LINCOLN — After 26 years working in Nebraska’s Department of Economic Development, former director of field operations Sheryl Hiatt said she didn’t want to retire, but she felt she had no other option.

According to Hiatt, changes made within the department — most of which came after Gov. Jim Pillen’s appointment of Maureen Larsen as interim director in July 2025 — made her time working there unpleasant enough that she chose to leave earlier than she previously planned.

Over the past few years, consumers have been hit with a steady stream of price hikes on everything from groceries to streaming subscriptions.

And more are coming: 55% of companies in a recent survey by the consultancy KPMG say they plan to increase their prices within the next six months.

Given significant customer backlash and the risk of losing business, companies are scrambling even more these days to find ways to justify the hikes.

BOONE – Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said Tuesday that a U.S. decision to lower certain tariffs on ground beef imports has highlighted the importance of working to bring more U.S. food production on-shore.

While at the Farm Progress Show in Iowa, Rollins announced a U.S. Department of Agriculture data modernization program and spoke about the Trump administration’s commitment to growing the nation’s beef herd and advancing biofuels.