Biden administration set to extend student loan pause
WASHINGTON — The U.S. government is expected to extend a pause on student loan repayments through Aug. 31, an official familiar with the plans said.
The announcement is due Wednesday, the official added. The administration has grappled with ending the pause on loan payments as the economy’s recovery from pandemic lows continues — bringing with it inflation that has outpaced wage gains.
Domestic Policy Adviser Susan Rice advocated for the pause, and has been pushing within the administration to provide student loan relief, the official said. The coming announcement was reported earlier by The Hill.
The move builds on an announcement last year to overhaul the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, including to expand eligibility for loan forgiveness.
Still, some advocates who have been pushing for student debt to be canceled say temporary relief doesn’t go far enough.
—Bloomberg News
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick wants a Florida-style ‘don’t say gay’ bill to be a Texas priority
FORT WORTH, Texas — Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick wants to pursue a Florida-style “don’t say gay” bill in Texas during the next legislative session, according to a Monday campaign email.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the bill on March 28. The legislation — called the “Parental Rights in Education” bill but referred to as the “don’t say gay” bill by opponents — bars classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity for students in kindergarten through third grade or “in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students.”
“I will make this law a top priority in the next session,” Patrick said in the email, which was reported on by several news outlets.
The Star-Telegram has reached out to Patrick’s campaign and office for comment but has not received a response.
Patrick’s email took aim at The Walt Disney Co. Disney issued a statement condemning the law the day it was signed, saying it “should never have passed and should never been signed into law.” The company had been criticized by employees for not doing more to oppose the bill.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram
LA City Council backs $3 million settlement for firefighters who alleged retaliation
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday agreed to pay up to $3 million to settle a lawsuit brought by a group of firefighters who alleged that they faced retaliation after reporting misconduct in the Fire Prevention Bureau.
The council voted 11-0 for the settlement payout. Councilmen Joe Buscaino, Mike Bonin, John Lee and Kevin de León were absent.
In their 2017 lawsuit, about half a dozen firefighters said untrained fire inspectors took part in rushed or incomplete building inspections. These were part of the Los Angeles Fire Department's "Operation Catch-Up" program, launched following a 2015 Los Angeles Times report on the backlog of overdue inspections.
The firefighters' complaints were also outlined in a 2016 Times article in which they accused Fire Prevention Bureau officials of cutting corners by using poorly trained firefighters who were coaxed by supervisors to relax safety rules and overlook violations while conducting inspections.
The firefighters said they faced harassment and discrimination from the city for speaking out. One said the LAFD made a list of all attendees of a union meeting after a firefighter complained about the inspection process, the complaint states.
—Los Angeles Times
Peru imposes curfew in Lima as violent inflation protests spread
Peru’s president declared a curfew in the capital Lima on Tuesday to stem violent protests against inflation that have intensified in recent days, leading to clashes with police, temporary food shortages and supply-chain disruptions.
President Pedro Castillo announced the measure in an address to the nation Monday night, while declaring a state of emergency in Lima and the nearby port city of Callao. The curfew will run from 2 a.m. local time to 11:59 p.m.
He also called a meeting with the head of Congress, Maria del Carmen Alva, and party leaders to discuss the situation, according to a statement from the presidential office.
Castillo survived a second impeachment attempt by Congress on March 29 only to find another crisis brewing on the streets. Farmers and truckers staged protests against the rising cost of fuel and fertilizers last week, temporarily interrupting the supply of food to the capital. Over the weekend the president lowered fuel taxes and increased the minimum wage by 10% to help Peruvians struggling with the fastest inflation in 24 years. Yet the measures did little to appease bus drivers, most of them working informal jobs without fixed salaries, and who began a strike Monday.
—Bloomberg News
