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☆ Parents who took on student debt for their kids have 'extremely limited' options for loan forgiveness and cheaper monthly payments — but Biden can change that, 9 Democratic lawmakers say
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A group of Democrats urged the Education Department to expand relief for parent PLUS borrowers. They also requested PLUS borrowers be included in Biden's second attempt at broader loan forgiveness. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders — in sending a letter to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona regarding parent PLUS borrowers. The burden increases on parents because, as the lawmakers wrote, options for federal relief on PLUS loans "remain extremely limited." "We write to you out of deep concern that Parent PLUS borrowers have been left out of key student loan actions the Administration has taken," the Democrats said.

Persons: —, Sen, Chris Van Hollen, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders —, Secretary Miguel Cardona, Biden, Derrick Johnson, Wisdom Cole, Cardona Organizations: Education Department, Service, Democratic, Secretary, Parent, Education, Higher, The Education Department, National, Parent PLUS Locations: Sens

☆ Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announces Senate bid
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Edward-Isaac Dovere | Veronica Stracqualursi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Larry Hogan announced Friday that he is running for US Senate this year, providing Republicans with a strong candidate in their bid to flip a seat in a deep-blue state. It’s what I did as Maryland’s governor, and it’s exactly how I’ll serve Maryland in the Senate. “I would pay a significant amount for a ticket to watch Chuck Schumer’s face right now,” Josh Holmes, the top political adviser to Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, posted on X. Though he was personally popular during his two terms as governor, the state Republican Party has veered very much toward Trump. In recent decades, Maryland has been dominated by the Democratic Party at the state and federal levels.

Persons: Larry Hogan, United States Senate –, I’ll, Let’s, ” Hogan, Hogan, ”, Donald Trump, “, Chuck Schumer’s, Josh Holmes, Mitch McConnell, McConnell, Sen, Chris Van Hollen, West Virginia Democratic Sen, Joe Manchin, nixed, Trump, Hogan’s, Angela Alsobrooks, David Trone —, Ben Cardin, MAGA, “ Hogan, Martha McKenna, Maeve Coyle, George H.W, Bush, Shania Shelton Organizations: Washington CNN — Former Maryland Gov, US, United States Senate, Maryland, Republicans, Republican, West Virginia Democratic, CBS News, CNN, Prince, Maryland hasn’t, Senate, Democratic, GOP, Republican Party, Trump, Democratic Party, Old Locations: “, Maryland, Washington, eyeing, Prince George’s, ” Baltimore, State, Baltimore

Senators conducted a late-night vote Friday, advancing to next steps as they spin through objections from a core group of Republicans. More closely aligned with Donald Trump, the GOP's presidential front-runner, the Republican senators aren't putting a priority on stopping Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion. Attendance slipped Friday night as senators advanced the bill, 64-19, with 14 Republicans joining Democrats to move it forward. "The failure of the United States Congress, if it occurs, not to support Ukraine, is close to criminal neglect,” Biden said. In a key vote Thursday, 17 Republican senators agreed to start debate on the bill — but 31 voted against it.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Donald Trump, aren't, Vladimir Putin's, Chuck Schumer, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Biden, ” Biden, Olaf Scholz, Trump, ” Sen, Mike Lee, Mitch McConnell, McConnell, ” McConnell, Sen, Dan Sullivan, ” Sullivan, Senators groused, Rand Paul of Kentucky, Bernie Sanders, Sanders, Netanyahu, “, ”, Chris Van Hollen, Mike Johnson Organizations: WASHINGTON, U.S, Senate, Republican, New York Democrat, Republicans, Democrats, Ukraine, White, United States Congress, GOP, Capitol, Senators, European Union Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Kyiv, Israel, U.S, Europe, Taiwan, China, Gaza, Central, United States, Utah, Alaska, Rafah, “, Vermont, Maryland, Washington

“My fellow Marylanders: you know me," Hogan begins in a video released by his Senate campaign. When he announced his decision not to run for Senate two years ago, Hogan expressed confidence he could win. The rarely open Maryland Senate seat already has drawn U.S. Rep. David Trone into the Democratic primary, as well as Angela Alsobrooks, the county executive of Prince George's County in the suburbs of the nation's capital. Hogan was only the second Republican governor to ever win reelection in Maryland, a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans 2-1. Running on fiscal concerns as a moderate Republican businessman, Hogan tapped into voter frustration over a series of tax and fee increases to defeat then-Lt. Gov.

Persons: Larry Hogan, hasn't, Hogan, Donald Trump, “, ”, Mitch McConnell, Democratic Sen, Chris Van Hollen, Sen, Ben Cardin, Trump, Nikki Haley, David Trone, Angela Alsobrooks, Prince George's County, Gov, Anthony Brown, Freddie Gray, Maryland’s, Charles Mathias, Mathias Organizations: — Former Maryland Gov, U.S . Senate, GOP, Republican, Maryland, United States Senate, Democrats, Democratic, Senate, “, United Nations, South Carolina Gov, Maryland Senate, Rep, Prince, Seven Republicans, Republicans, General Assembly, National Guard, Republican U.S Locations: ANNAPOLIS, Md, Republican U.S, U.S, Maryland, Prince George's, Trone, Baltimore, Vietnam

Abandoning the border proposal brought the price tag of the bill down to about $95.3 billion. There's nearly $14 billion to allow Ukraine to rearm itself through the purchase of weapons and munitions and another nearly $15 billion for support services such as military training and intelligence sharing. About $8 billion would go to help Ukraine's government continue basic operations with a prohibition on money going toward pensions. SPENDING RELATED TO ISRAELAbout $14.1 billion in the bill would go to support Israel and U.S. military operations in the region. There's also about $2.5 billion to support U.S. military operations in the region.

Persons: Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell, ” There's, Chris Van Hollen, he's, Van Hollen, There's Organizations: WASHINGTON, —, Republican, Hamas, West Bank Locations: Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, U.S, Mexico, rearm, CHINA, Taiwan, Australia, United Kingdom

Democratic senators on Friday called Biden's directive — meant to bring breadth, oversight, deadlines and teeth to efforts to ensure foreign governments don't use U.S. military aid against civilians — historic. “This is a sea-change in terms of how you approach U.S. military aid and its impact on civilians,” Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren said. Human rights advocates said the challenge for the new directive would be the same faced by all previous efforts to withhold U.S. weapons and funding from human rights abusers — whether administrations will actually enforce the human rights conditions against strategically important allies and partners. Foreign governments that fail to provide those assurances on time would have their military aid paused. Those “are honored in the breach,” Roth, the human rights expert, said.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Massachusetts Sen, Elizabeth Warren, who'd, Maryland Sen, Chris Van Hollen, ”, Kenneth Roth, Antony Blinken, isn't, Sen, Bernie Sanders, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Karine Jean, Pierre, “, ” Jean, Pierre said, Leahy, —, ” Roth, it's, ” Van Hollen, — Seung Min Kim Organizations: WASHINGTON, Democrats, Ukraine, Democratic, Capitol, White House, Maryland, Human Rights Watch, Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, U.S, Foreign Assistance Locations: Gaza, Israel, Russia, Massachusetts, what's, Ukraine, Israeli, United States, U.S

Larry Hogan, who left office as one of the few prominent Republican critics of former President Donald Trump, will run for U.S. Senate in his home state. Hogan announced his plans in a video posted to social media Friday, hours before the filing deadline in the race. Hogan won two terms in the blue state, including a 12 point win in 2018, two years after Democrat Hillary Clinton won the state at the presidential level by almost 27 points. Moore, the state's Senate president Bill Ferguson, the state's Speaker of the House Adrienne Jones and Sens. Seven other Republicans have filed to run for Senate in Maryland.

Persons: Larry Hogan, Donald Trump, Hogan, Democratic Sen, Ben Cardin, Wes Moore, Hillary Clinton, David Trone, Hakeem Jeffries, Trone, Angela Alsobrooks, Moore, Bill Ferguson, Adrienne Jones, Sens, Chris Van Hollen, Cory Booker of, Kirsten Gillibrand, Raphael Warnock of, Van Hollen, —, Richard Nixon's, Ronald Reagan, Nikki Haley, Trump, Haley, I'm Organizations: Maryland Gov, U.S, Senate, Republican, Democratic, Democratic Gov, Prince George's, New, GOP, Republicans, NBC, Trump Republicans Locations: Maryland, Cory Booker of New Jersey, New York, Raphael Warnock of Georgia

☆ Maryland won a tentative victory in the race for a new FBI headquarters, a potential economic boon for a majority Black county near DC
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-20 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

"And he recognized the importance of the FBI for Maryland and in particular for Prince George's County." Related storiesPrince George's County, the majority-Black county directly to the east of Washington, DC, has for years had one of the most affluent Black populations of any jurisdiction in the country. But compared to Northern Virginia localities like Fairfax County, which has been an economic powerhouse for decades, Prince George's County hasn't enjoyed a similar level of economic development. "We have 4% of leased federal office space in Prince George's County," Hoyer told me, while also pointing out that the county is home to roughly 20% of the Washington region's federal workers. "We're absolutely convinced that everything was done properly," Hoyer told me.

Persons: Wes Moore, Steny Hoyer, —, Edgar Hoover, Ben Cardin, Chris Van Hollen, Hoyer, Robert Mueller, Mueller, Moore's, George's County, Prince, Prince George's County hasn't, ERIC BARADAT, Moore, Christopher Wray, We're, I've Organizations: GSA, FBI, Gov, Virginia, Service, Metro, Maryland Gov, Maryland, Democratic Rep, Democratic, eventual, Prince, Getty, Washington, Marine Corps Base Quantico, General Service Administration Locations: Maryland, Virginia, Greenbelt , Maryland, Prince George's County, Maryland Sens, George's, Black, Washington, Northern Virginia, Fairfax County, AFP, Prince George's, Fairfax

☆ Unconditional aid to Israel is no longer the bipartisan certainty it once was as US senators begin to question Israel's campaign in Gaza and the West Bank
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-20 | by ( Peter Gelling | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The United States has provided Israel with military and economic aid since its founding 75 years ago. But it seems even the United States might have a breaking point. An amendment from Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, meanwhile, would prevent Biden from transferring weapons to Israel without congressional support. AdvertisementNet favorability for Israel only dropped 2.2 percentage points in the United States, but US support for Israel is taking a toll on global perceptions of the United States. In Egypt, for instance, the United States "went from having a positive favorability of 41.1 to a negative favorability of -14.9 from September to December," Time wrote.

Persons: —, euphemistically, Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Biden, Sen, Chris Van Hollen, Axios, Israel, Tim Kaine, Bernie Sanders of, flack, Sanders Organizations: Service, Business, United, State Department, Israel Defense Forces, CNN, Israel, Democratic Party Locations: Israel, United States, Gaza, Maryland, Virginia, Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Washington, Egypt

☆ These 11 senators supported Bernie Sanders's resolution to force a State Department report on Israeli human rights violations in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewJust 11 senators on Tuesday evening supported advancing a resolution from Sen. Bernie Sanders that would have significantly escalated congressional oversight of US military aid to Israel. AdvertisementUnder a relatively obscure provision within US law, the resolution would have forced the State Department to provide Congress with a report on human rights violations by Israel. "We will be voting on a very simple question: do you support asking the State Department whether human rights violations may have occurred using US equipment or assistance in this war?" However, it would be highly unusual for the State Department to fail to respond to an oversight request from Congress. "This should be the beginning of a broader human rights oversight process," said Chappell.

Persons: —, Sen, Bernie Sanders, Sanders, — Sen, Rand Paul of Kentucky, Mitch McConnell, Israel, Gaza —, Chris Coons, Coons, John, Chappell, Tim Kaine, Chris Van Hollen, It's Organizations: Service, Business, Gaza Health Ministry, State Department, Israel, Senate Foreign Relations, Foreign Assistance, Department, Center for Civilians Locations: Israel, Gaza, Chris Coons of Delaware, Ukraine, Virginia, Maryland

☆ Student-loan borrowers are facing 'serious risks' to their credit scores following the 'chaotic' payment resumption, 4 Democratic lawmakers say
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Four Democrats recently wrote a letter that raised concerns about student-loan repayment challenges. They said they're worried servicer errors could hurt borrowers' credit scores. AdvertisementIt's been just over two months since federal student-loan payments resumed and millions of borrowers have already faced a range of difficulties with the transition. Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Richard Blumenthal, and Chris Van Hollen sent a letter to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona expressing concerns about challenges student-loan borrowers have faced over the past few months. "For example, we are concerned that ED's credit reporting processes may expose borrowers' credit scores to unanticipated consequences," the letter said.

Persons: they're, —, It's, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Richard Blumenthal, Chris Van Hollen, Secretary Miguel Cardona, it's Organizations: Education Department, Service, Democratic, Secretary, Department, Democrats, Federal Student Aid, House Republicans Locations: Sens

Israel is the top recipient of U.S. military aid over time. Trying to attach strings to U.S. aid to Israel isn't unheard of, for Congress or for U.S. presidents. But when Biden told reporters on Nov. 24 he thought conditioning military aid to Israel was a “worthwhile thought,” it helped the proposal gain traction among administration-friendly Democratic senators. They say existing U.S. law already mandates that countries receiving U.S. military aid heed human rights concerns. No matter what, "we’re going to do a robust aid package for Israel," said Sen. Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat.

Persons: Israel, Sen, Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden’s, Benjamin Netanyahu’s, ” Sanders, Sanders, ”, that’s, —, that's, “, Gaza , Maryland Democratic Sen, Chris Van Hollen, Van Hollen, Biden, Antony Blinken, Ronald Reagan, Jake Sullivan, Tim Kaine, it’s, Gazans, Stephen Groves Organizations: WASHINGTON, Democratic, Lawmakers, White, Russia, U.S, Gaza , Maryland Democratic, Associated Press, Democrats, Hamas, haven't, Virginia Democrat Locations: Israel, Gaza, Vermont, United States, Ukraine, Gaza , Maryland, Virginia

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, who was among lawmakers who met privately with Sullivan on Tuesday, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Sullivan "made it clear that the White House is not asking for any conditionality in aid. So I want to leave that very clear.” A second person directly familiar with the meeting confirmed the account. Sullivan was on Capitol Hill to discuss questions from Senate Democrats about how the administration would ensure that any U.S. weapons provided to Israel are used in accord with U.S. law. Last week, Biden told reporters that conditioning military aid to Israel was a “worthwhile thought." But he suggested that had he done so earlier, it would have been more difficult to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas.

Persons: Jake Sullivan, Joe Biden, Sen, Chris Van Hollen, Sullivan, Biden Organizations: WASHINGTON, —, Hamas, Associated Press, Capitol, Democrats Locations: Israel, Gaza

WASHINGTON, Nov 20 (Reuters) - A group of U.S. President Joe Biden's fellow Democrats urged him on Monday to encourage Israel to take immediate steps - including reopening a major border crossing - to help provide humanitarian aid for innocent civilians in Gaza. "Eliminating the threat posed by Hamas and protecting civilians are not mutually exclusive aims. Indeed, International Humanitarian Law requires that civilians be protected during armed conflict," a group of Democratic senators wrote in a letter to Biden. The letter was led by Senators Tammy Baldwin, Tim Kaine and Chris Van Hollen, and signed by at least eight other Senate Democrats. U.N. aid chief Martin Griffiths last week implored Israel to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza via the Kerem Shalom crossing.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Biden, Tammy Baldwin, Tim Kaine, Chris Van Hollen, Martin Griffiths, Patricia Zengerle, Alistair Bell Organizations: Democratic, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Israel, Gaza

☆ Some student-loan borrowers are surprised to find their accounts are suddenly in forbearance. Here's why that might be happening.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Some student-loan borrowers are logging into their accounts and seeing it in forbearance. AdvertisementAdvertisementIf you recently logged into your student-loan account and were surprised to see it placed in forbearance, you're not alone. Over the past few days, student-loan borrowers primarily serviced by MOHELA have logged into their accounts to see their loans were no longer in active repayment. Still, the borrower's account continues to show a payment due with interest accruing, according to documents reviewed by Insider. AdvertisementAdvertisementWas your student-loan account placed on administrative forbearance without any notice?

Persons: servicer, —, MOHELA, servicers, forbearance, Scott Buchanan, Elizabeth Warren, Ed Markey, Chris Van Hollen, Richard Blumenthal, Scott Giles Organizations: Department, Service, Public, Student Loan, — Locations: forbearance, MOHELA, Sens

☆ A major student-loan company is giving millions of borrowers 'inadequate' information as it works to solve billing inaccuracies, 4 Democratic lawmakers say
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Education Department withheld pay from student-loan company MOHELA over repayment errors. AdvertisementAdvertisementSeveral Democratic lawmakers aren't happy with the way a major student-loan company is resolving account errors for millions of borrowers. @MOHELA has failed to provide borrowers with accurate, timely information about their loans, forcing millions into forbearance. The Education Department said it will continue oversight over servicers to crack down on mistakes that are putting borrowers at risk. Are you experiencing challenges with student-loan repayment?

Persons: MOHELA, —, aren't, Elizabeth Warren, Ed Markey, Chris Van Hollen, Richard Blumenthal, Scott Giles, forbearance, @MOHELA, yKdYeyTfV3 — Ed Markey, Giles, MOHELA's, Miguel Cardona Organizations: Department, Service, Democratic, Education Department, MOHELA, Federal Locations: Sens

The Hamas terrorist attack on Israel is reprehensible. Israel is under heavy attack right now by Hamas and taking action to defend itself and its people. Israel has every right to defend itself.”Sen. Jon Tester, Montana Democrat“I strongly condemn the terrorist attacks launched by Hamas against our ally Israel. I will continue to closely monitor the situation.”Sen. Maggie Hassan, New Hampshire Democrat“Hamas’s terrorist attack on Israel is nothing short of horrifying. Israel has every right to defend itself from this unjust war.”Sen. Ron Wyden, Oregon Democrat“The terrorist attack on Israel is appalling.

Persons: Hakeem Jeffries, “, Steve Scalise, ” Kevin McCarthy, ” Chuck Schumer, –, Herzog –, ” Mitch McConnell, ” Tom Emmer, ” Katherine Clarke, ” Dick Durbin, ” John Thune, ” Sen, Debbie Stabenow, Michigan Democrat “, Israel, Amy Klobuchar, Mark Warner, Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts Democrat “, Bernie Sanders, Cory Booker, Cory Booker , New Jersey Democrat “, Joe Manchin, West Virginia Democrat “, Tammy Baldwin, Wisconsin Democrat “, Gary Peters, Gary Peters , Michigan Democrat “, Catherine Cortez Masto, Brian Schatz, Hawaii Democrat “, Jeff Merkley, Oregon Democrat “, John Barrasso, Joni Ernst, Iowa Republican “, Sen, Shelley Moore Capito, West Virginia Republican “, Steve Daines, Montana Republican “, Mike Lee, Mike Crapo, Chuck Grassley, Tommy Tuberville, Katie Britt, Lisa Murkowski, Dan Sullivan, Kyrsten, Mark Kelly, John Boozman, Tom Cotton, Arkansas Republican “, Alex Padilla, Laphonza Butler, California Democrat “, today’s, Michael Bennet, Colorado Democrat “, John Hickenlooper, Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut Democrat “, Chris Murphy, Tom Carper, Delaware Democrat “, Chris Coons, Marco Rubio, Rick Scott, Jon Ossoff, Georgia Democrat “, Anat Sultan, Raphael Warnock, “ I’m, Mazie, Tammy Duckworth, Todd Young, Mike Braun, Jerry Moran, Kansas Republican “, Hamas’s, Roger Marshall, Netanyahu, Rand Paul, Kentucky Republican “, Bill Cassidy, John Kennedy, Susan Collins, Maine Republican “, Ben Cardin, Maryland Democrat “, Chris Van Hollen, Ed Markey, Tina Smith, Minnesota Democrat “, Roger Wicker ,, Roger Wicker , Mississippi Republican “, Cindy Hyde, Josh Hawley, Eric Schmitt, Jon Tester, Montana Democrat “, Deb Fischer, Nebraska Republican “, Pete Ricketts, Jacky Rosen, Nevada Democrat “, Jeanne Shaheen, Jeanne Shaheen , New Hampshire Democrat “, Maggie Hassan, Maggie Hassan , New Hampshire Democrat “, Bob Menendez, Bob Menendez , New Jersey Democrat “, Martin Heinrich, New Mexico Democrat “, Biden, Ben Ray Lujan, Kirsten Gillibrand, New York Democrat “ I'm, Thom Tillis, Ted Budd, North Carolina Republican “, John Hoeven, John Hoeven , North Dakota Republican “, Kevin Cramer, Sherrod Brown, Ohio Democrat “, J.D, ”, Vance, James Lankford, Markwayne Mullin, Israel –, Ron Wyden, Bob Casey, John Fetterman, craven, Jack Reed, Sheldon Whitehouse, Lindsey Graham, Tim Scott, South Carolina Republican “ I’m, Mike Rounds, South Dakota Republican “ Shocked, Marsha Blackburn, Marsha Blackburn , Tennessee Republican “ Israel, Bill Haggerty, Tennessee Republican “, John Cornyn, John Cornyn , Texas Republican “, Ted Cruz, Mitt, Vile, Peter Welch, Vermont Democrat “, Tim Kaine, Patty Murray, Washington Democrat “, Maria Cantwell, Ron Johnson, Wisconsin Republican “ Israel, Cynthia Lummis, Wyoming Republican “, Jim Jordan, Jared Moskowitz, Abigail Spanberger, Elissa Slotkin, Don Bacon, perpetrating, Cori Bush, Missouri Democrat “, Kevin Hern, Kevin Hern , Oklahoma Republican “, ” Rep, Ritchie Torres, Ritchie Torres , New York Democrat “, Michael McCaul, Michael McCaul , Texas Republican “ I, Ilhan Omar Organizations: Palestinian, Hamas, Biden, House, Michigan Democrat, Minnesota Democrat, Virginia Democrat “, Senate Intelligence, Massachusetts Democrat, Islamic, Cory Booker , New, Cory Booker , New Jersey Democrat, West Virginia Democrat, Wisconsin Democrat, Gary Peters , Michigan Democrat, Nevada Democrat, Hawaii Democrat, State, Oregon Democrat, John Barrasso , Wyoming Republican, Iowa Republican, West Virginia Republican, Montana Republican, Utah Republican, Idaho Republican, Alabama Republican, Alaska Republican, Alaska Republican “, Arizona Democrat, John Boozman , Arkansas Republican “, Jewish, Arkansas Republican, California Democrat, Colorado Democrat, Connecticut Democrat, Delaware Democrat, Israel, Florida Republican, Georgia Democrat, Hawaii Democrat “, Indiana Republican, Indiana Republican “, Kansas Republican, Kentucky Republican, Louisiana Republican, Maine Republican, Maryland Democrat, Roger Wicker , Mississippi Republican, Smith , Mississippi Republican, Josh Hawley , Missouri Republican, Missouri Republican, Montana Democrat, Nebraska Republican, Jeanne Shaheen , New, Jeanne Shaheen , New Hampshire Democrat, Maggie Hassan , New Hampshire Democrat, Bob Menendez , New, Bob Menendez , New Jersey Democrat, New Mexico Democrat, New, New York Democrat, United, North Carolina Republican, John Hoeven , North Dakota Republican, Kevin Cramer , North Dakota Republican “, Ohio Democrat, Vance , Ohio Republican, James Lankford , Oklahoma Republican, Oklahoma Republican, “ Hamas, Rhode, Lindsey Graham , South Carolina Republican, South Carolina Republican, South Dakota Republican, Marsha Blackburn , Tennessee Republican, Tennessee Republican, John Cornyn , Texas Republican, Ted Cruz , Texas Republican, Vermont Democrat, Washington Democrat, Wisconsin Republican, Wyoming Republican, ”, Ohio Republican “, Missouri Democrat, Kevin Hern , Oklahoma Republican, Ritchie Torres , New, Ritchie Torres , New York Democrat, Jewish State, Michael McCaul , Texas Republican Locations: Israel, United States, Tehran, The United States, Iran, Michigan, U.S, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Vermont, Cory Booker ,, Cory Booker , New Jersey, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Gary Peters , Michigan, Nevada, Hawaii, Oregon, John Barrasso , Wyoming, America, Iowa, West, Montana, Iranian, Utah, Idaho, Alabama, Alaska, Alaska Republican “ America, @Israel, Kyrsten Sinema, Arizona, John Boozman , Arkansas, Jewish State, Arkansas, Saudi Arabia, California, Gaza, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Mazie Hirono, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Palestine, Roger Wicker , Mississippi, Smith , Mississippi, Josh Hawley , Missouri, Missouri, Nebraska, Jeanne Shaheen ,, Jeanne Shaheen , New Hampshire, Maggie Hassan , New Hampshire, Bob Menendez ,, Bob Menendez , New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North, John Hoeven , North, Kevin Cramer , North, Ohio, Vance , Ohio, James Lankford , Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Lindsey Graham , South, South, States, Marsha Blackburn , Tennessee, Tennessee, John Cornyn , Texas, Ted Cruz , Texas, Mitt Romney, Virginia, “ Hamas, Washington, Wyoming, Ohio Republican “ America, Kevin Hern , Oklahoma, Ritchie Torres ,, Ritchie Torres , New York, Michael McCaul , Texas

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Congress passed a stopgap funding bill late on Saturday with overwhelming Democratic support after Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy backed down from an earlier demand by his party’s hardliners for a partisan bill. That move marked a profound shift from earlier in the week, when a shutdown looked all but inevitable. Congress typically passes stopgap spending bills to buy more time to negotiate the detailed legislation that sets funding for federal programs. House Republicans are demanding a further $120 billion in cuts. “House Republicans tried to walk away from that deal by demanding drastic cuts that would have been devastating for millions of Americans.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, Joe Biden, McCarthy, ’, “, Chuck Schumer, Hakeem Jeffries, Donald Trump, Don Beyer, Republicans ’, Republican Mitch McConnell, Michael Bennett, Chris Van Hollen, ” McCarthy, ”, Biden, ” Biden Organizations: WASHINGTON, U.S, Congress, Democratic, Republican, National Parks, WIN, Extreme MAGA Republicans, Republicans, Ukraine, Senate, creditworthiness, Social Security, “ Locations: National, Ukraine

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Congress passed a stopgap funding bill late on Saturday with overwhelming Democratic support after Republican Speaker Kevin McCarthy backed down from an earlier demand by his party’s hardliners for a partisan bill. That move marked a profound shift from earlier in the week, when a shutdown looked all but inevitable. Congress typically passes stopgap spending bills to buy more time to negotiate the detailed legislation that sets funding for federal programs. House Republicans are demanding a further $120 billion in cuts. “House Republicans tried to walk away from that deal by demanding drastic cuts that would have been devastating for millions of Americans.

That move marked a profound shift from earlier in the week, when a shutdown looked all but inevitable. "Democrats have said from the start that the only solution for avoiding a shutdown is bipartisanship, and we are glad Speaker McCarthy has finally heeded our message." Democratic Senator Michael Bennet held the bill up for several hours trying to negotiate a deal for further Ukraine aid. House Republicans are demanding a further $120 billion in cuts. "House Republicans tried to walk away from that deal by demanding drastic cuts that would have been devastating for millions of Americans.

Persons: Michael Bennet's, Kevin McCarthy, Joe Biden, McCarthy, Chuck Schumer, Hakeem Jeffries, Donald Trump, Don Beyer, “, Republicans ’, Ken Cedeno, Republican Mitch McConnell, Michael Bennet, Chris Van Hollen, Biden, David Morgan, Makini Brice, Moira Warburton, Kanishka Singh, Andy Sullivan, Scott Malone, Andrea Ricci, William Mallard Organizations: U.S, Congress, Democratic, Republican, National Parks, WIN, MAGA Republicans, Republicans, REUTERS, Ukraine, Senate, creditworthiness, Social Security, Medicare, Thomson Locations: National, Ukraine

☆ Elizabeth Warren says student-loan companies can't use lack of funding as an excuse for bad customer service — and she's 'deeply worried' they're not ready for repayment starting next week
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Sen. Elizabeth Warren led some Democratic colleagues in sending letters to four student-loan companies requesting information on the repayment restart. They also said a lack of funding is not a valid excuse for borrowers to be facing bad customer service. AdvertisementAdvertisementSenator Elizabeth Warren is worried that four federal student-loan companies aren't up to the task of transitioning millions of borrowers back into repayment in a few days. These letters come just days before pandemic relief for federal borrowers comes to an end. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during a Monday press briefing that it would further strain Federal Student Aid's ability to assist borrowers over the next month.

Persons: Sen, Elizabeth Warren, —, Warren, — Sens, Chris Van Hollen, Ed Markey, Richard Blumenthal —, servicers, Joe Biden's, Virginia Foxx, Bill Cassidy, Karine Jean, Pierre, Jean, Pierre said Organizations: Democratic, Service, Federal Services, servicer, Central Research Inc, Education Department, — House Republicans, Federal Student Aid, Consumer Financial, Republican, Office, Department, House Press, Education

☆ US admits Israel into visa waiver program
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Some Palestinians have protested against Israel's entry into the program, saying Israel for decades has discriminated against Arab Americans and harassed them at its borders. They also must treat all U.S. travelers equally, so Israel must allow free passage for Palestinian Americans at Ben Gurion airport. In a pilot period since July 20, Israel has eased access for Palestinian Americans through its borders and the Israeli-occupied West Bank. According to Israel's Interior Ministry, more than 130,000 Americans entered Israel since the pilot began, including 6,070 Palestinian Americans. Between 45,000 and 60,000 Palestinian Americans live in the West Bank, a U.S. official estimated.

Persons: Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Ronen, Chris Van Hollen, Alejandro Mayorkas, Netanyahu, Antony Blinken, David Shepardson, Dan Williams, Ali Sawafta, Henriette Chacar, Clarence Fernandez, William Maclean, David Gregorio Our Organizations: U.S, Israeli, White, Consulate, REUTERS, Rights, Visa, Arab, . Four Democratic U.S, Israel, U.S . Homeland, West Bank, Palestinian, Palestinian Foreign Ministry, Israel's Interior Ministry, Homeland Security Department, Thomson Locations: U.S, Israeli, Tel Aviv, Israel, Washington, United States, Ben Gurion, Croatia, Palestinian Territories, American, Detroit

☆ US lawmakers back closer coordination with Pacific islands to counter China
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( David Brunnstrom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The sparsely populated nations, whose territories cover vast areas of the Pacific, have relations with the United States governed by so-called Compacts of Free Association. "The strategic location of these islands is integral to our national security, but the lack of direct security channels between our nations creates risk," she added. An Ernst aide said Palau had already established a national security council and the other COFA states were actively considering doing so. He noted that the U.S. has significant military installations on the islands, including high-powered radar on Palau and its main long-range missile testing site in the Marshall Islands. The councils would comprise members of respective COFA states and make use of Pentagon-approved communications equipment to prevent Chinese espionage and allow sharing of intelligence, he said.

Persons: reconvenes, Leah Millis, Joni Ernst, Beijing's, Democrats Mazie Hirono, Tim Kaine, Chris Van Hollen, Ernst, Palau, Joni Ernst's, David Brunnstrom, Louise Heavens Organizations: U.S . Capitol, Republican, REUTERS, Defense, Marshall, Free Association, U.S, Reuters, Democrats, Pentagon, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, China, Palau, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, United States, Washington, Marshall, Pacific, U.S, Solomon Islands

☆ Family of Henrietta Lacks finally settles lawsuit against biotech company accused of profiting billions of dollars from collecting the Black woman's cancer cells without her consent
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Lea Skene | Sarah Brumfield | Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Henrietta Lacks changed modern medicine when doctors took her cells without her consent in 1951. Despite that incalculable impact, the Lacks family had never been compensated. Henrietta Lacks' cells have been part of many medical breakthroughs. "The exploitation of Henrietta Lacks represents the unfortunately common struggle experienced by Black people throughout history," the complaint reads. "It was a long fight — over 70 years — and Henrietta Lacks gets her day."

Persons: Henrietta, HeLa, Ben Crump, Crump, didn't, Rebecca Skloot, Oprah Winfrey, Johns Hopkins, Fisher, George Floyd's, Alfred, Carter Jr, Chris Van Hollen, Ben Cardin, Van Hollen Organizations: Service, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Fisher Scientific Inc, Associated Press, HBO, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Maryland Democrats Locations: Wall, Silicon, Waltham , Massachusetts, Baltimore, Virginia, United States, Baltimore's

☆ A group of Democrats just relaunched an effort to ban legacy admissions and strip financial aid from schools that keep the practice in place
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A group of Democrats revived a bill to ban legacy admissions across colleges. It comes after the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in college admissions. And it's not a form of affirmative action that serves our country well." Following the decision, legacy admissions practices entered a harsh spotlight. Some prestigious schools have already ended their legacy admissions practices.

Persons: Democratic Sens, Jeff Merkley, Chris Van Hollen, Jamaal Bowman, —, Merkley, Michael Roth, Van Hollen Organizations: Democrats, Service, Democratic, Democratic Rep, Fair College, Supreme, Black College and Universities, Education Department, Community Economic, Greater Boston, Network, Ivy League, Harvard, Johns Hopkins University, Amherst College, Wesleyan Locations: Wall, Silicon, New England

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