from Nebraska’s past and connects them to today’s headlines,” said “Once Again” podcast host Bill Kelly.

The new Nebraska Public Media podcast features rich sound effects, music that is specific to the history of each episode and voice actors who make the stories come alive and create a picture for the podcast listener, much like a throwback to radio theater.

“You hear creaking benches, church bells, footsteps on gravel and horses neighing. The sound becomes another character,” said Nebraska Public Media Audio Engineer Emily Kreutz.

The six “Once Again” podcast episodes include:
May 1 – Meyer v. Nebraska
Nebraska law makes teaching German to children illegal in the 1920s and today the case sets legal precedent for the U.S. Supreme Court.

May 1 – The Rise and Fall of the Ak-Sar-Ben Racetrack
After 70 years, Ak-Sar-Ben shuts down an iconic Omaha horse track. Can casinos revive the horse racing industry and traditions?

May 8 – Passenger Rail Service
After 100 years, railroads left passenger service to Amtrack. Should the government expand routes and offer high-speed rail service today?

May 15 – Methodist Church Split
An Omaha minister is put on trial for conducting a same-sex wedding and today LGBTQ debate leads to a split within the United Methodist Church.

May  22 – Hallam Nuclear Plant
Nebraska’s first nuclear plant went online near Lincoln in 1962 and soon failed. Years later, the state considers a new generation of small reactors.

May 29 – Immigrant Labor
In the 1930s, Nebraska Panhandle farms recruit Mexican field workers to harvest sugar beets. Today, immigrant labor takes center stage in a divisive national debate.

Discover images and additional information about the series at NebraskaPublicMedia.org/onceagain.

The “Once Again” history podcast is a production of Nebraska Public Media News.

© 2025 Nebraska Public Media Foundation. All rights reserved.

FOLLOW US: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/NebraskaPublicMedia Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NebraskaPublicMedia News Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NebraskaPublicMedia X (Formerly Twitter): https://x.com/NebPublicMedia
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