Biden announces some student loan debt forgiveness for some borrowers – National & International News – WED 24Aug2024

Biden announces some student loan forgiveness for some borrowers. Heavy rains, floods hit Mississippi, Louisiana. Europe’s worst drought in 500 years reveals historical riches, and “hunger stones”.

NATIONAL NEWS

Biden announces some student loan forgiveness for some borrowers

This morning, President Biden tweeted some top-line points of his student debt forgiveness plan. According to the tweet, borrowers who received Pell grants can receive up to $20,000 in student loan debt forgiveness. Borrowers who didn’t receive Pell Grants but took out other kinds of loans can receive up to $10,000 in forgiveness. All forgiveness applies only to individuals earning less than $125,000 a year, or $250,000 as a household.

Furthermore, Biden has extended the deadline to resume student debt payments one final time until December, 31st, 2022. After that monthly repayments of debt for undergraduate studies can be capped at 5% of a person’s income.

More details of the plan are to follow in a White House address at 2:15pm ET/1:15pm CT this afternoon.

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Heavy rains, floods hit Mississippi, Louisiana

After heavy rain pummeled Texas, Arkansas, Arizona and New Mexico over the weekend, Mississippi and Louisiana are experiencing the first of several days of flash flood conditions. For now, the heaviest downpours stretch from northern Louisiana up to Jackson, MS. Flash flood warnings are already in effect for several counties in Central Mississippi.

The National Weather Service predicts that starting tomorrow, parts of North Mississippi, including Union County, can expect localized downpours and thunderstorms. The bad weather is expected to continue through Tuesday.

In a sad sign of the times and things to come, the National Weather Service re-posted a 2018 musical PSA on flood safety titled “Turn Around, Don’t Drown,” featuring country music singer Matt Hawk. Click here to see the 30-second video; the song’s pretty catchy.

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Europe’s worst drought in 500 years reveals historical riches, and “hunger stones”

The current drought in Europe is probably the worst the continent has experienced in 500 years, according to climate scientists. If you doubt the scientists, maybe you can count on the testimony of the “hunger stones”. These stones on the Elbe River near the northern Czech town of Děčín record a low water mark on the river from 1616. The inscription warns its readers Wenn du mich siehst, dann weine (“If you see me, then weep”).

The inscription reads Wenn du mich siehst, dann weine (“If you see me, then weep”).

In Spain, a man-made lake has dried up, revealing a stone monument that is between 4,000 and 7,000 years old. Dubbed “Spanish Stonehenge”, it may possibly be 2,000 years older than its British namesake.