Latest news with #UniversityOfNebraska
News.com.au
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Text message sent by Aussie cult hero before viral, emotional video
Aussie cult hero Archie Wilson's family have shown just how close the family is as they revealed a text message the punter sent before his emotional video spread across the globe. The American football punter, who has been recruited by the University of Nebraska, on Wednesday went viral for showing his emotions in front of cameras in the United States. Wilson, who is celebrating his 19th birthday, was in tears when asked about homesickness living on the other side of the world to his family — dad Lee, mum Jessica and brothers Oscar and Lewis. American fans wrapped their arms around the talented punter with many applauding the teenager for showing his raw emotion. The punter's family on Thursday morning appeared on breakfast TV and showed exactly why homesickness has been such a difficult thing for the talented teenager to deal with. Lee and Jessica told The Today Show they have spoken with their eldest son several times since the video of his press conference melted hearts across the United States. Lee said the family have been assured Archie is happy living abroad and even revealed they received a message from Archie before learning the video of his reply to a reporter was going viral. 'He sent us a message to say he was OK,' Lee said. 'He said to ignore the press conference before we'd actually watched it. So we watched it straight away.' One of his brothers was also seen wiping a tear away during the family's appearance on The Today Show. 'It happened quickly,' Lee said. 'It sort of took us all by surprise when we watch it. The tears started. There was a bit of a family hug and then we sat in quiet and processed it a little bit. 'We miss him a lot, obviously.' Jessica said after his first emotional press conference her son went on to do 'another hour' of speaking to reporters. 'He cleary misses us and the question caught him off guard,' she said. The family will be reunited with Archie in 11 days. It has been 10 weeks since they were last with him — when they toured the facilities at the University in June. Wilson has gambled everything in chasing his dream as a punter in the United States after getting the attention of talent scouts through the Australian-based ProKick academy production line of Aussie punters. The NFL has a long, deep, proud tradition of Aussie punters in the NFL — and Wilson next year hopes he can achieve his dream. For now, though, his dream is to make a strong impression when he suits up for his college football team when their season begins on August 28. Even before making his debut, Wilson is a cult figure with Nebraska 'Cornhuskers' fans. His story has only just begun. Speaking to Sunrise on Thursday morning, Wilson's mum Jessica said Archie was simply missing his family when celebrating his birthday without them for the first time. 'I spoke to him straight away and he was absolutely fine,' she said. 'He got emotional, it was his birthday yesterday/today American time, so I think the emotion of not having us there on his first birthday away just got to him at that one point.' Lee told Channel 7 the family is staying grounded amid the international headlines created by yesterday's presser. 'We're really trying not to get too far ahead of it because there's an enormity of a task at hand he's got to go out and do, and we're trying to just keep the lid on all of it,' Lee said, with their other two sons by their side. 'But it seems to have blown up and got away from everyone. 'It's a bit of a new world for us, we're not those sort of people.' She went on to say the family is 'extremely proud' of their boy. Earlier, Towards the end of his media appearance, Wilson was asked how it felt to be so far away from his family. The question hit the teen as the emotion spilt out in sad scenes. 'That part's hard. I mean … I'm sorry,' Wilson said as the tears began to flow. 'I love them a lot. I got two little brothers, and my mum and dad. That's the tough part about being here. I love them a lot and I miss them.' Moving halfway across the world to chase his dream wasn't easy, but he was already looking forward to his family coming over later this month. 'They know this is what's best for me,' he said. 'It's good I can still talk to them plenty over the phone. They're coming here to see the first few games, so I'm looking forward to that.'
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Nebraska farmers, ranchers talk to Trump ag secretary about tough times
Members of Nebraska's congressional delegation tour a University of Nebraska-Lincoln-managed feedlot in Saunders County with Trump Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on Aug. 9, 2025. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner) ITHACA, Nebraska — President Donald Trump's ag secretary visited Nebraska after a Saturday storm and faced questions from farmers about some dark skies facing agriculture, including a few clouds some said the administration stirred. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins heard about tariffs and trade in a closed-press roundtable at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Eastern Nebraska Research, Extension and Education Center. Rollins got an inkling of the economic disruption of on-again, off-again, on-again tariffs with trade partners for Nebraska agriculture, including Mexico and Canada, attendees said. She also heard some thanks from local producers for the Trump administration's progress toward trade expansion into major markets, such as Japan, South Korea and Australia. U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., arranged the Saturday discussion and visit to a place where UNL shows farmers and ranchers how to apply the research from Lincoln to boost farm and ranch hauls. She was joined by Nebraska U.S. Reps. Don Bacon, a member of the House Ag Committee, Rep. Mike Flood, who leads the House Main Street Caucus, and Rep. Adrian Smith, from the Ways and Means Committee. The four from Nebraska's five-member, all-GOP delegation emphasized the help and benefits coming Nebraska's way from the tax and spending cuts bill they recently passed. The fifth, U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., told Fischer he had a scheduling conflict. Fischer, whose family operates a cattle ranch near Valentine, talked about the importance of providing tax certainty for planning at a time of increasing costs for ag inputs. National statistics indicate that Nebraska and neighboring Iowa lost more than 6% of their gross domestic product in the first quarter of 2025, the worst declines nationally, led by ag. Row-crop producers face the most difficult economic conditions after years of depressed pricing and now with tariffs added, several producers told the secretary and delegation. Rollins acknowledged that many growers may need federal help with price supports and affording fertilizer after many of them extended themselves to get through operations in another tough year. The secretary said that's why it was important — with the farm bill delayed in Congress — that some baseline protections for crop pricing were included in the GOP tax and spending bill Trump has labeled 'big' and 'beautiful.' 'Row croppers have been operating at a loss for a number of years,' Rollins said. 'That's not sustainable.' She and Fischer said Trump knows the issues facing farmers and ranchers and teased that his administration would act soon to offer some relief, including some help with farm labor. 'There's a lot of risk involved in agriculture,' Fischer said. 'You can't control the weather. When you drove up today, you probably saw some corn that was stripped by the wind. 'That's why these safety nets are so important for crop producers, that they have that.' Flood, who represents an eastern Nebraska district that includes Lincoln, said he has been talking with growers and bankers who say they need help to reduce the risk of defaulting on loans. 'Corn's at $3.80 a bushel,' Flood said. 'That doesn't pay the bills.' Bacon, who represents the Omaha area, said that Nebraska needs to get more corn and soybeans 'out the door' and that tariff uncertainty and a new jobs report concern him. He argued that free trade is his preferred approach, and that it's better for the economy, but he said he understands the president sometimes has to act to address trade imbalances. Bacon said some producers tell him they will need help, and one of the best ways to help is by expanding the reach of biofuels into aviation fuel and higher ethanol blends in gasoline. 'It's the only way you're going to move enough corn and soybeans,' he said. 'Otherwise you're going to have a depression, and … we're going to see it pretty squarely.' Bacon, who is not running again for the 2nd Congressional District seat in 2026, said Trump had made enough progress slowing down border traffic that he could announce new visa efforts for ag workers. The Trump crackdown on migrant workers has left some ag producers with a labor shortage, including in one of Nebraska ag's good-news stories: an increasing number of dairies. Smith, who represents Nebraska's sprawling, rural 3rd Congressional District, one of the country's most conservative, defended Trump's trying to get fairer deals from other countries. Feds say Nebraska GDP shrunk more than 6% in early 2025, led by ag Smith has previously said he is no fan of tariffs, but that he considers them a tool in the president's negotiating toolbox that he has used effectively to wring concessions. Smith said Trump is dealing with the hand he was dealt. He spent much of the past four years criticizing the Biden administration for letting ag trade languish as a back-burner issue. People who served in the Biden administration U.S. Department of Agriculture have argued they prioritized trade. But Smith said more could and should have been done, as evidenced by a new deal with the United Kingdom. He told Rollins he appreciated her 'bringing attention to the challenges facing agriculture.' Bacon stressed that even in urban Omaha, one in three jobs are tied to agriculture. Fischer and Flood stressed the importance of the federal government and USDA continuing to invest in ag research at land-grant universities like UNL. Flood said he is working with Fischer to secure the last $60 million needed to get the USDA research facility finished on Lincoln's Nebraska Innovation Campus for 300 USDA researchers. Rollins toured a UNL-managed feedlot in Saunders County with Derek McLean, dean of the Agricultural Research Division at UNL's Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. It was the secretary's second trip to Nebraska and the first leg of a two-stop trip sending her next to the Iowa State Fair to join Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds showing steer in Des Moines. Said Fischer: 'Our delegation understands the importance of agriculture. We are really, really fortunate to have a secretary like Secretary Rollins. She is easy to reach out to.' 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Yahoo
22-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
‘Self-Healing' Concrete May Revolutionize Roads, Bridges, and Buildings
A new kind of concrete developed by researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln might one day fix its own cracks — using only sunlight, water, and tiny living organisms. The material, outlined in a recent paper in Materials Today Communications, uses a surprising combo: sunlight-loving bacteria and a tough little fungus. Together, they could make bridges, sidewalks, and buildings last a whole lot longer without all the expensive repair work. Cracks are concrete's Achilles' heel. They form from stress, heat, and even just drying too fast — and once they're there, water and pollutants sneak in. Over time, that damages the steel inside and weakens the structure. In the U.S., fixing these problems racks up tens of billions of dollars a year. But what if the concrete could fix itself? Dr. Congrui Grace Jin and her team — Dr. Richard Wilson, Nisha Rokaya, and Erin Carr — looked to nature for help. Their inspiration? Lichen. These are rugged organisms made up of fungi and cyanobacteria or algae that survive in tough environments with almost no resources. Their synthetic version pairs a fungus called Trichoderma reesei with cyanobacteria like Anabaena inaequalis and Nostoc punctiforme. Once they're inside the concrete, they just need light, air, and a little moisture. The cyanobacteria grab nitrogen and carbon dioxide from the air and use photosynthesis to create nutrients, which help the fungi grow. In return, the fungi make calcium carbonate — essentially cement — that fills and seals the cracks. 'Microbe-mediated self-healing concrete has been extensively investigated for more than three decades,' Jin told The Brighter Side of News. 'But it still suffers from one important limitation—none of the current self-healing approaches are fully autonomous since they require an external supply of nutrients.' That's what makes this approach different. No chemical capsules. No added food for the microbes. Just the natural resources already around. Lab tests showed the mix worked even in harsh conditions. It handled dry environments and concrete's naturally high pH levels. Researchers measured the growth and healing using a mix of techniques: fungal plating, optical density, pigment concentration, metabolic activity, and biomass weight. In trials, it patched cracks faster than older bacteria-based systems — up to 80% faster, in fact — and it didn't release toxic gases like some urea-based solutions do. The researchers also think it could be used far beyond Earth. With just light and minimal resources needed, it might be a good fit for building structures on the Moon or Mars. 'The goal of this study is to create a synthetic lichen system with a phototroph-heterotroph symbiosis, similar to natural lichens,' Jin said. 'That way, the system can produce biomaterials in a self-sustained manner.' There are still hurdles. Not everyone is going to be comfortable with the idea of living materials inside public infrastructure. To explore that, Jin's team is teaming up with social scientists at Texas A&M to look at the public's reaction, along with any legal questions that could come up. Even so, the big picture is promising. If this self-healing concrete takes off, it could cut down drastically on costly inspections and repairs — and make infrastructure that lasts a century or more without major upkeep.
Washington Post
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Boxing champ Terence Crawford tells Omaha graduates to work hard and keep fighting for success
OMAHA, Neb. — Unbeaten four-division world champion Terence 'Bud' Crawford encouraged graduating University of Nebraska at Omaha students Friday to devote themselves to hard work, never give in to negativity and never stop setting goals. Crawford, the keynote speaker at the school's commencement ceremony at Baxter Arena, told of his journey from a difficult childhood in north Omaha to international boxing fame and how the graduates can use the approach he took to find success in their professional and personal lives.
Associated Press
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Boxing champ Terence Crawford tells Omaha graduates to work hard and keep fighting for success
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Unbeaten four-division world champion Terence 'Bud' Crawford encouraged graduating University of Nebraska at Omaha students Friday to devote themselves to hard work, never give in to negativity and never stop setting goals. Crawford, the keynote speaker at the school's commencement ceremony at Baxter Arena, told of his journey from a difficult childhood in north Omaha to international boxing fame and how the graduates can use the approach he took to find success in their professional and personal lives. 'Being from Omaha means you're a fighter,' he said. 'That's two things we have in common. I was a fighter before I became a boxer. I was a competitor before I put on the gloves. I accepted this invitation to speak with you today because I love being around other fighters. I love people who embrace who they are.' As a teen, Crawford was kicked out of five schools for fighting before he graduated from high school. He ran with a bad crowd and was shot multiple times, once in the head. He said he was fortunate to find mentors who gave him hope he could have a better life, but he also had to do his part to make it happen. 'You control your own destiny,' he said. 'You get to determine your greatness. You have everything you need to be a champion.' Crawford told the graduates to not let obstacles stand in their way of achieving success and quoted Mike Tyson, who famously said everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face. 'It's just as true in life as it is in boxing,' Crawford said. 'You can set all the goals and make all the plans you want but sometimes you're going to get punched in the face. You get the job interview, but you don't get the job. You get the match online, but you don't get the date. You make an investment, and then the market takes bad turn.' The way to respond, he said, is to keep working and not waste time. 'All I heard growing up is no boxers come out of Omaha,' he said. 'Where would I be if I listened to them? Do you think your basketball team listened to people who said they would finish second to last in their league? They believed in each other, won a conference and gave UNO its first-ever March Madness appearance.' Crawford said he never let himself become satisfied once he began collecting championship belts. He will bid to become a five-division champion when he moves up two weights to fight undisputed super middleweight champ Canelo Alvarez in Las Vegas on Sept. 13. 'When I was coming up, I watched fighters who came before me and I saw how they got the money, the fame. They blew it all on jewelry and cars,' he said. 'Once I became champion, I wanted more, so I had to keep being the same person and not letting success get to my head. 'There always is going to be someone with a faster car, a bigger house, more expensive clothes. Real fulfillment comes from somewhere else. This is important. Don't be satisfied, ever. The moment I became a world champ, I didn't celebrate it and call it quits. I said what's next?' Crawford, 37, said he will continue to be a fighter long after he hangs up his boxing gloves. He said he plans to continue growing his B&B Sports Academy, his north Omaha youth center where confidence, discipline and healthy habits are taught through sports. 'There are a lot of kids growing up just like me — rough neighborhoods, no guidance, nobody to look up to,' he said. 'I want to be a light for them and show them what's possible. That's what I want. I'm challenging you all today to do the same. Remember where you come from. Remember you are a fighter.' ___ AP boxing:
