Commentary
It is time for Nebraska to amend legislative term limits
Twenty-two years ago, Nebraska voters passed term limits for the Legislature. Those term limits took effect in 2006 – and looking back in time, it can be safely said that Nebraska’s term limit experiment has been a solution to a problem that simply did not exist. (Prior to term limits, the average tenure of state […]
Two new words of the year
The 2022 Word of the Year, as chosen by our lexicographic friends at the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is “gaslighting.” The dictionary bases its decision on the number of lookups the word gets, and for gaslighting that was an increase of 1,740%. Gaslighting: “the act or practice of grossly misleading someone, especially for a personal advantage.” In […]
Nebraska legislators should remember the vision of George W. Norris
The Nebraska Legislature is set to convene in the State Capitol’s George W. Norris Legislative Chamber on Wednesday, one day before George W. Norris Day, a state holiday established in 1981 to promote education about the late statesmen and his impact on both Nebraska and the nation. Norris, whose legacy was cemented when he became […]
Inflation, unemployment, housing crisis, possible recession: Two economists forecast what’s ahead
With the current U.S. inflation rate at 7.1%, interest rates rising and housing costs up, many Americans are wondering if a recession is looming. Two economists discussed that and more in a recent wide-ranging and exclusive interview for The Conversation. Brian Blank is a finance professor at Mississippi State University who specializes in the study […]
Hating ourselves into paralysis
I think I know enough of hate To say that for destruction ice Is also great And would suffice. Robert Frost is on to something. His poem “Fire and Ice,” from which I’ve culled the lines above, contemplates the end of the world by ice: hatred. But how about a nation? Especially one whose self-proclaimed […]
Diverse range of influential women largely overlooked in Omaha history
Some were madams and bootleggers. Others were nuns. Some battled for suffrage while others opposed it. They started the city’s schools, hospitals, major businesses, human service institutions and fine arts. They fought for civil rights, won cycling championships and taught Omaha how to eat pizza. But these diverse Omaha women have something in common. They […]
Happy Poinsettia Day – I mean Cuetlaxochitl Day
One of my most precious possessions is a round, painted ceramic cookie tray in the shape of a poinsettia that was given to me by my mother. Every Christmas, this vivid red tray with a yellow blossom in the center has held the sweet holiday treats and candies we’ve prepared to mark this season, so […]
Animal adoptions surge at the holidays. So does pet adoption fraud.
For some, the holidays are a time for reflection. For others, they are a time to sit back and enjoy commercials for luxury midsize vehicles topped with outrageously large red bows. For still others, they are a time to add a furry friend to the household. Animal adoptions spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic, and they […]
Drop the student loan lawsuit and help the Nebraska economy
If any of the rumors and misconceptions circulating about the Biden administration’s student loan cancellations were true, I’d be on the front lines opposing the cancellations. Such as the claim that the cancellations are a regressive transfer of wealth from the working class to the professional class; or the idea that borrowers knew what they signed […]
High-quality early childhood education is an important component of the quality of life in Nebraska
LINCOLN — In Nebraska, more than 76% of children under age 6 live in homes where all adults work, a figure that is higher than the national average. With this high percentage of young children needing care outside the home, accessible, high-caliber early childhood education becomes an even more important component of the overall quality […]
Now is the time to recognize the contribution of coal and nuclear power to energy security
As freezing weather sets in, is there any doubt that few things are more important than heat and light? In Nebraska, we’ve enjoyed the benefits from abundant energy production for so long that we’ve taken them for granted. But the need for a secure supply of electricity has reminded us that maintaining power reliability is […]
A promise of investigations, not inflation solutions
We’re awash in political surprises. Who knew the formulas for solving inflation were on Hunter Biden’s laptop? Or that crime would plummet overnight once power in the House of Representatives changed hands? That caravans lurching toward the border would inexplicably lose their value as news? That those prices at the pump would miraculously move in […]