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☆ Biden administration restores protections for gay and transgender Americans seeking health care
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Avery Lotz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The Biden administration announced a new rule Friday expanding safeguards against potential discrimination of gay and transgender Americans seeking medical care, in a reversal of Trump-era limitations that nixed federal health protections for members of the LGBTQ+ community. In a set of expansive new rules unveiled by the Department of Health and Human Services, the department moved to advance civil rights protections for patients by barring health providers and insurers receiving federal funding from discriminating against those seeking care on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation. The HHS rule restores Obama-era protections for transgender patients that the Trump administration rolled back in 2020 — a move that was condemned by LGBTQ+ advocacy and human rights organizations. The finalized rule comes as access to gender-affirming care for transgender youth has been tangled in political controversy, with more than 20 states in recent years attempting to restrict youth access to such care. The Biden administration in 2021 announced its intention to protect transgender Americans from health care discrimination through Section 1557 and Title IX regulations, citing a 2020 Supreme Court ruling that affirmed federal civil rights law bars discrimination against gay, lesbian and transgender workers.

Persons: CNN —, Trump, Obama, “, Xavier Becerra, Barack Obama, ”, Biden, Kelley Robinson, Harris, CNN’s Devan Cole Organizations: CNN, Biden, Department of Health, Human Services, HHS, Affordable, Trump, Congress, Human Rights

☆ Workers earning up to $58K a year could soon become eligible for overtime pay
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Jennifer Liu | In Jljenniferliu | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Millions more Americans could become eligible for overtime pay. Here's what to know:The new salary limitsStarting July 1, 2024, people earning less than $43,888 per year, or $844 per week, would be eligible for overtime pay. It could also cause businesses to adjust their procedures so people work fewer overtime hours, giving employees more time back. Roughly 15% of salaried workers are currently entitled to overtime pay, and that will roughly double under the new salary limits. However, it's far lower than the 60% of salaried workers who were entitled to overtime pay in the 1970s, per the EPI.

Persons: Harris, Trump, Labor Julie Su, Who's Organizations: Biden, Labor, Fair Labor, Labor Department, Institute

☆ Gen Xer Got $250K in Student Loans Forgiven After Decades of Payments
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-21 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Joel Lambdin finished graduate school in 1998 — but as a professional musician, he was hardly making enough money to pay off his student loans and his other bills. So Lambdin, now 49, said his only option to make ends meet was to put his student loans on forbearance — in which he was not making payments, but interest was still accumulating. But he grew to realize that the only way he could make a significant dent in his student loans was by switching careers. The Biden-Harris Administration has forgiven your federal student loan(s) listed below with Aidvantage in full." When it comes to student-loan forgiveness, some borrowers told BI that their servicer made a mistake with the forgiveness, reinstating their payments months later.

Persons: Joel Lambdin, Lambdin, Aidvantage, Harris, I've, servicers, he's Organizations: Service, Business, Public, BI, Harris Administration, Education Department, The Education Department Locations: forbearance, India

☆ EPA designates two ‘forever chemicals’ as hazardous substances
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Mira Cheng | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The US Environmental Protection Agency designated two widely used “forever chemicals” as hazardous substances under the United States’ Superfund law on Friday. This ruling will allow the EPA to investigate and clean up leaks and spills of these harmful chemicals, according to the official news release. Exposure to “forever chemicals” has been linked to cancers, heart and liver disease and immune and developmental damage to infants and children, according to the news release. There are more than 12,000 forms of PFAS chemicals in the environment. The designation comes just weeks after the EPA announced new limits for “forever chemicals” in drinking water in the United States.

Persons: Michael S, Regan, Dr, David Andrews, ”, Sanjay Gupta, ” Lisa Frank, Harris, CNN’s Jen Christensen Organizations: CNN, Environmental Protection Agency, United, EPA, Environmental, CNN Health, PIRG, Fund, Environment America Research, Policy, Biden Locations: United States, U.S, Washington

☆ Russia-linked hacking group suspected of carrying out cyberattack on Texas water facility, cybersecurity firm says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —A hacking group with ties to the Russian government is suspected of carrying out a cyberattack in January that caused a tank at a Texas water facility to overflow, experts from US cybersecurity firm Mandiant said Wednesday. Muleshoe officials replaced the hacked software system and took other steps to secure the network, Sanchez said. “Regulations have not required this low-hanging fruit to be addressed,” Serino told CNN. “I’ve never experienced this before but … we’re aware that those threats are out there,” Poling told CNN by phone. “The haphazardness is part of their pathological emphasis on psychological impact,” Dan Black, a Mandiant analyst, told CNN.

Persons: Mandiant, Jake Sullivan, Sullivan, Ramon Sanchez, Sanchez, ”, Gus Serino, ” Serino, ” Anne Neuberger, ” The, Harris, Neuberger, Buster Poling, Mike Cypert, Poling, “ I’ve, ” Poling, Nick Conger, Sandworm, ” Dan Black Organizations: CNN, FBI, Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, White, ” The Biden, Hale Center, Russian Embassy, State of, GRU, “ Locations: Texas, US, Muleshoe, Pennsylvania, Iran, United States, Russian, Ukraine, Lockney’s, Hale, Washington ,, State of Texas

☆ Biden administration releases draft text of student loan forgiveness plan. Here's what borrowers need to know
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks as he announces a new plan for federal student loan relief during a visit to Madison Area Technical College Truax Campus, in Madison, Wisconsin, U.S, April 8, 2024. The Biden administration on Tuesday released the draft text of its new student loan forgiveness proposal, which could reduce or eliminate the balances of millions of borrowers. The proposed rules should be formally published in the Federal Register on Wednesday and will be followed by a 30-day comment period. The regulatory text comes about a week after President Joe Biden revealed the details of his Plan B for student loan forgiveness. The Department of Education reviews comments from the public, it hopes to finalize the new rules and start canceling borrowers' debts in the fall, it said.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Harris, Education Miguel Cardona, FAFSA, Biden's Organizations: Madison Area Technical, Truax, Tuesday, Federal, Biden, Harris Administration, Education, Finance, Harvard, Supreme, U.S, The Locations: Madison , Wisconsin, U.S

☆ Thousands of student-loan borrowers got their debt wiped through a new repayment reform. 11 GOP states just filed a lawsuit to block that relief.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Eleven GOP state attorneys general filed a lawsuit to block the SAVE income-driven repayment plan. They argued that the shortened timeline for debt relief through the plan is unconstitutional. An Education Department official said Congress allows the authority to set terms for income-driven repayment. While the lawsuit makes several comparisons to the debt relief plan the Supreme Court struck down, the legal basis for the two plans differ. The Education Department is currently undergoing the negotiated rulemaking process for its second attempt at a broader form of debt relief.

Persons: —, Joe Biden's, Kris Kobach —, Miguel Cardona, Biden's, Biden, Kobach, Harris Organizations: GOP, An Education Department, Service, Biden, Education, Republican, Education Department, Business, US Department of Education, Harris Administration, Higher Locations: Kansas

☆ How struggling student-loan borrowers could qualify for debt cancellation under Biden's second attempt at relief
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Education Department released a proposal for including borrowers with hardship in debt relief. AdvertisementPresident Joe Biden's Education Department unveiled another group of student-loan borrowers it's considering for its second try at debt relief. On Thursday, the Education Department released its proposed text that focused on debt cancellation for borrowers facing financial hardship. Advertisement"College is meant to lead to a better life, but too many students end up struggling due to their student debt," Under Secretary of Education James Kvaal said in a statement. The Education Department emphasized in its press release that it "may consider these and other factors to determine whether borrowers are experiencing the type of hardship that would qualify for debt relief."

Persons: —, Joe Biden's, Biden's, Education James Kvaal, Kvaal, Harris, Pell Grant Organizations: Education Department, Service, Joe Biden's Education Department, Higher, Democratic, Education, Biden, Federal

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is setting tougher standards for deadly soot pollution, saying that reducing fine particle matter from tailpipes, smokestacks and other industrial sources could prevent thousands of premature deaths a year. Soot pollution has declined sharply in the past two decades, even as the U.S. gross domestic product has increased by more than 50%, Regan said. Bakersfield tied with Visalia in California's San Joaquin Valley as the most polluted city for year-round particle pollution. Wildfires in the western U.S. were a major contributing factor to increased levels of particle pollution, the report said. Six of the 10 cities with the most soot pollution were in California, and two more were in the West: Medford, Oregon and greater Phoenix.

Persons: —, Biden, Michael Regan, Harris, “, Obama, Joe Biden, Regan, we’ve, Manish Bapna, Ben Jealous, Jeffrey Zients, Barack Obama, Donald Trump Organizations: WASHINGTON, Environmental, Environmental Protection Agency, Industry, Biden, Democratic, Administration, Natural Resources Defense Council, EPA, Sierra Club, Republican, Companies, and Paper Association, National Association of Manufacturers, White House, American Lung Association, Visalia Locations: Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Bakersfield , California, Fresno , California, Bakersfield, California's San Joaquin, U.S, California, West, Medford , Oregon, Phoenix

☆ Black voters stood with Biden in 2020. Four years later, he needs their help again
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Arit John | Eva Mckend | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

South Carolina’s primary will be the first opportunity Black voters have to voice their support – or displeasure – with Biden since that election. In 2020, Biden won 61% of the Black vote, which made up 56% of the Democratic primary electorate, according to CNN exit polling. Vice President Kamala Harris also spoke at a get out the vote event at South Carolina State University in Orangeburg Friday, the last day of early voting. “South Carolina, you are the first primary in the nation, and President Biden and I are counting on you,” Harris said. “And for me personally, and our team here, we don’t live in that space of being passive.”Mimi Striplin, founder of The Tiny Tassel in Charleston, South Carolina, speaks with CNN's Eva McKend.

Persons: Mimi Striplin, Striplin, she’s, Joe Biden, “, ” Striplin, Biden, Striplin –, –, Harris, ”, Antjuan Seawright, Jim Clyburn, Donald Trump, Trump, Clyburn, Kamala Harris, ” Harris, Jaime Harrison, – Biden, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama –, ” Harrison, Kent Nishimura, Dean Phillips, Marianne Williamson, what’s, Juanita Hamilton, Hamilton, he’d, “ I’m, Auntie Juanita, ’, George McCray, Eutawville, he’s, didn’t, Obama, ” McCray, That’s, Gabriel Fant, Fant, Valerie Wilson, hasn’t, she’d, CNN's Eva McKend, Ebony Davis Organizations: Charleston CNN, CNN, White House, Biden, Democratic, GOP, Black, Democrats, Democratic National Committee, New, South Carolina State University, “, South Carolina Democrats, New Hampshire voters, American, South Carolina State Fairgrounds, Minnesota Rep, Hilton, Charleston, Economic Policy Institute, Bureau of Labor Statistics Locations: Charleston, American, South Carolina, Iowa, New Hampshire, Columbia, Israel, Gaza, Orangeburg, “ South Carolina, Spain, Walterboro, Black, Hartsville, Columbia , South Carolina, AFP, Summerville, Charleston , South Carolina

☆ Opinion: Nikki Haley is right about the Trump tariffs
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Opinion Edward J. Mccaffery | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Think about that for a second.”Second, Haley is almost certainly right: tariffs can be a regressive tax, borne largely, if not exclusively, by ordinary American workers. The moderate, non-partisan Tax Foundation found that the existing Trump tariffs will bring in a mere $74 billion in revenues over ten years, while costing jobs, lowering growth and depressing American wages. Haley is right. Who is likely to benefit most from any future Trump tax cuts? Haley is right; Trump wins.

Persons: Edward J, McCaffery, Robert C, Donald Trump’s, Nikki Haley, Haley, Trump, Adam Smith, Harris, Smoot, Hawley, Hood, Herbert Hoover, Ronald Reagan Organizations: CNN, Packard, University of Southern, McCaffery, Jobs, South Carolina Republican, Foundation, Tax Foundation, Biden, Trump, Tax, Walmart, Republican, Trump University Locations: University of Southern California, Washington, China

☆ The Education Department agrees to consider more student-loan borrowers for its second attempt at debt relief
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Education Department agreed to add an additional negotiation session for student-debt relief. AdvertisementFollowing mounting pressure from Democratic lawmakers and advocates, the Education Department said it would allow another opportunity to expand its second student-debt relief plan. On Wednesday, the Education Department announced it will hold a fourth negotiation session on February 22 and 23 to discuss including borrowers with financial hardship in its second attempt at student-debt cancellation. The Education Department agreed to that request. "We look forward to discussing another avenue for borrower relief related to hardship at our next negotiation session," Kvaal said.

Persons: —, Joe Biden's, Education James Kvaal, Harris, Kvaal Organizations: Education Department, Service, Democratic, Higher, Education, Biden, Harris Administration, Federal

☆ Biden has spent millions on gun policy, but future violence prevention depends on who wins the presidency
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Allie Kelly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

AdvertisementThe future of gun violence prevention policy will likely depend on who works in the Oval Office. But continued federal action hangs on whether Congress passes the Office of Gun Violence Prevention Act of 2023, a bill that would cement an office of gun violence prevention in the US Justice Department. As election season gears up, gun-related injuries have surpassed car crashes as the leading cause of death for young people, and 18,874 Americans lost their lives to gun violence last year, per the Gun Violence Archive. Breaking down Biden's investment in gun violence preventionIt's been almost six months since The Biden-Harris Administration created the first White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention , tasked with reducing gun violence across the country through executive and legislative action. The White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, specifically, is funded through Congress' annual executive office appropriations.

Persons: —, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Nikki Haley —, It's, Harris, Biden, John Feinblatt, Biden's Organizations: of, Service, US Justice Department, Republican, Fox News, Brennan Center for Justice, Biden, Harris Administration, White, Safer, Democratic, —, Gun Safety, Justice Department, American Civil Liberties Union, Senate, Congress

☆ Mom in Texas abortion case to be Biden guest at State of the Union
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The mother at the center of a high-profile Texas Supreme Court abortion case will attend President Joe Biden's State of the Union speech to Congress as a guest of the president and first lady Dr. Jill Biden, the White House said Wednesday. Abortions have been banned in Texas since shortly after June 2022, when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned its half-century-old ruling in the case Roe v. Wade. To obtain an abortion, Cox was forced to travel out of Texas. "The first lady invited Kate to join her as a guest at the State of the Union and Kate accepted," Jean-Pierre said. Biden is scheduled to deliver his State of the Union address to Congress on March 7.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Jill Biden, Kate Cox's, Roe, Wade, Cox, Karine Jean, Pierre, Kate, Jean, Pierre said, Biden, Biden's, Donald Trump's, Trump, Harris Organizations: Texas, U.S, Supreme, White House Press, State, Union, Republicans, New Hampshire Republican, Biden, Republican Locations: Joe Biden's State, Texas

☆ All 4 major student-loan companies have now gotten punished for customer service issues as borrowers struggle with repayment — and it might not be the end
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-20 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Read previewIt hasn't been easy for student-loan borrowers since payments restarted a few months ago — and for the companies that manage their debt. The Education Department is aware of those errors and highlighted them in an internal Federal Student Aid memo in November. AdvertisementIn the past fiscal year, Congress did not boost funding for Federal Student Aid, which oversees all student-loan operations. And in the current round of budget negotiations, House Republicans have proposed steep cuts for Federal Student Aid. One servicer, MOHELA, told Democratic lawmakers in response to queries on repayment preparation that "millions of borrowers resumed repayment simultaneously after a multi-year pause."

Persons: —, Joe Biden's, MOHELA, servicers, Miguel Cardona, that's, servicer, I'm, Harris, Cardona Organizations: Service, Business, Joe Biden's Education Department, Education Department, Department, Education, Federal, Aid, The Education, Federal Student Aid, House Republicans, Democratic, Biden, Harris Administration

The U.S. Department of Education has approved the cancellation of $4.9 billion in federal student loan debt for close to 74,000 borrowers, officials announced on Friday. The announcement – the latest in a series of cancellation efforts that span the last four years – brings the total amount of student loan debt relief under the Biden administration to $136.6 billion for more than 3.7 million borrowers. The additional $1.7 billion in debt relief announced on Friday is the result of fixes to the federal income-driven repayment plan. In the wake of the high court’s decision to strike down the loan cancellation plan, Education Department officials hatched a new strategy to provide large-scale student loan debt cancellation. “In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision on our student debt relief plan, we are continuing to pursue an alternative path to deliver student debt relief to as many borrowers as possible as quickly as possible,” Biden said in a statement.

Persons: –, Biden, “ The, Harris, Miguel Cardona, ” Cardona, “, Joe Biden, Biden’s, ” Biden Organizations: U.S . Department of Education, “ The Biden, Harris Administration, Public, Valuable Education, Biden, Education Department

☆ Biden administration to forgive $4.9 billion in student debt for 73,600 borrowers
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The Biden administration announced on Friday that it would forgive $4.9 billion in student debt for 73,600 borrowers. The relief is a result of the U.S. Department of Education's fixes to its income-driven repayment plans and Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. "The Biden-Harris Administration has worked relentlessly to fix our country's broken student loan system and address the needless hurdles and administrative inaccuracies that, in the past, kept borrowers from getting the student debt forgiveness they deserved," U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in a statement. In addition, 43,900 borrowers who have worked in public service for a decade or more will receive $3.2 billion in loan cancellation, the U.S. Department of Education said. Borrowers in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program have also struggled to get the debt erasure they've been promised due to errors in their payment counts and other issues.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Harris, Education Miguel Cardona, servicers Organizations: Community Center, U.S . Department, Public, Biden, Harris Administration, Education, Finance, U.S . Department of Education Locations: Raleigh , North Carolina

☆ Federal agency: Student loan company errors could 'pose serious risks' to borrowers, the economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-05 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Rohit Chopra, director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, speaks during a Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., Dec. 15, 2022. When student loan servicers make errors by cutting corners or sidestepping the law, it can "pose serious risks to individuals and the economy," said Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Rohit Chopra. Borrowers experienced long phone hold times with their servicers, significant delays in the processing of their repayment applications, and inaccurate and untimely billing statements, the bureau found. The U.S. Department of Education announced Friday that it would withhold payments to three student loan servicers as part of its efforts to hold the companies accountable. "Today's actions make clear that the Biden-Harris Administration will not give student loan servicers a free pass for poor performance and missteps that jeopardize borrowers," Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in a statement.

Persons: Rohit Chopra, servicers, Mark Kantrowitz, Harris, Education Miguel Cardona Organizations: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Banking, Housing, Urban Affairs Committee, Washington , D.C, Financial, U.S . Department of Education, Finance, Biden, Harris Administration, Education Locations: Washington ,, EdFinancial, Nelnet

☆ At COP28, US announces rule to slash powerful planet-warming gas by nearly 80%
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Ella Nilsen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The oil and gas industry is one of the main sources of global methane emissions, according to the International Energy Agency. The new US rule, which will be implemented by the EPA, is expected to slash methane emissions by nearly 80% through 2038, compared to what they would have been without the rule. The rule will crack down on methane leaks from industry in several ways. It will also rely on independent, third-party monitoring – using satellites and other remote-sensing technology – to find very large methane leaks. “The easiest way to stop that pollution is to stop sending it to flares in the first place.

Persons: CNN —, Biden, Michael Regan, Ali Zaidi, Regan, Harris, Zaidi, Carrie Jenks, Jon Goldstein, ” Goldstein Organizations: CNN, White, International Energy Agency, Biden, Harris Administration, Harvard Law School’s, Energy Law, “, Environmental Defense Fund Locations: Dubai

It is responsible for about one-third of planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions. The new methane rule will help ensure that the United States meets a goal set by more than 100 nations to cut methane emissions by 30% by 2030 from 2020 levels, Regan said. The EPA rule is just one of more than 100 actions the Biden administration has taken to reduce methane emissions, Zaidi added. The plan marks the first time the U.S. government has directly imposed a fee, or tax, on greenhouse gas emissions. The oil industry has generally welcomed direct federal regulation of methane emissions, preferring a single national standard to a hodgepodge of state rules.

Persons: —, Biden, Joe Biden, Michael Regan, Ali Zaidi, Regan, ” Regan, Zaidi, Harris, Harold Wimmer, Wimmer, David Doniger, ”, Obama, I'm, Fred Krupp Organizations: WASHINGTON, Environmental Protection Agency, United Nations, United Arab Emirates, Oil, UN, United States, Biden, Harris Administration, American Lung Association, EPA, Natural Resources Defense Council, Environmental Defense Fund Locations: Dubai, United Arab, U.S, Paris, Scotland, Egypt, United

Listen and follow DealBook SummitApple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon MusicDealBook Summit includes conversations with business and policy leaders at the heart of today’s major stories, recorded live at the annual DealBook Summit event in New York City. With the 2024 election less than a year away, the Biden-Harris administration must navigate a host of challenges at home and abroad, including inflation and partisan gridlock, and conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine. Vice President Kamala Harris defended the administration’s economic record, pointing to record low unemployment and wage growth, and deflected concerns about Biden’s age. In talking about the Israel-Hamas war, which seems to have prompted an upsurge of antisemitism, Harris emphasized that she believed social divisions based on race, religion or otherwise had long existed in the country. It was just a matter of what might trigger a flare-up.

Persons: Harris, Kamala Harris Organizations: Spotify, Biden Locations: New York City, Gaza, Ukraine, Israel

☆ Harris to Stand In for Biden at U.N. Climate Conference
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Michael D. Shear | More About Michael D. Shear | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Vice President Kamala Harris will attend the annual United Nations climate summit in Dubai on Friday and Saturday, standing in for President Biden, who will skip the event for the first time since taking office. A spokeswoman for Ms. Harris said in a statement on Wednesday that while at the summit, known as COP28, the vice president would “underscore the Biden-Harris administration’s success in delivering on the most ambitious climate agenda in history, both at home and abroad.”But her presence is unlikely to satisfy some climate activists, who have said that Mr. Biden’s decision to skip the summit — which is being attended by nearly 200 leaders from around the world — will undermine international efforts to confront the planet’s changing climate. White House officials have said Mr. Biden is consumed with other global issues, including the war between Israel and Hamas and securing funding for Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s invasion, which has become the subject of an intense congressional clash in recent days.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Biden, Harris Organizations: Hamas, Ukraine Locations: United Nations, Dubai, Israel

☆ Biden wants credit for lower Thanksgiving food and travel prices, as inflation drags on his reelection campaign
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"Ahead of the holiday season, costs are down for everything from airline tickets and car rentals to toys and TVs," the White House wrote Tuesday on X. This year's Thanksgiving dinner "is the fourth-cheapest ever, as a percentage of average earnings" White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday. Nonetheless, the White House is taking a victory lap for the lower year-over-year prices, eager to credit Biden's economic agenda, dubbed Bidenomics, for the good news as the president runs for reelection. That's due in large part to a 5.6% year-over-year decrease in the average price of a frozen whole 16-pound turkey. This could be the lowest price for a Thanksgiving week since 2020, when the Covid pandemic cut demand for travel.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Harris, Karine Jean, Pierre, Jean, — Organizations: Bell, White House, White, Biden, Harris Administration, The New York Times, American Farm Bureau Federation, Farm Bureau, AAA, Department, Labor's Locations: Washington ,, Ukraine, Airfares

☆ Small business owners gear up for the biggest shopping weekend of the holiday season
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Eva Rothenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

According to a new American Express survey of small business owners, “55% anticipate Small Business Saturday will make a significant contribution to their overall holiday sales this year.” In a consumer survey conducted by the company in October, half of respondents said they plan to participate in the upcoming Small Business Saturday, and 85% said they anticipated shopping small this holiday season. Over the past 13 years, the company says consumers have reported spending nearly $184 billion during Small Business Saturday. American Express estimated that Small Business Saturday drove nearly $18 billion in consumer spending last year. Donnell Johns, who runs Veterans Growing America, an organization that supports veteran- and military-spouse-owned small businesses, said that Small Business Saturday is valuable because it creates an awareness for shopping small. For Ken Moorman, founder of Jirani Coffeehouse in Manassas, Virginia, Small Business Saturday means an average 10% uptick in sales than a typical Saturday.

Persons: Donnell Johns, We’ve, ”, Ken Moorman, “, Covid, ” Moorman, it’s, ” Elizabeth Rutledge, Isabel Casillas Guzman, “ The, Harris, Bidenomics, Biden Organizations: New, New York CNN, Amazon, Walmart, American Express, ”, Small, Express, Business Administration, American Express ’, SBA, “ The Biden, Harris Administration, American, Pacific Islanders Locations: New York, Manassas , Virginia, ”

☆ How a boomer just got $50,000 in student debt wiped out after making payments for 25 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-18 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

It's a result of an account adjustment for borrowers who made the required 20 or 25 years of payments. AdvertisementGeorge Tucker thought he would be resuming student-loan payments alongside millions of other borrowers this fall. Tucker, 63, owed just under $50,000 on his student loans when the more than three-year pause on federal payments ended in October, per documents reviewed by Insider. Although PSLF was intended to forgive student debt after ten years of qualifying payments, Tucker said paperwork challenges with the program threw him off track, and he was not anticipating debt relief. George Tucker got $50,000 in student debt wiped out.

Persons: George Tucker, It's, Tucker, —, Little, he's, PSLF, MOHELA, Harris, Joe Biden's, isn't, Miguel Cardona, servicers, Jason Harmon, Harmon couldn't Organizations: Service, Public, Harris Administration, Biden, Joe Biden's Education Department, Department, Education, Education Department, MOHELA

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