Today: October 11, 2024
Today: October 11, 2024

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Student loan payments start again soon. Supreme Court’s ruling means higher bills for many

In a good month, Celina Chanthanouvong has about $200 left after rent, groceries and car insurance. That doesn’t factor in her student loans, which have been on hold since the start of the pandemic and are estimated to cost $300 a month. The pause in repayment has been a lifeline keeping the 25-year-old afloat. “I don’t even know where I would begin to budget that money,” said Chanthanouvong, who works in marketing in San Francisco. Now, after more than three years, the lifeline is being pulled away. More than 40 million Americans will be on the hook

Student loan payments start again soon. Supreme Court’s ruling means higher bills for many
World

Here's how to prepare to start paying back your student loans when the pandemic payment freeze ends

An estimated 43 million borrowers who could have seen their student loan balances decreased or erased will now resume their original payments in the fall, following the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the Biden administration’s debt forgiveness plan. Student loan interest will start accruing on September 1 and payments will re-start in October, when a three-year pandemic pause on federal student loan payments will end. The conservative-leaning court ruled that the Biden administration overstepped its authority in trying to cancel or reduce student loan debt. The White House plan would have forgiven $10,000 in federal

Here's how to prepare to start paying back your student loans when the pandemic payment freeze ends
World

Indiana Supreme Court upholds abortion ban, says state constitution gives only limited protections

The Indiana Supreme Court ruled Friday that the state’s abortion ban doesn’t violate the state constitution, removing a major hurdle to enforcing the ban Republicans approved last summer. The court’s decision overturns a county judge’s ruling that the ban likely violates the state constitution’s privacy protections, which she said are stronger than those found in the U.S. Constitution. That judge’s order has allowed abortions to continue in Indiana since September, despite the ban. An opinion from three of the court’s five justices said that while Indiana’s constitution provides some protection of abortion rights, the “General Assembly otherwise

Indiana Supreme Court upholds abortion ban, says state constitution gives only limited protections
World

Haze, heat and storms are affecting summer festivities in many parts of the U.S.

The nation’s midsection is heading into the July Fourth weekend and instead of enjoying the start of summer people are facing smoky haze, high temperatures and powerful derecho winds that knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of residents. Utility crews were scrambling Friday to restore electricity after a storm front moved across Illinois and Indiana on Thursday packing winds more than 70 miles (112 kilometers) an hour at times. The storm caused widespread damage to trees and buildings in the central parts of both states from the Mississippi River to the Indianapolis area. Utility companies faced

Haze, heat and storms are affecting summer festivities in many parts of the U.S.
World

Jersey Shore towns say state's marijuana law handcuffs police and emboldens rowdy teens

It’s summer on the Jersey Shore. For many young people, that means one thing: Party time! But officials and residents of several beachside towns say New Jersey’s criminal justice reforms in recent years — such as decriminalizing marijuana use — are having an unintended effect, emboldening large groups of teenagers to run amok on beaches and boardwalks, knowing there’s little chance they’ll get in trouble for it. Now, some lawmakers are trying to walk back parts of those laws, which also involve alcohol use and possession. The laws were designed to keep more juveniles out

Jersey Shore towns say state's marijuana law handcuffs police and emboldens rowdy teens
World

Was your flight canceled due to bad weather? What you need to know about rebooking, refunds and more

Hundreds of thousands of air travelers are facing potential flight cancellations and delays this weekend, the peak of summer travel, as thunderstorms threaten the East Coast, West Coast and points in between. Nearly 270 U.S. flights were canceled early Friday, according to flight tracking service FlightAware, and more than 1,100 U.S. flights were delayed. It’s been a terrible week for United Airlines and it is leading all major domestic carriers again Friday both canceled and delayed flights. Staying calm — and knowing your rights — can go a long way if your flight is canceled, experts say.

Was your flight canceled due to bad weather? What you need to know about rebooking, refunds and more
World

South African president cleared of wrongdoing in scandal over $580,000 in cash stolen from his farm

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was cleared of wrongdoing Friday by a public watchdog over a scandal involving the theft of more than half a million dollars in U.S. currency that had been stashed in a sofa at his game farm. Acting Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka, whose office holds politicans to account, said Ramaphosa did not violate the ethics code for members of South Africa’s executive over the incident, which happened in 2020 but was only revealed publicly last year. The scandal was seen as the biggest callenge to Ramaphosa’s reputation and his leadership of Africa’s most

South African president cleared of wrongdoing in scandal over $580,000 in cash stolen from his farm
World

Vatican reports income boost in charitable fund, even as donations dip following financial scandals

The Vatican on Friday reported that a key charitable fund, Peter’s Pence, doubled its income in 2022 to 107 million euros, or more than $166 million, even as donations from the faithful dipped slightly following years of scandal over financial mismanagement at the Holy See. Overall, the Peter’s Pence fund, which finances the Vatican bureaucracy and the pope’s charitable projects around the world, ended 2022 with 11.5 million euros in surplus compared to an 18.4 million-euro deficit in 2021. That year, it only brought in 46.9 million euros in income, according to the financial statement. It’s the second year that

Vatican reports income boost in charitable fund, even as donations dip following financial scandals
World

The key players in last weekend's armed rebellion in Russia

The key players in last weekend’s armed rebellion by Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin: YEVGENY PRIGOZHIN Prigozhin, 62, owed his position and his fortune to links with President Vladimir Putin. The former convict who became a St. Petersburg restaurateur was dubbed “Putin’s chef” for lucrative Kremlin catering contracts. He expanded into other areas and founded the Wagner Group — a private military contractor that was active in Syria and several African countries. The Kremlin relied on Wagner to help shore up its forces in Ukraine after the regular military suffered humiliating setbacks there. Wagner spearheaded attacks on the eastern Ukrainian

The key players in last weekend's armed rebellion in Russia
World

Aces rout Liberty 98-81 in a matchup of marquee WNBA teams for their seventh straight win

Becky Hammon wasn’t going to put too much into the Las Vegas Aces’ rout of the New York Liberty in the first meeting between two of the top teams in the WNBA. “We’re in June still. We’re not banking too much on this,” Hammon said after the 98-81 win Thursday night. “Feels better than losing. At the end of the day we have a lot of basketball left to be played.” It was the seventh consecutive win for the Aces (14-1), who have been nearly unstoppable this season on offense, averaging nearly 93 points a game.

Aces rout Liberty 98-81 in a matchup of marquee WNBA teams for their seventh straight win
World

Executives urge Europe to rethink its world-leading AI rules

More than 150 company executives are urging the European Union to rethink the world’s most comprehensive rules for artificial intelligence, saying Friday that upcoming regulations will make it harder for companies in Europe to compete with rivals overseas, especially when it comes to the technology behind systems like ChatGPT. Officials at companies from French planemaker Airbus and carmaker Renault to Dutch beer giant Heineken signed an open letter to EU leaders saying the 27-nation bloc’s groundbreaking legislation may put shackles on the development of generative AI. That technology gives popular AI chatbots like ChatGPT the power to

Executives urge Europe to rethink its world-leading AI rules
World

An inflation gauge tracked by the Federal Reserve falls to its lowest point in 2 years

An inflation index that is closely monitored by the Federal Reserve tumbled last month to its lowest level since April 2021, pulled down by lower gas prices and slower-rising food costs. At the same time, consumers barely increased their spending last month, boosting it just 0.1%, after a solid 0.6% gain in April. The inflation index showed that prices rose 3.8% in May from 12 months earlier, down sharply from a 4.4% year-over-year surge in April. And from April to May, prices ticked up just 0.1%. Still, last month’s progress in easing overall inflation was tempered by

An inflation gauge tracked by the Federal Reserve falls to its lowest point in 2 years
World

A week after an armed rebellion rattled Russia, key details about it are still shrouded in mystery

Did mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin have inside help from the military and political elite in his armed rebellion that rattled Russia? A week after the mutiny raised the most daunting challenge to President Vladimir Putin’s rule in over two decades, key details about the uprising are still unknown. Uncertainty also swirls around the fate of Prigozhin and his Wagner private military forces, along with the deal they got from the Kremlin, and what the future holds for the Russian defense minister they tried to oust. Finally, and perhaps the biggest unknown: Can Putin shore up the weaknesses revealed by the

A week after an armed rebellion rattled Russia, key details about it are still shrouded in mystery
World

Deputy acquitted of all charges for failing to act during deadly Parkland school shooting

A Florida sheriff’s deputy was acquitted Thursday of felony child neglect and other charges for failing to act during the 2018 Parkland school massacre, concluding the first trial in U.S. history of a law enforcement officer for conduct during an on-campus shooting. Former Broward County Deputy Scot Peterson wept as the verdicts were read, while the fathers of two students murdered at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb, 14, 2018, stared straight ahead and quickly left the courtroom. The jury had deliberated for 19 hours over four days. After court adjourned, Peterson, his family

Deputy acquitted of all charges for failing to act during deadly Parkland school shooting
World

Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen had been a huge Facebook fan. Now he's threatening to ban it

Cambodia’s long-serving, tough-talking leader, Hun Sen, on Friday said he is considering banning Facebook in his country, largely because he is fed up with the abuse he receives on it from his political enemies abroad. Pulling the plug on Facebook for millions of Cambodian users would be the last stage in a lightning estrangement this past week between the 70-year-old prime minister and the social media platform. He had been an enthusiastic user, posting family snapshots alongside dire warnings to his foes, and recently livestreaming his many, sometimes hours-long speeches. On Wednesday, he suddenly announced

Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen had been a huge Facebook fan. Now he's threatening to ban it
World

This year's Hajj was held in sweltering heat, and for those serving pilgrims there was little relief

As hundreds of thousands of Muslim pilgrims walked in the footsteps of the prophets beneath a sweltering sun, contracted cleaners in lime-green jumpsuits held out matching plastic bags to collect their empty water bottles. It takes tens of thousands of cleaners, security personnel, medics and others to make the annual Hajj pilgrimage possible for 1.8 million faithful from around the world. As the Hajj concludes on Friday, the workers will begin a massive, weeklong cleanup effort. For the cleaners, who are migrant workers, it’s a much-needed source of income. But this year it was particularly

This year's Hajj was held in sweltering heat, and for those serving pilgrims there was little relief
World

Paris Saint-Germain coach Christophe Galtier and his son detained in racism probe

Paris Saint-Germain coach Christophe Galtier and his son have been detained as part of an investigation into racism allegations at one of his former clubs, Nice prosecutor Xavier Bonhomme told The Associated Press. Galtier and his son, John Valovic-Galtier, were placed in custody for questioning on Friday morning, Bonhomme said without elaborating. Galtier, who is on his way out at PSG but still under contract, denied accusations that he made racist and anti-Muslim comments when he was in charge of French club Nice when the scandal broke earlier this year. RMC Sport and other French media published reports quoting a

Paris Saint-Germain coach Christophe Galtier and his son detained in racism probe
World

Venus Williams will begin her 24th Wimbledon appearance against Elina Svitolina

Five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams will begin her 24th appearance at the tournament against 2019 semifinalist Elina Svitolina, while Friday’s draw put two-time titlist Andy Murray up against wild-card entry Ryan Peniston in an all-British first-round matchup. Williams, who is 43 and has played just five matches this season, and Svitolina, who returned to the tour in April after taking time off to have a baby, both were given wild cards by the All England Club. Whoever wins that contest could face No. 28 seed Elise Mertens in the second round, followed perhaps by a matchup

Venus Williams will begin her 24th Wimbledon appearance against Elina Svitolina
World

The US flies nuclear-capable bombers in a fresh show of force against North Korea

The United States flew nuclear-capable bombers to the Korean Peninsula on Friday in its latest show of force against North Korea, days after the North staged massive anti-U.S. rallies in its capital. The long-range B-52 bombers took part in joint aerial drills with other U.S. and South Korean fighter jets over the peninsula, South Korea’s Defense Ministry said in a statement. The bombers’ flyover is the latest in a series of temporary U.S. deployments of strategic assets in South Korea in response to North Korea’s push to expand its nuclear arsenal. Two weeks ago, the

The US flies nuclear-capable bombers in a fresh show of force against North Korea
World

Prosecutor says Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey is a 'sexual bully' who preys on other men

Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey gets a thrill by preying on other men, a prosecutor told jurors during his sexual assault trial Friday in a London courtroom. Spacey is “a man who does not respect personal boundaries or space, a man who it would seem delights in making others feel powerless and uncomfortable — a sexual bully, ” Prosecutor Christine Agnew said in her opening statement. “His preferred method of assault is, it appears, to grab aggressively other men in the crotch.” The four men who have accused Spacey of sexual assault did not know each other, but

Prosecutor says Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey is a 'sexual bully' who preys on other men
World

Caroline Wozniacki is returning to tennis 3 years after retiring. She will get a US Open wild card

Caroline Wozniacki, a former No. 1-ranked tennis player and the 2018 Australian Open champion, announced Thursday that she is returning to competition three years after she retired to start a family. The U.S. Tennis Association said it will grant Wozniacki a wild-card invitation to participate in the U.S. Open, which begins in New York on Aug. 28. She also is receiving a wild-card entry for a tournament in Montreal that begins earlier in August, she intends to play in the Australian Open next January and hopes to represent Denmark at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Another aim: She wants to show

Caroline Wozniacki is returning to tennis 3 years after retiring. She will get a US Open wild card
World

Europe inflation slips to 5.5% — but that won't stop central bank rate hikes

Inflation in Europe slid again in June but fell too slowly to offer much relief to shoppers grumbling over price tags or to stop more interest rate hikes that will raise the cost of borrowing across the economy. The annual rate of 5.5% was down from 6.1% in May in the 20 countries that use the euro currency, the European Union statistics agency Eurostat said Friday. While that is a big drop from the peak of 10.6% in October, persistently high prices in the U.S., Europe and the United Kingdom pushed some of the world’s top

Europe inflation slips to 5.5% — but that won't stop central bank rate hikes
World

Ukraine's Zelenskyy meets Greta Thunberg and others to address the war's effect on ecology

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met Thursday with Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg and prominent European figures who are forming a working group to address ecological damage from the 16-month-old Russian invasion. The meeting in the Ukrainian capital came as fighting continued around the country. The governor of the Kherson region, Oleksandr Prokudin, said two people were killed in the region’s capital in a Russian strike that hit residences, a medical facility and a school where residents were lined up to receive humanitarian aid. Another person was killed in a morning strike on the village of Bilzoerka,

Ukraine's Zelenskyy meets Greta Thunberg and others to address the war's effect on ecology
World

NFL suspends 3 players indefinitely for violating the gambling policy and a fourth gets 6 games

Cornerback Isaiah Rodgers Sr. lost the biggest bet of his life Thursday. He was waived by the Indianapolis Colts shortly after the NFL suspended Rodgers and two other players indefinitely for gambling on NFL games last season. The Colts also cut backup defensive end Rashod Berry after Berry and free agent defensive tackle Demetrius Taylor received the same punishment for the same infraction. None of the three can seek reinstatement until after next season. Tennessee Titans right tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere received a six-game suspension for betting on non-NFL sports at the team’s facility, though he can participate

NFL suspends 3 players indefinitely for violating the gambling policy and a fourth gets 6 games
World

Affirmative action is out in higher education. What comes next for college admissions?

Colleges across the country will be forced to stop considering race in admissions under Thursday’s Supreme Court ruling, ending affirmative action policies that date back decades. Schools that have relied on race-conscious admissions policies to build diversity will have to rethink how they admit students. It’s expected to result in campuses that have more white and Asian American students and fewer Black and Hispanic students. The impact of the decision will be felt most strongly at the nation’s most selective colleges, which have been more likely to consider race as one of many factors in admissions. But some less selective

Affirmative action is out in higher education. What comes next for college admissions?

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