President Biden announced Wednesday that he is canceling $10,000 in student debt for individuals earning less than $125,000 annually and extending a pause on loan repayments for all borrowers through the end of the year.
Lamenting that “an entire generation is now saddled with unsustainable debt” because the cost of higher education has increased so much, Biden described his action as a matter of economic fairness.
“My plan is responsible and fair. It focuses the benefit on middle-class and working families. It helps both current and future borrowers and it will fix a badly broken system,” Biden said. “It’s about opportunity. It’s about giving people a fair shot.”
The overall package, which Biden said will benefit 43 million Americans, is a win for activists who have pushed for such action as a matter of economic fairness. But the amount of debt Biden has decided to erase is less than many activists had sought.
New: The L.A. City Council voted Wednesday to send a measure to the ballot to speed up the installation of bike routes, bus lanes and other transportation projects aimed at making the city safer and more welcoming for bicyclists, pedestrians & bus riders. latimes.com/california/sto…
The initiative, planned for the 2024 ballot, would force city agencies to make those changes to some of L.A.'s busiest boulevards each time crews do major road work on those streets.
Backers of the measure say it would cut down on traffic fatalities in a city that is frequently lethal for bicyclists and pedestrians, while making it easier for people to get around without relying on cars.
President Biden announced a #studentloanforgiveness package that will benefit 43 million Americans.
It includes capping income-based payments for undergraduate loans at 5% of the borrower's monthly income as long as they aren’t behind on payments. latimes.com/politics/story…
Some analysts believe that change may prove even more significant than the debt forgiveness.
Biden described his action as a matter of economic fairness that will “provide more breathing room for people” and boost America’s competitiveness.
Income-driven repayment, as it’s called, has been in existence for some years, but just 32% of federal direct loan borrowers had enrolled in it as of last year, according to the College Board.
One dancer working in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, who requested anonymity because of concerns about employer retaliation, said skin contact is unavoidable in a job that includes pole dancing and lap dances while topless or in lingerie. latimes.com/california/sto…
The worker said their pleas to strip club managers to better sanitize stages and VIP rooms had been waved off.
“It feels like we are seen as disposable,” the dancer said. Trying to avoid touching would mean “I would miss out on 95% of my income.” latimes.com/california/sto…
Selena, who works at a strip club in Los Angeles, lamented that “it can be hard to screen customers because the club lighting is very dim. ... I’ve been worried about what I do if I discover a customer has monkeypox while I’m in a dance.” latimes.com/california/sto…
Butch Locsin developed an infatuation with skulls as a kid after seeing them graffitied on the streets of L.A. latimes.com/lifestyle/stor…
His favorite Marvel character was the Punisher, an antihero whose symbol is a skull and crossbones. So, he began to design skull masks. The colorful suits and smoke grenades followed. latimes.com/lifestyle/stor…
“I started playing around with this character and I was getting really positive feedback,” Locsin said. “And from there it just took off.” latimes.com/lifestyle/stor…
President Biden will announce Wednesday that he is canceling $10,000 in student debt for individuals earning less than $125,000 annually and extending a pause on loan repayments for all borrowers through the end of the year.
The president confirmed his long-awaited decision on student loan forgiveness in a tweet. People who received Pell grants to help cover the cost of college will be eligible for up to $20,000 in loan relief, Biden tweeted.
Biden also plans to institute an income-based repayment cap that will allow borrowers to pay no more than 5% of their monthly income as long as they aren’t behind on payments — a change some analysts see as more significant than the debt forgiveness.
On the surface, it would seem that lifting the weight of $10,000 for tens of millions of adults in their prime spending years would give a big boost to the economy.