August 26, 2022 4:22 am
On average Black borrowers carry a heavier burden of student loan debt than white borrowers. The disparity reflects a racial wealth gap in the U.S. – one that some advocates say the debt relief plan does not do enough to narrow. One in four Black borrowers would see their debt cleared entirely under the administration’s plan, which cancels $10,000 in federal student loan debt for those with incomes below $125,000 a year, or households that earn less than $250,000. Wisdom Cole, national director of the NAACP Youth & College Division, said more work needs to be done to make higher education accessible and affordable.
August 26, 2022 4:22 am
LONDON (AP) – British residents will see an 80% increase in their annual household energy bills. The U.K.’s energy regulator announced Friday that costs will go from 1,971 pounds a year to 3,549 pounds in October. It follows a record 54% annual spike in April. The costs are roiling the British economy, which has the highest inflation rate among the Group of Seven wealthiest democracies and seen disruptive strikes for months as workers push for pay to keep pace with the increasingly expensive cost of living. Charities, public health leaders and even energy firms warn of catastrophic effects on poorer people already struggling to afford essentials.
August 26, 2022 4:21 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Fourteen of the 15 boxes recovered from former President Donald Trump’s Florida estate early this year contained documents with classification markings, including at the top secret level. That’s according to an FBI affidavit released Friday explaining the justification for this month’s search of the property. The 32-page affidavit, even in its redacted form, offers the most detailed description to date of the government records being stored at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property long after he left the White House. It also reveals the gravity of the government’s concerns that the documents were there illegally
August 26, 2022 4:18 am
A Pennsylvania teacher who attended Donald Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally in Washington has sued his former school district, saying it destroyed his reputation and career by falsely linking him to the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection. Jason Moorehead claims that Allentown School District officials were motivated by “ideological hatred” for his conservative politics when the district announced one day after the riot that one of its teachers “was involved in the electoral college protest that took place at the United States Capitol Building.” Moorehead said he was nowhere near the Capitol that day. He has never been charged with a crime. The district suspended Moorehead for six months, then ordered him to return to work. Moorehead refused, saying a return to the classroom was impossible after district officials deliberately turned the community against him in a bid to force his resignation. The district never retracted its statement or cleared his name, he said, and individual school board members whipped up a public frenzy against him even though his teaching record was spotless. Last month, the school board fired him over his refusal to return to work. Now Moorehead, 45, is seeking monetary damages and a retraction, saying his 18-year education career is finished. Moorehead said he has been subjected to harassment and death threats, and the ordeal has placed a severe financial burden on his family. His wife has filed for divorce. He sued in Lehigh County Court on Tuesday, alleging violations of his constitutional rights.
August 25, 2022 4:36 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) – A judge has ordered the Justice Department to make public a redacted version of the affidavit it relied on when federal agents searched the Florida estate of former President Donald Trump to look for classified documents. The directive from U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart came hours after federal law enforcement submitted under seal the portions of the affidavit that they want to keep secret as their investigation moves forward. The judge said the department must file its redacted version by noon Friday. The redactions proposed by the department are likely to be extensive, so it’s not clear how much new information about the investigation will be revealed.
August 25, 2022 4:20 pm
NUTTER FORT, W.Va. (AP) – West Virginia police say officers have fatally shot a fugitive at a funeral service after he pulled a gun on them. The shooting happened Wednesday in Nutter Fort. Harrison County Sheriff Robert Matheny says officers had a warrant for the man’s arrest. Clarksburg Police Chief Randy Hartley tells The Exponent Telegram that the fugitive was leaving the funeral home as a pallbearer. After the casket was taken to a hearse, officers tried to arrest him. Hartley says the man pulled a gun and was shot. Evelyn O’Dell tells WBOY-TV the fugitive was her nephew, Jason Owens, the son of the man whose funeral was being held.
August 25, 2022 9:46 am
NEW YORK (AP) – Fewer Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week as the labor market continues to stand out as one of the strongest segments of the U.S. economy. Applications for jobless aid for the week ending Aug. 20 fell by 2,000 to 243,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The four-week average for claims, which evens out some of the week-to-week volatility, rose by 1,500 to 247,000. The number of Americans collecting traditional unemployment benefits fell by 19,000 the week that ended Aug. 13, to 1.42 million. First-time applications generally reflect layoffs and can indicate where the job market is headed.
August 25, 2022 8:42 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The U.S. economy shrank at a 0.6% annual rate from April through June, the government said in a slight upgrade from its initial estimate. It marked a second straight quarter of economic contraction, which meets one informal sign of a recession. Most economists, though, have said they doubt the economy is in or on the verge of a recession, given that America’s job market remains robust, with strong hiring, low unemployment and widespread openings. In its revised estimate, the Commerce Department calculated that the nation’s gross domestic product contracted last quarter, though less than the 1.6% annual decline in the January-March period.
August 25, 2022 4:25 am
(AP) – COVID-19 vaccines tweaked to better match today’s omicron threat are expected to roll out in a few weeks but how much will they help? Also up in the air is who should get one — and how soon. Pfizer and rival Moderna both asked U.S. regulators this week to authorize modified versions of their vaccine to use as fall boosters. The shot is half the original recipe and half protection against the latest two versions of omicron. The Food and Drug Administration ordered that recipe at the end of June, and now has to decide if this combination is ready.
August 25, 2022 4:24 am
UVALDE, Texas (AP) – The Uvalde school district’s embattled police chief has been fired following allegations that he made several critical mistakes during a mass shooting that left 19 students and two teachers dead. The district’s board of trustees said Wednesday day that it voted to dismiss Chief Pete Arredondo, who has faced criticism since the May 24 massacre at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Officers armed with rifles waited in a school hallway for more than an hour while the gunman carried out the shooting. Arredondo has tried to defend his actions, telling a Texas House committee he did not consider himself the incident commander on the scene.
