One of the hallmarks of America is our all-volunteer military. Members of the American military have defended our freedom since before our country was established, and we are proud of their service and dedication to the homeland. Military service takes grit and commitment, and I know many Nebraskans who find a deep sense of fulfillment in serving their country. It provides community and purpose to Americans across the country, especially young people.

Last week, I spoke on the Senate floor to fight a blatant power grab by the federal government. The Senate considered a resolution attempting to block the “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) rule from President Biden’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This rule would change the definition of navigable waters to include things like roadside ditches, puddles on construction sites, and farm ponds.

As a parent, there are two phone calls you don’t want to receive. There are others, but primarily, you don’t want your kids to get hurt and you don’t want them getting into trouble.

If you have pain on the bottom of your foot at the heel, especially when you take your first steps of the day, you likely have plantar fasciitis. One of the most common causes of foot pain, plantar fasciitis pain can subside with time, but sometimes the pain keeps people from doing what they love, whether that be running, walking, or other pleasures of life.

While most attention is paid to the policy work I do for Nebraskans in Washington, D.C., my first priority will always be ensuring government is working for all taxpayers. When I was governor, I was proud of the progress we made to streamline and simplify how Nebraskans interact with state agencies, but navigating the federal bureaucracy can be even more daunting.

Before my junior year in high school, I returned from a Boy Scout canoeing trip to discover my sister had been killed in a car crash. I will never forget the sadness of the moment when I walked into the house that was filled with what seemed like half the caring and wonderful town of DeSmet to find my mom and dad there grieving. It was near the end of that summer, but the beginning of a long period of mourning for my family and me.

Four years ago this month, our home of Nebraska experienced a uniquely challenging natural disaster. A severe winter storm, a bomb cyclone, caused historic levels of flooding from Nebraska rivers, resulting in the tragic loss of life as well as destruction to homes, businesses, infrastructure, and farmland.

2/24/23-7:40 a.m. Oxford, NE: Deputies are investigating a report of abuse of a vulnerable adult in Oxford.

My colleagues and I on the Senate Agriculture Committee have already begun working on the 2023 Farm Bill, a package of critical agriculture legislation passed only once every five years. Those of us on the Agriculture Committee often agree on many aspects of the Farm Bill, and one of the most popular solutions we hope to implement this year is an increase in the accessibility of precision agriculture technologies.

They say curiosity killed the cat, but for me, I’m not so sure. With family in southeast Nebraska, boards that I serve on and activities that I cover almost constantly in Lincoln in Omaha, I spend a lot of time driving down I80 between York and Lincoln as well as Highway 81 from York down to Bruning. For all those trips - I’ve probably driven on these roads no less than 20 times in the past year - it’s unfashionable how often I witness a truly strange sight.