By Rik W. Hafer
You already have seen how efforts to thwart the spread of the coronavirus have led to significant jobs loss. Early forecasts see it getting worse before it gets better. All areas of the country or the state will not, however, suffer the same employment losses.
Editorials
Capitol Perspectives: Issues in covering coronavirus
By Phill Brooks
The coronavirus pandemic has raised some difficult journalistic questions for which there are not easy answers.
Journalists are facing conflicts between stessing good health practices while, at the same time, holding public officials accountable for their actions and, sometimes, inaction.
Look for any ‘missing’ news on our website
“Desperate times call for desperate measures.” According to Wiktionary, this phrase likely originates from a saying of the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates, which appears in his Aphorisms: "For extreme diseases, extreme methods of cure, as to restriction, are most suitable." We’re in desperate times.
Preparing for financial dips
By Tawni Hunt Ferrarini, Ph.D., Economist, author, and professor
The health and well-being of everyone in our communities is everyone’s top priority. We understand the concern and uncertainty that people may be experiencing surrounding the coronavirus (COVID-19). As educators, we are committed to being responsive to everyone’s information needs as the situation evolves and is reflected in the economic viability of our community’s households and businesses.
A strong case for proactive policies
By Rik W. Hafer
Current estimates of the federal government’s aid package to offset the effects of the coronavirus epidemic exceed $1 trillion, significantly more than the $787 billion response to the recession and financial crisis in 2009. Let’s consider some key components to the package.
Rural America needs help to weather COVID-19 crisis
By Blake Hurst
I can remember when President Nixon embargoed agriculture exports. I was hanging out at Kretchmer’s Corner Cafe with my dad, after doing chores on a Saturday morning, and I can tell you that the local coffee drinkers were ticked. I can remember when President Carter began the Russian grain embargo. I can remember the inflation of the 1970s and the high interest rates of the early 1980s.