Opinion

In 2024, NASA will send a small surgical robot from Nebraska to the International Space Station. The tiny, two-pound robot will be able to perform surgeries on the space station that would normally require a surgeon’s expertise and much larger equipment. The surgical robot can operate more or less on its own, performing complex procedures at the flip of a switch. The device, developed by Nebraska-based Virtual Incision, is a significant step toward making it possible for surgeons to operate remotely—whether their patients are in deep space or on a battlefield halfway around the world.

It’s no secret: my goal in the Legislature is to help Southeast Nebraska thrive, from cutting taxes and unfunded mandates to investing in our people and communities. Today, we’ll cover an investment to refresh our rural ambulances.

According to a recent survey, 60 percent of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, and 71 percent of workers feel their pay isn’t keeping up with the cost of living. The numbers bear this out – 6.2 percent wage growth alongside 8.3 percent inflation means that Americans’ paychecks are worth 2.1 percent less than they were at this time last year. Employers are scaling back their plans to hire new workers and beginning to plan for potential layoffs. Americans everywhere are feeling the painful consequences of the out-of-touch policies of the Biden administration, and many fear the worst is yet to come.

Nebraska is the best place to raise a family. We have safe, supportive communities. We have great schools. We have world-class zoos, fantastic children’s museums, and beautiful state and local parks. And children in Nebraska benefit from our state’s strong culture of community involvement and mentorship.

Every day in the clinic or hospital I meet extraordinary caregivers. They are the ones who have gone above and beyond the call of duty; sometimes for years at a time. When you ask them how they do it, they shrug and smile. I am not talking about any doctor, nurse, or therapist. I am referring to those who care for and look after their elderly friends and family members. This can be a spouse, adult child, adult grandchild, neighbor, or even a good friend.

August’s Consumer Price Index shows inflation continues to rise. Prices for consumer goods have risen across the board – especially necessities like food and shelter. Unfortunately, inflation shows no sign of easing, and the National Energy Assistance Directors Association anticipates a 17 percent increase in the average household cost for Americans to heat their homes this winter.

It’s tempting to blame the pandemic for the dizzying rates of mental health concerns among American teens. We are all familiar with the impact Covid is having on our lives, and the disruption it continues to cause in the lives of young people. Kids witnessed vehement disagreements between neighbors, friends, and family over the decisions that had to be made in response to the pandemic, and felt the stress at home as parents faced economic and work changes, all without many of their usual support systems.

with Phyllis Buell It just dawned upon me that we are well into the last quarter of 2022! How in the world did that happen? Oh, yes! Thinking back on the previous nine months and all of the concerns . .

Over the past three years, we’ve dealt with shortages of many goods, from lumber to cars to toilet paper. Supply chain shortages have shown that the United States is overreliant on foreign suppliers. Instead of depending on China for medicine, Taiwan for computer chips, or Russia for fertilizer, we need to return the manufacturing of our products to America.