Over the past year, Nebraska’s economy has been booming, creating more and more great opportunities here in the Good Life. We currently have the lowest unemployment rate in the nation at 2.3%. That equals our state’s lowest rate ever and is less than half of the national unemployment rate of 5.4%. According to Local Area Unemployment Statistics from the Nebraska Department of Labor, 92 of our 93 counties have an unemployment rate at or below 2.7%. Statewide, our manufacturing employment is above pre-pandemic levels and has reached its highest point since the Great Recession (October 2008).

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought on a great number of changes in everyone’s lives, but perhaps the biggest for my family has been the increased reliance on online shopping. We don’t just pack up and head to Lincoln when we need to go to Scheels.

I recently saw a patient I hadn’t seen in more than 18 months. This patient had previously come to me somewhat routinely for arthritic knees. Together, we constructed a conservative treatment plan to help increase activity and prolong the life of those knees. Unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic put a dent in our plan. Prior to the pandemic, this patient had been a borderline diabetic with some other medical comorbidities. Upon their return, we found a lot had changed. The patient had gained 30 pounds, decreased activity, and could not move about very well. We had to revise our plan based upon the patient’s current condition. I have observed, over the last few months, this scenario is not unusual.

Energy reliability and independence are pillars of our country’s national security. A reliable power grid has helped our nation build the world’s largest economy, and our focus on developing domestic sources of energy has made our country’s fleet of automobiles and airplanes less dependent on overseas oil. Earlier this year, U.S. News and World Report ranked Nebraska #3 nationally for power grid reliability and #8 overall in their energy category which “tracks the reliability of power grids, renewable energy consumption and the price of electricity.”

Sunday night, BTN had one of those quick marathons of classic games, this time highlighting Nebraska. They played the Huskers’ bowl games from ‘94, ‘95 and ‘97.

“First day of school! Wake up! Come on. First day of school,” the little fish shouts at his dad in the opening scene of Finding Nemo. The first day of school is an important transition for students of all ages, and it is often a challenging one. That is particularly true this fall as we start yet another academic year marked by the pandemic.

In the next year, the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to make its most important decision regarding abortion law and states’ rights in over a quarter-century. The Court’s ruling could overturn Roe v. Wade and give states more latitude in passing pro-life initiatives, including legislation limiting abortion in the early stages of pregnancy.

Rarely are things ever all bad or all good. It’s just a matter of perspective and focus.

It is often said that laughter is the best medicine, yet I have never written a prescription for a funny movie, or a television comedy show, and I have no clowns or rubber chickens in my office. On the contrary, doctors are often expected to be serious and professional. Perhaps we are missing a great opportunity to help heal. What if more doctors were like Dr. Patch Adams, who is known by the medical community for his quest to inject humor and laughter into the treatment of patients?

In 2021, communism seems like a distant threat to many. Generations of Americans have learned about the atrocities committed by Stalin and Lenin in Russia. Many are familiar with Mao’s Great Leap Forward, which led to the Great Chinese Famine and starvation and death for millions.