In March 2021, Democrats unilaterally passed a massive $1.9 trillion spending bill. That bill is credited with jumpstarting the inflation nightmare our country is now confronting. This weekend, Democrats unilaterally passed yet another reckless spending bill.

Nebraska is experiencing terrific growth. We’ve seen big success creating jobs, cutting taxes, and attracting investment to our state. This week, I’m hosting Nebraska’s Ag and Economic Development Summit in Kearney. The Summit convenes key leaders from across the state to discuss how to build on our strong momentum. Over the course of the Summit, we’ll dive into the challenges and opportunities we face as a state. Some topics are familiar: developing our workforce, opening new markets for Nebraska’s exports, and growing value-added agriculture. Others are newer, such as dealing with the supply chain issues that have disrupted the flow of commerce over the past year. I look forward to gathering together to look at where we’ve been, what we’ve weathered, and how much Nebraska has grown.

One late summer day, fresh out of residency and seeing patients for the first time as a full-fledged family physician, I examined a young man who had a fever, fatigue, and a bad headache. Considering the time of year, influenza was low on the list of possibilities, and COVID-19 did not yet exist. After a physical exam and listening to his story, I ordered some tests, which resulted in a diagnosis of West Nile virus.

If you or a loved one has traveled recently, you’ve likely experienced flight delays or cancelations. A combination of factors has disrupted our air travel system.

We’re less than a month away from our state’s biggest annual celebration— the Nebraska State Fair. From August 26th through September 5th, Nebraskans from across the state will gather to share all that Nebraska agriculture has to offer. It will be the 153rd time we gather for this time-honored tradition. Last year, the State Fair attracted more than a quarter-million attendees to Grand Island, including visitors from 10 countries and 43 states. This year, we’ll be ready to welcome even more guests looking to get a taste of the Good Life.

As a physician with 45 years of practice, I’ve seen my share of diseases. I have usually been on the physician side of the diagnosis-treatment paradigm. However, knowing the rationale for diagnostic screening tests, I fortunately did not shirk my own.

Every fall, spring, and summer, my office provides some outstanding college students with the opportunity to intern in Washington, D.C. or at one of our state offices. These internships give students the chance to learn more about public policy, our system of government, and constituent service. This summer, I welcomed four interns to our D.C. team. These college students are all from Nebraska, and over the last 8 weeks they have done important work on behalf of the state. I am always delighted to welcome young people to our nation’s capital and am consistently impressed with the motivation and skills of our next generation of Nebraskans.

July 22, 2022 Letter to the Editor: Reducing the number of people who return to prison is a key goal of any criminal justice system. In Nebraska, more than 70% of those discharged in 2019 have not returned to the custody of the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services (NDCS) – a significant benchmark.

Show, don’t tell. You probably heard those words from an English teacher at some point in your life.

As a clinical professor at my state’s medical school, I frequently have medical students seeing patients with me in clinic. While the majority of patients are happy to allow student involvement, some decline. This makes me wonder what misconceptions lead patients to be averse to trainees participating at their clinic visits or hospital bedsides. In my experience, the presence of learners has a positive influence on our work in the clinic and hospital.