Friday, April 17
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Nebraska No. 1 Recipient for Small Business Loans from CARES Act
Relative to overall payroll, Nebraska is the no.1 recipient of relief from the Payroll Protection Program. The $2.7 billion that more than 18,500 business applied for accounts for 75% of payrolls in the state.
View our guide to local resources at TheReader.com
Today we have stories about federal relief for small businesses running dry, Nebraska Crossing pushing forward with its plan to supposedly be the first mall in North America to reopen amid the pandemic and states looking to reopen in May.
Your top local stories
In Omaha
- Gov. Pete Ricketts rejected an Omaha state senator’s call to stop Nebraska Crossing from reopening next week.
- Managers and workers at the mall fear for their health and safety as Nebraska Crossing plans a “soft” reopening next week and grand reopening the week after.
- A new UNMC study predicts Nebraska will have 50 to 180 coronavirus-related deaths as the state still inches toward its peak in coming weeks.
- Some restaurants are now dispersing supplies like toilet paper along with meals to go.
- Food Bank for the Heartland is spending multitudes higher than normal to keep food supplies moving.
- Temperatures in the 60s this weekend will follow Thursday’s record snowfall.
- As families face new challenges due to school closures and other coronavirus-related aftershock, a Boys Town psychologist offers advice on finding a new normal at home.
- A former Marian basketball coach was sentenced to 20 to 30 years in prison for sexually assaulting a student eight years ago.
- As increases in unemployment claims fall for the first time in weeks, the Nebraska Department of Labor is still sifting through a hefty backlog of cases that need to be processed.
- Hall County, Nebraska’s coronavirus hot spot, has a higher rate of cases than most of the country’s hardest-hit states.
- In lieu of an in-person Spring Game this Saturday, Nebraska football announced it would assemble two teams of Husker all-time greats to compete virtually.
- Gov. Ricketts to hold daily press briefing at 2 p.m.
What to do during quarantine?
From our list of things to do during quarantine
What’s happening in the United States?
Small business relief loans tapped dry after two weeks
- Hard-hit small businesses exhausted the $350 billion program promised in the CARES Act only a few weeks ago.
Trump hands off reopening decision to governors
- With a vague May 1 goal, President Donald Trump says governors can “call your own shots” on how and when to return back to normal. Regionally, Minnesota has partnered with several other states to decide how best to reopen.
- Officials say the U.S. still does not have adequate testing capacity or supplies to understand the scope of the pandemic and then make decisions about reopening.
- Production has reduced about 25% according to industry experts and could lead to more hoarding as well as hits to farmers.
What’s happening across the world?
China adds 1,290 to coronavirus death toll
- The 50% jump came from deaths China said it missed in the early days of the outbreak.
Check out more coverage online at TheReader.com
The Omaha Reader