COVID-19

Trump Orders Meatpacking Plants to Remain Open

Published by Scott Stewart on Wed, 04/29/2020 - 7:36am

Washington – President Donald Trump took executive action to order meat processing plants to stay open amid concerns over growing coronavirus cases and the impact on the nation’s food supply.

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Prison Staffer Tests Positive for Virus

Published by Scott Stewart on Wed, 04/29/2020 - 5:08am

Lincoln – A staff member at a Nebraska prison has tested positive for the coronavirus, officials announced last Sunday.

The Department of Correctional Services said the staffer works for its Diagnostic and Evaluation Center in Lincoln and has been isolated at home for five days.

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Churches Cautious About Return to Worship Services

Published by Scott Stewart on Wed, 04/29/2020 - 5:07am

Nebraska churches are taking a cautious approach to resuming worship services though they will be allowed to gather their members again starting next month.

The Rev. Michael McCabe of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Lincoln said he’s looking forward to seeing his congregation again on Sunday mornings, but he’s not sure when that will happen. Gov. Pete Ricketts has announced churches may reopen starting May 4.

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Nebraska Businesses Prepare to Reopen Amid Virus

Published by Scott Stewart on Wed, 04/29/2020 - 5:06am

Business owners in Nebraska are starting to plan their comeback, now that the governor has unveiled his plan to ease coronavirus restrictions.

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Nebraska to Ease Some Restrictions

Published by Scott Stewart on Wed, 04/29/2020 - 5:06am

Lincoln – Life in the Omaha area and other parts of Nebraska will start inching back toward normal on May 4, Gov. Pete Ricketts announced last week as he unveiled plans to loosen the state’s coronavirus restrictions.

Ricketts said last Friday he will relax restrictions in 59 counties, including the Omaha area, but not in Lincoln’s Lancaster County.

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How Physics Tools, Methods Help Fight COVID-19

Published by Scott Stewart on Wed, 04/29/2020 - 5:04am

There is a lot we don’t know about the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, and the resultant disease, COVID-19. What we do know is that we are pulling our resources together to understand, fight and ultimately defeat it. Physics is at the forefront of this fight.

X-Ray Crystallography

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Virus Expected to Reduce Meat Selection, Raise Prices

Published by Scott Stewart on Wed, 04/29/2020 - 1:00am

Des Moines, Iowa – Meat isn’t going to disappear from supermarkets because of outbreaks of the coronavirus among workers at slaughterhouses. But as the meat plants struggle to remain open, consumers could face less selection and slightly higher prices.

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Bailout Money Bypasses Hard-Hit States for Nebraska

Published by Scott Stewart on Tue, 04/28/2020 - 5:00am

From his office in Bismarck, North Dakota, Alan Haut started preparing for the coronavirus relief bill before it had even been passed by Congress.

North Dakota had experienced only a handful of deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic, and the state’s Republican governor, Doug Burgum, hadn’t issued a shelter-in-place order or required businesses to close.

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Nebraska Jobless Claims Down Again, But Still Above Normal

Published by Scott Stewart on Tue, 04/28/2020 - 4:00am

Lincoln – The number of Nebraska residents seeking unemployment benefits for the first time dropped again last week but is still far higher than usual as businesses struggle with the fallout from the coronavirus.

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Legal Battles Loom as Businesses Sue Insurers

Published by Scott Stewart on Tue, 04/28/2020 - 3:00am

Chicago – A once-bustling bar and grill tucked below a Michigan Avenue overpass famously inspired a “Saturday Night Live” skit starring John Belushi and Bill Murray. But the money the Billy Goat Tavern is losing during the coronavirus outbreak is no joke.