dn the
dailynebraskan.com
not over
the cliff yet UNCERTAINTY MAY LEAD TO CUTS IN FEDERAL STUDENT AID
monday, january 7, 2013 volume 112, issue 075
Inside Coverage
2013 UNL Wishlist
Just not enough
A&E writers wish big for coming months on campus
Nebraska falls to another SEC team in bowl game
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chris rhodes | dn
Climatologists: Drought to last through winter Strong impacts of drought continue, rivaling droughts in 1930s, 1950s
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A rising starlet Story of unexpected friendship opens at The Ross
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technology many times can help us.” In addition to helping the police department identify those involved in a crime, Peschong said the footage can serve as evidence in court. Peschong said the police deLIS ARNESON partment is trying to look at what DN other resources might be available to ensure that 14th and O is a safe The Lincoln Police Department area for people to come and enjoy has installed two surveillance the downtown area. cameras at the intersection of 14th For the time being, the camand O streets to keep an eye on eras have been turned off. downtown bar crowds. The cam“They basically were turned eras were installed in November. on to make sure they will operLincoln Police Chief Jim Peate and are functional for us. But schong said the department has now, they’re turned off until we periodically discussed placing have additional feedback,” Pecameras at this inschong said. tersection for several Peschong said that years. the cameras, which “A lot of our recost about $2,500 each, sources have to be were paid for with devoted to the area money from drug seiof 14th and O late at zures. night,” Peschong said. The department “That’s one of our hopes to minimize highest crime areas the chances of people for assaults in the city. committing crimes There’s also just a ton while they’re particiof activity.” pating in the nightlife But the cameras are downtown, he said. Peschong not intended to replace “(Security cameras the presence of police are) quite effective for officers, he said. businesses and private “Sometimes there’s a fight entities,” he said. “We’re trying to with 20 people involved,” Pe- decide if it can also be effective for schong said. “Even though we the police department.” may have five or six officers that Peschong said bar-goers are downtown on patrol, they shouldn’t get caught up in the fact may not be able to identify every that they are being recorded, pointperson involved. The use of video ing to the fact that people leave
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14th and O street cameras to help identify those involved in crimes
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Alleged hacker due in court Tuesday for arraignment
fiscal cliff: see page 2
Police install downtown surveillance
more Inside Coverage:
Former UNL student charged in NU breach
financial aid websites Fastweb and FinAid, said the sequester includes cuts to federal student aid programs. If Congress does not act, aid will be cut by 8.2 percent in two months, he said. Kantrowitz said a number of education-related tax credits were made permanent in the act: the American Opportunity Tax Credit, worth up to $2,500 per student, and the Lifetime Learning Credit, worth up to $2,000 and the Tuition and Fees Deduction. Improvements to The Coverdell Education Savings Account were also made permanent, Kantrowitz said. These are savings accounts that incentivize saving for future education costs. “This essentially maintains the status quo,” Kantrowitz said. The five-year Student Loan Interest Deduction was also made permanent. This means up to $2,500 can be deducted from taxes filed if you are repaying a student loan. Kantrowitz said uncertainties about future cuts will impact the amount of aid that universities will give to students. Additionally, the federal work study program may be trimmed by $76 million, according to the National Association of State Student Grant and Aid Programs. “The question is how will they distribute what is left,” Kantrowitz said. For work study, there might be less money to go around, he said. Also, interest rates for Stafford and Parent PLUS loans could increase. In the summer of 2012, Congress blocked the doubling of interest rates. If no action is taken, interest rates will double from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent in the
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wenty-three hours after its self-imposed deadline, Congress passed legislation to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff of spending cuts and tax increases set to go into effect on New Year ’s Day – but students and their families will still face tax increases and uncertainty regarding federal student aid. On Jan. 1, Congress passed the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, which extended the George W. Bush tax cuts for 98 percent of Americans and put off planned spending cuts for two months. The late passage had no consequence for taxpayers because the market had no time to react because it was closed. Near the final hours of Dec. 31, the Senate brokered a bipartisan deal averting the cliff. Instead of letting taxes rise for everyone, the Senate agreed to let Bush tax cuts expire for individuals making more than $400,000 a year. The Senate passed the bill with a rare 89-8 majority. The deal did not extend the payroll tax cut of 2010. This means a 2 percent increase in federal taxes will be taken out of every paycheck. Late on Jan. 1, the House of Representatives voted on the bill, and it passed with a vote of 257-167, sending it to President Barack Obama, who signed it into law that evening. The second element of the cliff – spending cuts known as “the sequester” – has been delayed for two months. These cuts were designed to reduce the rising deficit and include everything from defense spending to Medicare. Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of
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er than water use. “It takes a toll on other sectors that people don’t think about,” Svoboda said. Because of the dryness and dust, Smith said droughts tend to cause public health issues such as respiratory problems. Kelli Rollin Svoboda said allergies and West Dn Nile Virus can also be a problem because of the exposed fields and the It ain’t over yet. chemicals in them. He said many The widespread drought people dealt with West Nile Virus of 2012 is now expected to last this year because of the drought. through this winter and possibly Shipping traffic also becomes into the spring, according to climaa problem during a drought betologists at the National Drought cause water levels are lower, SvoMitigation Center at the University boda said. He said because of heat of Nebraska-Lincoln. and evaporation, bodies of water The drought covers about two- such as the Great Lakes are too thirds of the U.S., said Mark Svobolow, which further reduces muchda, a climatologist at the center. needed runoff to rivers, lakes and “It’s a large drought spatially,” streams. Svoboda pointed out that he said. Lake McConaughy, a reservoir in Climatologists say the pro- western Nebraska, is only half-full longed, widespread drought may this year. further impact sectors such as public Svoboda and Smith said this health, agriculture and shipping and drought is similar to may continue the 1930s and 1950s its historic run. We are 9 to droughts, which were Svobojust as widespread. da said this 10 inches “I don’t think this drought is undrought is as widebelow normal usual not only spread as the drought because it is precipitation.” in the ‘50s, but some widespread, parts may have been but also because worse,” Smith said. Mark Svoboda of how fast it arclimatologist Svoboda said this rived, bringing particular drought multiple heat might have the durawaves with it. tion of the ‘30s Dust Bowl, which “The impacts came on much lasted nearly a decade. more quickly, and the heat caused Because last year’s winter was much more demand for water,” he warm and offered little snow, no said. reserved moisture is in the soil, SvoWith these strong impacts conboda said. tinuing, Kelly Smith, a drought re“We are 9 to 10 inches below sources specialist at the center, said normal precipitation,” he said. people will have to be frugal and To get caught up with normal continue to conserve water. Smith precipitation rates, Svoboda said it said some homeowners may even would take 8 to 12 feet of snow this have to closely watch how often winter, which is unlikely. they wash their clothes to conserve “Droughts are up there with as much water as possible. Smith the most costly of hazards,” he said. said farmers and ranchers have to “They can last a long time and consider different options, such as cause damage and cover millions crop irrigation and obtaining crop of square miles. This drought is insurance. looking to persist into the spring. “A drought takes a while to de- What happens in March and April velop, and it takes a while to come will tell us a lot about what hapout of it,” she said. pens in 2013.” Svoboda and Smith said news@ droughts have many impacts othdailynebraskan.com
story by daniel wheaton art by ian tredway
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chris rhodes | dn digital footprints daily on various surveillance cameras. The cameras are there to ensure safety. “It really is just a short duration that we keep (footage). It records over that data within 36 hours,” Peschong said. “If someone isn’t falling victim to a crime, or there isn’t data captured that we want to preserve, then it isn’t kept.” Peschong said the police department has no future plans for installing additional cameras
downtown. Moses Ward, manager of C. Berry’s downtown, said he doesn’t think the cameras are totally necessary. “I think that the current level of policing in this particular area is effective. I don’t think that the cameras are going to necessarily be helpful except for after the fact,” Ward said. News@ DailyNebraskan.com