Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 58
While President Biden was criss-crossing Europe, Americans have been watching inflation spiral out of control. The cost of electricity has surged to the highest level in decades, and it’s expected to keep going up this winter. Even worse, headline inflation, which includes energy and grocery prices, is rising at the fastest rate in 30 years. That may not matter much for wealthy coastal elites, but for most American families, it does matter. Every dollar counts, and paying more at the pump for g...
During the month of October, Americans from across the country come together to raise awareness about a disease that will affect one in eight U.S. women at some point in their lives: breast cancer. This year alone, nearly 300,000 women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. It’s the most common form of cancer among American women, with a new diagnosis turning a family’s life upside down once every two minutes. Because it touches the lives of so many women, chances are you know som...
The withdrawal from Afghanistan is the biggest U.S. foreign policy blunder in decades. We left hundreds of American citizens and thousands of our Afghan allies at the mercy of the Taliban, the same group that gave safe haven to al Qaeda as it planned the 9/11 attacks. A suicide bombing at the Kabul airport killed 13 American servicemembers, including a Nebraskan, Marine Corporal Daegan Page, making it the deadliest day in Afghanistan for the United States since 2011. The American people deserve...
The U.S. Senate recently voted on a massive, $3.5 trillion spending measure that has a lot in common with the most extreme parts of today’s Democratic Party: It is radical, reckless, and has no plan to pay for what it proposes. One of my Democratic colleagues said that “the Green New Deal is in the DNA” of this budget resolution. A podcast run by National Public Radio said that if Democrats’ budget becomes law, it would “reshape the role of the federal government in American life.” I voted aga...
As we emerge from the pandemic and the economy begins to rebound, I’m focused on ensuring the industries that provide Nebraska jobs can continue to grow and thrive. The ethanol industry is one of those. Nationwide, it provides tens of thousands of Americans with good-paying jobs, and it indirectly supports at least 200,000 more. In Nebraska alone, the 25 ethanol plants spread across our state are able to produce more than two billion gallons a year, making us the second-largest producer of t...
Each year on June 14, Americans celebrate one of the most iconic symbols of freedom the world has ever known: the American flag. We didn’t pick this date by accident. On the same day in 1777, the Second Continental Congress passed the Flag Act, which read, “Resolved: That the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.” George Washington described this design as takin... Full story
Memorial Day began in the years after the Civil War, when it was originally called “Decoration Day.” At the first official celebration of this holiday in 1868, then-Congressman James A. Garfield, who would become our 20th president, said in a speech at Arlington National Cemetery that those who gave their lives for our country “summed up and perfected, by one supreme act, the highest virtues of men and citizens.” That is as true today as it was 150 years ago. Memorial Day honors the sacrifi...
Memorial Day began in the years after the Civil War, when it was originally called “Decoration Day.” At the first official celebration of this holiday in 1868, then-Congressman James A. Garfield, who would become our 20th president, said in a speech at Arlington National Cemetery that those who gave their lives for our country “summed up and perfected, by one supreme act, the highest virtues of men and citizens.” That is as true today as it was 150 years ago. Memorial Day honors the sacrifi...
I know I am not the first person to say that the pandemic has changed many things about our daily lives. In some cases, such as mask-wearing and social distancing, these changes are temporary and would never have happened if COVID-19 had not come to the United States last year. But in other cases, the past year has simply accelerated permanent changes that were already taking place. One of the most striking examples of this second type of change can be seen in medicine. Even before the pandemic...
I first met Andy Hoffman at a chili cook off in Butte, Nebraska, in October of 2004. I was running for my first term in the Nebraska Legislature. I was walking from group to group, talking with the cooks and tasting their chili, when I came upon a young man in jean overalls. I introduced myself, and we ended up talking for over 30 minutes. Actually, it would be more accurate to say he “grilled” me for over 30 minutes with a smile on his face. He was kind, and he later became a supporter and a d...
COVID-19 brought with it many new challenges, including furloughs, unemployment, and hospitals struggling to keep up with surges of new patients. We all hear about those things every day. But you may not have heard about how the pandemic has made it much harder for victims of domestic violence to seek help. When you’re stuck in the same house as your abusive partner for months on end, technology can be your only lifeline to the outside world. Yet many of these victims share a cell phone plan w...
Nebraska’s high school seniors have a lot to look forward to in 2021. Years of hard work in the classroom have led up to the college applications that many of them submitted last fall, and now, all that’s left to do is wait. According to a report from the Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education, about 80% of seniors who go on to attend college will stay in-state for their education. A smaller group will choose to go to college out of state, but many of them will eve...
America is fortunate to have an excellent higher education system, and is home to many of the world’s greatest and most prestigious universities. During any given year, nearly 20 million Americans are enrolled in public and private colleges studying topics ranging from engineering to business to science. Nebraska in particular is proudly home to many world-class universities educating thousands of our young people. It is no wonder that Nebraska consistently ranks among the best states for h...
On Monday, Oct. 26, the Senate gave its consent to confirm Amy Comey Barrett as an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. She is an excellent choice, and she will be a role model for young women across the country. Her life is proof of what women can accomplish, and her beautiful family shows that we can do it and keep balance in our personal lives. I was honored to speak with Justice Barrett at the start of her confirmation process. The opinions she authored as a judge on the Seventh...
I was deeply saddened to learn that Investigator Mario Herrera, a 23-year veteran of the Lincoln Police Department, had passed away after being shot in the line of duty on August 26. He was helping the Metro Area Fugitive Task Force and Gang Unit serve a high-risk warrant in Lincoln when he was critically wounded. Investigator Herrera leaves behind his wife, Carrie, and their four children. Before his 23 years of service to the Lincoln community, Investigator Herrera served his country in the...
Whether it is the significant demand at the Food Bank of Lincoln or long lines at food pantries elsewhere in our state, the images of people struggling to put food on the table are alarming reminders of the vulnerability faced by millions of people across the U.S. COVID-19 has upended the lives of millions of individuals and families already struggling to make ends meet and many more who find themselves asking for help for the first time. Given the overwhelming need, I embarked on a bipartisan...
When a 33-year-old Thomas Jefferson sat down in a rented room in the heat of the Philadelphia summer to write the Declaration of Independence, the American Revolution had already begun. On one level, Jefferson was simply putting the reasons for independence into words. The first shot had been fired over a year earlier, after decades of increasingly tyrannical British abuses of the American colonists had culminated in open revolt in Massachusetts. Even so, it was not yet clear whether all 13...
Since 1949, the month of May has marked Mental Health Awareness Month in the United States. This campaign aims to draw public attention to the sobering fact that in any given year, one in five Americans will suffer from mental illness. Perhaps even more strikingly, more than 50 percent of us will be diagnosed with a mental illness at some point in our lives. Each year’s campaign features a different theme, ranging from encouraging social connectedness and participation in the communities a...
Small businesses are the backbone of Nebraska's economy. From your favorite store on main street to your local coffee shop, small businesses bring vibrancy and prosperity to our communities. There are 172,958 small businesses in Nebraska that employ just under half of all workers in our state. Unfortunately, many of these businesses have been forced to temporarily close to slow the spread of COVID-19. This is a necessary step to protect the health of Nebraskans, but it has also led to...
Nebraskans are tough, resilient, and generous. Our strength of character is revealed on an everyday basis, but it’s especially illuminated during difficult times like we are facing right now with the COVID-19 pandemic. From distilleries and ethanol plants contributing to hand sanitizer production to school districts continuing to provide meals for students in need, the stories I have heard about Nebraskans’ collective response to this crisis are truly inspiring. At a time when the news can oft...
In a matter of just a few weeks, the outbreak of COVID-19 has upended how Nebraskans and all Americans are living their lives. Schools have closed their doors, bars and restaurants have shut down, and nearly all public events have been put on hold to slow the disease’s spread. As uncertain and stressful as this time of crisis is, I have seen so many wonderful stories of Nebraskans helping one another. Brickway Brewery & Distillery in Omaha is using its distillers to produce hand sanitizer for fe...
On Christmas Eve, 1968, the Apollo 8 crew reached the lunar orbit. The year, as we all know, was full of deep division. But on that night, more than 50 years ago, the astronauts understood they had an opportunity to offer comfort and healing to the fractured nation they were gazing upon from hundreds of thousands of miles away. The Apollo 8 crew delivered a Christmas Eve television broadcast and sent back to earth the following message: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the e...
When we want to learn what’s on the news, most of us turn on our television. According to a Pew Research poll, television is still America’s favorite platform for news consumption. When Nebraskans need to know the latest about events taking place in their community, the weather, or broadcast coverage of local sports, it is essential that they have access to their local television networks. Unfortunately, when many Nebraskans turn on their TV, they don’t see news coverage in their local commu...
The members of the American military have been putting their lives at risk to defend our country since our founding. As they protect our way of life, they deserve to have what they need to get the job done. When they come home and enter retirement as veterans, they should be treated with respect and service by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). I want to highlight the ways that Congress has worked in a bipartisan fashion to reform the VA and give our veterans the benefits they deserve. In...
Since the passage of tax reform, every day we seem to see a new story touting the success of this legislation and our economy. Falling unemployment, continued economic growth, and a booming stock market have made many of us feel increasingly positive about our finances and the economy overall. According to the National Federation of Independent Businesses, “With a massive tax cut this year, accompanied by significant regulatory relief, we expect very strong growth, millions of more jobs, and h...
