Lincoln Journal Star

“When it comes to broadband revenue,” notes Benjamin Lennett, a telecom policy expert at Washington, D.C.’s non-partisan New America Foundation, “we have the costliest broadband in the world.“ Original article

Shares of student lending firms, including Lincoln’s Nelnet, fell sharply Monday after President Bush proposed to cut lenders’ subsidies by 0.5 of a percentage point and give more money to education grants for financially needy students...Under the Bush administration plan, the government would pay lenders $13.5 billion less over the next five years, the Wall Street Journal reported.Another $3.3 billion would be saved by reducing subsidies to student loan guaranty agencies and another $3.2 billion would… more

If political campaigning seemed different this year in Nebraska -- longer and more aggressive -- one reason might be the rise of absentee voting.

Reflecting national trends, the number of Nebraskans who choose to vote by absentee ballot rises with every election.

By necessity, political strategists must change tactics. No longer can they plan for a slow windup that builds momentum to Election Day. If they do, they’ll miss voters.

“Election Day has become more like election month,” said Steven Hill of the… more

A former Nebraskan brought to light a loophole that has allowed student loan companies, including Lincoln’s Nelnet, to reap hundreds of millions in additional profits at taxpayers’ expense. Jon Oberg, who up until now had remained anonymous, revealed Monday that he was the Department of Education employee who did the work that brought to public attention the practice that allowed companies to package newer loans with older loans to continue to receive a government-guaranteed 9.5 percent subsidy. more

A federal investigative agency has issued a draft report recommending that Lincoln’s Nelnet Inc. repay money it collected from certain student loans and not collect any more money from the type of loan at issue.Nelnet stock closed down $1.10, 3.5 percent, to $30.25 in heavy trading on the New York Stock Exchange.The report came from The Department of Education’s Office of the Inspector General on an audit of Nelnet’s portfolio of student loans receiving 9.5… more