Today’s newsletter theme: Money.
Your money. My money. Warren Buffett’s money, which is more money. Where is it going? Where has it gone? What does it all mean?
Grab hold of your wallets and tighten that grip on your purses, ladies and gents. Let’s dive right in, much like Scrooge McDuck dives into a pool of gold coins.
Poof goes the Property Tax Refund? If you’re like me, you heard some vague rumblings out of the Nebraska Legislature this year. There was a lot of yelling and spitting and fighting during a special session called by Gov. Jim Pillen. And at the end of the special session, some vague assurances that we were being delivered some small-ish measure of property tax relief. Hooray!
Yeah, not so fast.
FFP senior reporter Yanqi Xu has a new story today that explains what really went down. The Legislature made a switch that does appear to benefit many Nebraskans in the long run. But in the short term, it turns out that many of us — including yours truly — actually weirdly lost money during that special session allegedly called to deliver property tax relief.
Oh, and I should add this tantalizing tidbit: Among the few people who actually scored Nebraska’s final property tax refund by paying 2023 property taxes in calendar year 2023 — a thing that very few Nebraskans actually do — was Gov. Pillen himself.
They’re Takin’ Warren’s Wealth: Apologies to anyone who doesn’t recognize that iconic line from Warren G’s 1994 hip hop anthem, “Regulate.” To be clear, I’m not apologizing to you. I am apologizing on your behalf.
Anyway, we’re talking about a different Warren today, the legendary 94-year-old investor and resident richest dude.
The usual steady-as-he-goes Buffett made a pretty shocking series of announcements in the past year about where his money will go when he travels to the Great Stock Market Beyond.
And FFP reporter Jeremy Turley reports that Omaha and Nebraska haven’t maybe grasped just how much Buffett writing the Gates Foundation out of his will, and then writing his three children in, could impact the city and our state for decades to come.
Turley with this important story. It’s the first in what will be at least a three-part series, “The Philanthropy Chronicles,” focused on the promise, trials and tribulations of Nebraska nonprofits and the foundations that fund them.
Spikes or Shots? I enjoyed this story from correspondent Greg Echlin, which isn’t really about volleyball so much as it is the hidden lives of two college volleyball players who are very much both students and student-athletes.
Creighton’s Norah Sis and Kendra Wait star on a Bluejay squad that just scored a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament after barely falling to No. 1 seed Nebraska in the regular season. And they are also full-time nursing students, meaning they had to scrape themselves out of bed early on the morning after that rough defeat to the Huskers and head to a shift at the hospital.
Soon they’ll have a decision to make. Pro volleyball? Or pro nursing?
Thank you for Giving on Giving Tuesday: Since this newsletter is about dough, I would be remiss if I didn’t say thanks to the nearly 700 of you who have already donated a bit of your hard-earned money during our end-of-year fundraising drive. It was especially gratifying to watch your gifts roll in on Giving Tuesday.
It’s hard to overstate how important this is to the continued growth of the Flatwater Free Press as we go into Year Four. Simply put: If you keep supporting us, we’re gonna keep doing more important stories that matter to Nebraskans that we then deliver to Nebraskans for the low, low price of free.
Want to support freedom of the press, the First Amendment, and local, independent journalism for all Nebraskans? Want to support our work, but haven’t pulled that trigger yet in 2024? Good news: Thanks to a local funding match, your $1 still becomes $2 if you donate now or before New Year’s Eve.
You’re doubling your donation! You’re like Santa Claus on performance enhancing drugs!
That’s maybe not a great image. Hopefully no second graders read this email.
Or Santa.
Please, consider donating today.
With gratitude,
—Matthew Hansen, Executive Editor
Here’s what we’re into this week: News from around Nebraska
Every week we like to share great Nebraska journalism, no matter who made it. Here’s what caught our eye this week:
- I was hooked on this story from The World-Herald’s Steve Liewer when I read the first sentence: “The Pentagon wants to break China’s near-monopoly on rare-earth minerals that are a key element in many of its weapons systems, and it’s betting on a small Nebraska company to help it do that.” Sounds pretty fascinating, and it is. (You may need a World-Herald subscription to access this story.)
- This was a fascinating one that doesn’t have anything to do with Nebraska but maybe should. Australia is banning social media for children under 16. NBC News with the story about the ban and the ongoing controversy.
- The number of registered Republicans and nonpartisans are both growing in Nebraska as Democrats continue their long downward slide, reports the Journal Star’s Andrew Wegley. (You may need a Journal Star subscription to read.)
- Gov. Pillen announced his legislative priorities for 2025. Among them: A continued fight to lower property taxes, and a ban on lab-grown meat. Nebraska Public Media’s Brian Beach with that story.
- Speaking of volleyball: Nebraska’s own Mitch Sherman has a lovely story in The Athletic on Husker volleyball star Harper Murray and her battle back from an offseason of trouble — one that stars her coach and father figure, John Cook.
- There are more hungry Nebraskans this year, reports the Nebraska Examiner’s Cindy Gonzalez. Food insecurity is spiking across the state, a new report says. (Check your county with the map included with the story.)
- Despite Democrats’ claims that they weren’t backing Nebraska nonpartisan candidate Dan Osborn, the main super PAC tied to Senate Democrats steered more than $3.8 million to another outside group supporting Osborn in the final days of his unsuccessful bid to unseat Republican Sen. Deb Fischer, Politico reported.
- Last but sure not least: Craig Chandler is retiring after 16 years as UNL’s director of photography. (This, after another lifetime as photo editor of The World-Herald, when I arrived way back in 2006.) He’s leaving behind an incredible photo archive, a visual record of the magic of college life. And, before he left, he picked his very favorite photos he’s ever taken at UNL. Enjoy ‘em. I sure did.
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