Nebraska
Recession emerges as most likely scenario for Nebraska
The Nebraska financial system is predicted to contract throughout 2023 earlier than returning to progress in 2024 and 2025, based on the brand new forecast from the College of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Bureau of Enterprise Analysis and the Nebraska Enterprise Forecast Council.
“With the Federal Reserve Financial institution elevating rates of interest, the Nebraska financial system is predicted to fall into recession in 2023, though it’s potential that the slowing state financial system may narrowly keep away from a decline,” stated Eric Thompson, director of the Bureau of Enterprise Analysis and Ok.H. Nelson Professor and chair of economics at Nebraska.
“Two key components will affect the magnitude of the slowdown,” Thompson stated. “The primary is the dimensions and the tempo of the decline in property values, and the second is the diploma to which employers select to retain scarce employees.”
Employment is predicted to say no by 0.2% in Nebraska in 2023, in contrast with totals for 2022.
“The decline will probably be extra extreme inside particular person quarters of 2023,” Thompson stated.
Employment will rebound starting in 2024. Nebraska employment is forecast to develop by 0.6% in 2024 and 0.9% in 2025.
Job progress in 2024 and 2025 will probably be concentrated within the providers business, which incorporates enterprise providers, well being care, and leisure and hospitality. There additionally will probably be stable progress in manufacturing, transportation and monetary providers employment. Job progress will return to the development business in 2025.
Job progress will probably be restricted in retail and wholesale commerce.
“Sluggish progress within the labor pressure will make it troublesome so as to add labor in industries with modest wages,” Thompson stated.
The outlook is optimistic for Nebraska agriculture. Nebraska farm revenue is predicted to stay at $8 billion throughout 2023, close to a file degree. Excessive costs for agricultural commodities will help elevated farm revenue, at the same time as agricultural producers face challenges from excessive costs for power, fertilizer and different inputs to manufacturing. In 2024 and 2025, modest declines in crop and livestock costs will lead Nebraska farm revenue to drop to about $7 billion. Elevated farm incomes throughout the 2023 to 2025 interval will primarily mirror earned revenue, as federal authorities funds decline.
Given declining employment in 2023, Nebraska non-farm revenue will develop by 4.2%, under the anticipated 4.5% fee of inflation. Non-farm revenue will develop by 3.7% in 2024 and 4% in 2025, above the anticipated inflation fee of about 2.5%.
“Nebraska households will expertise actual revenue progress in 2024 and 2025 as employment recovers,” Thompson stated.
The Nebraska Enterprise Forecast Council consists of Christopher Decker, Division of Economics on the College of Nebraska at Omaha; David Dearmont, Nebraska Division of Financial Growth; Mitch Herian, Bureau of Enterprise Analysis; Scott Hunzeker, Nebraska Division of Labor; Scott Loseke, Nebraska Public Energy District; Brad Lubben, Division of Agricultural Economics at Nebraska; Hoa Phu Tran, Nebraska Division of Income; Melissa Trueblood, Nebraska Public Energy District; and Thompson.
Nebraska
Who is Steve Halloran? Nebraska Senator faces ire for dragging colleague’s name into rape scene
Senator Steve Halloran stirred a storm on Monday after he invoked a colleague’s name while reading a book passage about an explicit rape scene.
The incident occurred during a Nebraska legislative debate over keeping profanity and pornography out of K-12 classrooms. However, the session ended abruptly after Halloran’s statement sparked outrage.
When lawmakers were debating on Legislative Bill 441, Halloran warned his colleagues that he would be quoting the bill’s hearing testimony, according to Nebraska Examiner.
The bill introduced by Sen. Joni Albrecht aims to eliminate a prosecution exemption for schools that give pornographic materials to students in K-12 schools.
Before concluding his arguments during the debate, Halloran read an excerpt from Alice Seabold’s “Lucky,” which he claimed was available in at least 16 Nebraska school libraries. The book recounts Sebold’s pain of being raped in college and highlights the importance of discussion on trauma and victimisation.
During the 83-second reading, Halloran repeatedly invoked female Senator Machaela Cavanaugh’s name into the text as the victim.
At least two of Halloran’s colleagues — Sens. Julie Slama and Megan Hunt — have called for his resignation.
Also Read: Utah parents allegedly admit to sexually abusing teen daughter in a bid to teach her about…
Machaela Cavanaugh reacts: ‘It was harassing’
Calling out Halloran, Cavanaugh termed the “incident out of line, harassing and disgusting” as she was left tearful on the floor.
“That was about a book about sexual violence. I have done nothing but try to have a respectful debate with Sen. Albrecht about her bill that impacts my children,” she stated, hoping that other coworkers and Republicans will defend her.
Albrecht, who left the floor immediately, said she was “mortified” after Cavanaugh’s name was mentioned.
Meanwhile, Julie Slama of Dunbar, a conservative, responded to Cavanaugh’s tweet and slammed Halloran, stating that “no context makes this appropriate.”
Also Read: A mower sparked a Nebraska wildfire that has burned an area roughly the size of Omaha, officials say
Halloran defends self, says ‘I was addressing her lawyer brother’
In an email to a Nebraska teacher on Monday evening, Halloran claimed that he was referring to Cavanaugh’s lawyer brother, John, reported Nebraska Examiner.
“If you would have listened closely, I was addressing her lawyer brother … John!”
Meanwhile, Cavanaugh rejected Halloran’s claims that he was talking about her brother rather than her as “dismissive”.
“Context matters — which was the crux of the bill being debated. Inserting my or my brother or both of our names into the reading of an explicit excerpt from a story about rape is the context of this video,” she wrote.
Nebraska
Nebraska senator invokes colleague's name while reading rape scene during debate
LINCOLN, Neb. (Nebraska Examiner) — A Nebraska legislative debate about keeping obscenity out of K-12 schools ended abruptly Monday night after a lawmaker, while reading a book passage about an explicit rape scene, invoked a colleague’s name.
State Sen. Steve Halloran of Hastings, during debate on Legislative Bill 441, warned state senators and those watching the livestream of legislative proceedings that he would be quoting from the hearing testimony on the bill.
LB 441, the priority bill of State Sen. Joni Albrecht of Thurston, seeks to crack down on obscenity and pornography in K-12 schools.
One person testifying at the March 24, 2023, hearing on LB 441 read passages from a book titled “Lucky,” by Alice Sebold, which includes a graphic description of a rape Sebold survived in college.
While reading the testimony, Halloran inserted the name “Senator Cavanaugh” at the end of some sentences about the sexual assault.
He didn’t specify which Cavanaugh. (Both Machaela Cavanaugh and her brother John serve in the Legislature.)
At least two of Halloran’s colleagues publicly called for him to resign.
During about four hours of debate, Halloran and others alluded repeatedly to the hearing transcript. Halloran was the first to read directly from it.
“We talked about, ‘My kids haven’t experienced this in my school,’” Halloran said. “Doesn’t matter. If it’s just one school that experiences this, (it’s) one too many.”
The lawmaker also invoked State Sen. George Dungan’s name after reading the passage.
He called out Dungan, of Lincoln, and Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha, both attorneys, for questioning the legality of LB 441 but not proposing solutions.
“Don’t throw it away — fix it,” Halloran said. “It’s a problem.”
Much of Monday’s debate featured supporters saying that LB 441 would fix a loophole that they say prevents prosecution if a school official provides obscenity to minors.
Opponents said that is already illegal under state law, and school officials do not have immunity from prosecution.
After Halloran read from “Lucky,” Sen. John Cavanaugh said the Hastings senator “missed the point.”
“Yes, life is gross and very unpleasant,” he said. “But that is what life is, and people who experience that want to know they’re not alone.”
Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh told Halloran that his speech was harassment.
She said that while she and Albrecht disagreed about the bill, Albrecht remained professional during debate. Halloran did not, she said.
“That was so out of line and unnecessary and disgusting to say my name over and over again like that,” Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh said.
“You don’t know anything about anyone else’s life, and I can tell you that women in this body have been subjected to sexual violence,” she continued. “I didn’t know you were capable of such cruelty. That was so unbecoming of you and unbecoming of this body, and I hope that some other people who are Republicans will stand up and defend me.”
Albrecht and a handful of other lawmakers had left the floor when Halloran was reading the passage.
Albrecht said afterward she was “mortified” if Cavanaugh’s name was invoked.
“I don’t want to listen to this, but deep down inside, this is what’s happening,” Albrecht said. “… I will be the first to stand up and say I’m sorry — I’m sorry that we even have to read anything like this.”
Halloran, in an email to a Nebraska teacher Monday evening, wrote, “If you would have listened closely, I was addressing her lawyer brother … John!”
In another email shared online and with the Examiner, Halloran described the passage as a “‘how to rape’ lesson given to young people” and said his only regret is that liberals are not upset that “Lucky” is in school libraries.
Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh said on social media that Halloran’s explanation that he was referring to her brother was “dismissive” and ignores that men can also be sexually assaulted.
Colleagues from both sides of the aisle in the officially nonpartisan Legislature condemned Halloran.
State Sens. Megan Hunt of Omaha, a progressive, and Julie Slama of Dunbar, a conservative, both called for him to resign.
“Disgusting,” Slama wrote on X. “No context makes this appropriate.”
Speaker John Arch of La Vista, on a motion from Hunt, agreed to adjourn one hour early Monday evening.
The debate is scheduled to pick up Tuesday afternoon after lawmakers finish second-round debate on the state budget.
“There’s times when we just have to step back from the debate, and I think this is one of those times,” Arch said.
Nebraska
Texas A&M AD Trev Alberts: ‘I wasn’t looking to leave’ Nebraska
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (WOWT) – Trev Alberts was introduced as the new athletic director at Texas A&M University on Monday.
Alberts announced his departure from Nebraska last week in an unexpected move that left Husker faithful shocked and frustrated.
During his first press conference at Texas A&M on Monday, Alberts was asked to provide some clarity. Why did he leave his alma matter, a place that seemed like his dream job?
“The difficult part of this whole transition is that I wasn’t looking to leave,” Alberts said. “I’ve been associated with [Nebraska] for a long time. That’s one place that changed my life. Other than my family and faith, everything else I owe to the University of Nebraska.”
Alberts also shared a philosophy on college athletics as a whole — he’s determined to create a culture where the school does not focus solely on winning and losing, but on the process it takes to win.
On Sunday, another curveball was thrown when the NCAA selection committees decided to pit both Nebraska men’s and women’s basketball teams against the same opponent — Texas A&M.
In his spring press conference Monday, Nebraska head football coach Matt Rhule said he didn’t appreciate that decision made by the committees because it takes away from the players on the court, and instead the masses will focus on the athletic director leaving one school to join the other.
Alberts smirked as he said the decision to put the Huskers and Aggies together in both tournaments “appears a little too coincidental.”
He complimented all the coaches, saying they’re all outstanding human beings and adding that the beauty of it is that he “can’t lose” in this scenario.
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