Nebraska
EXPLAINER: How the port strike could impact Nebraska economy, agriculture, healthcare
LINCOLN, Neb. (WOWT) – Longshoremen on the east and Gulf coasts went on strike at midnight Tuesday and it’s already causing headaches for Nebraska exports.
The Nebraska Farm Bureau told 6 News the widespread strike is impacting exports like beef, pork, corn and wheat, and President Mark McHargue said buyers and shippers of some products are giving them a discouraging outlook.
“They’re telling us for every day that this strike goes on, it’s going to push product back a week,” he said. “So, I mean, very quickly you get into, say, a five-day strike — you’re looking at a five-week delay.”
He said it could also put a damper on imports for equipment parts during the beginning of harvest season.
“Our hope is that it’s only a few days,” McHargue said. “(It) would obviously be the least disruptive. This drags on for a couple of weeks, and we have a whole different situation.”
If this strike does last that long, he said products will spoil, leading to losses for investors. You’ll also see prices soar at the grocery store.
By how much?
UNL supply chain management and business analytics professor Dr. Scott Swenseth didn’t want to speculate.
“Even from a historical standpoint, seeing this impact on top of what’s already been a very inflationary period, I don’t know if we’ve experienced — at least in recent times — anything that we could use as a comparison there,” Swenseth said.
As for non-agricultural goods, Swenseth said price hikes would depends on the organization.
“Larger organizations that have seen this coming would have had the ability, potentially, to speed up some of their earlier shipments and may have received some of the things that will help them get through for a while,” he said. “Smaller and mid-sized companies that didn’t have the ability to get it in early or reroute it like some of the larger companies could, may see that impact sooner.”
When it comes transporting these goods, Swenseth told 6 News we’ll probably see shipping delays lasting longer than the strikes themselves.
“They’re going to handle that in different ways, and depending on the size of the company and what they have the ability to reroute. If you have an independent or real small trucking companies that are operating without being part of that larger organization—the independent drivers—if they don’t have a load, they don’t have a load.”
Which means they wouldn’t get paid.
Swenseth said even without the dockworkers strike, Hurricane Helene’s impact on the area is already significant.
The storm struck a Baxter International plant in Marion, N.C., which is a major supplier for intravenous products.
Both Nebraska Medicine and CHI Health said they’re not experiencing any shortages at this time.
CHI said it’s looking to other manufacturers while that Baxter facility gets back online.
Nebraska Medicine said it maintains a four-to-six-week supply of critical medications. It’s expecting to see an impact from the Baxter plant’s closure and is putting plans in place, like conserving IV fluids, and making sure it’s prioritizing patients with the highest needs.
6 News also reached out to Methodist Hospital, which said it’s still working on an answer for this.
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Nebraska
Nebraska lands Kentucky wide receiver
Nebraska football landed a commitment from former Kentucky Wildcats receiver Dane Key on Tuesday afternoon. He is the tenth overall player to join Nebraska from the transfer portal.
He recorded 47 catches for 715 yards and two touchdowns last season. He had two games of at least 100 receiving yards in 2024. The first game was against Ohio on September 21. He caught seven passes for 145 yards in a contest. He followed that up with an eight-catch, 105-yard performance against the Ole Miss Rebels the following week.
Key gives the Huskers a veteran body in the wide receiver room. There is young talent to be had at the position. He will be able to provide production right now, as well as help bridge the gap between the freshman and upperclassmen wide receivers.
It will be interesting to see Key’s role in this offense moving into 2025. This was a solid get for a wide receiver room that continues loading up. The program landed another solid weapon for quarterback Dylan Raiola.
Find social media reactions to the news below.
Good idea of what’s coming
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Nebraska
Nebraska WR Malachi Coleman to transfer to Minnesota
Joining Miami (Ohio)’s Javon Tracy and UCLA’s Logan Loya, Nebraska transfer wide receiver Malachi Coleman has committed to play for the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
He has three years of eligibility remaining.
Coleman was a high school All-American, a four-star prospect, and a Top 100 recruit according to 247 Sports. He saw the field as a true freshman with the Huskers, catching eight passes for 139 receiving yards and one touchdown, before redshirting this season as a sophomore. Coleman brings size and speed to the Gophers’ wide receiver room.
Coleman, Tracy, and Loya will all have the opportunity to stake their claim atop the depth chart at wide receiver, as Le’Meke Brockington and Cristian Driver are Minnesota’s only returning wide receivers with game experience.
Nebraska
The Nebraska Football Show: Pinstripe Bowl Preview
Nebraska closes out the 2024 season on Saturday, Dec. 28 in the Pinstripe Bowl against Boston College.
Inside Nebraska’s Tim Verghese and Steve Marik break down the new-look Huskers, with slight changes at nearly every position due to transfer portal departures, injuries and opt outs. The two discuss a handful of underclassmen that could be in line for bigger roles on Saturday and a few other players they’re intrigued to see in action.
To close, the two share their keys to victory for Nebraska, what to expect out of Boston College and what a win would ultimately mean for the program
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