Judge rejects efforts to stop student loan forgiveness plan
A federal judge in St. Louis has rejected an effort by six Republican-led states to block the Biden administration’s plan to forgive the student loan debt of tens of millions of Americans. U.S. District Judge Henry Autrey wrote in Thursday’s ruling that because the six states failed to establish they had standing, “the Court lacks jurisdiction to hear this case.” Suzanne Gage, spokeswoman for Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson, says the states will appeal. The other states involved are Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas and South Carolina. Democratic President Joe Biden announced in August that his administration would write off up to $20,000 in student debt for a large number of borrowers.
Pentagon seeks to reassure service members about access to abortion
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin issued a directive Thursday aimed at reassuring service members that the Supreme Court’s ruling overturning Roe v. Wade would not leave troops without access to abortion in states where the procedure had been banned. Under the directive, the Pentagon will provide travel funds and other assistance to women who seek abortions but are in states where the procedure is illegal. It also essentially tells commanders not to ask too many questions when women request leave for reproductive health care reasons. Austin led the services to implement the changes by the end of the year.
Graham must testify in the Georgia election investigation, the court said
A federal appeals court ruled Thursday that Sen. Lindsey Graham must appear before a special grand jury investigating efforts by former President Donald Trump and his allies to overturn Trump’s election defeat in Georgia. although the court set limits on the type of questions Graham could ask. be asked The ruling means that Graham, R.S.C., sometime after the Nov. 8 midterm elections, will likely have to travel to the Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta to answer questions about the phone calls he made to the Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. in the weeks following the 2020 election.
Drought, fire risk to remain high during third La Niña winter
Federal weather officials say drought and wildfire risks will remain high in western states, while warmer-than-average temperatures will greet the Southwest, Gulf Coast and East Coast this winter. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration officials said Thursday that La Niña, a weather pattern characterized by cold ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, is returning for a rare third winter. That means December, January, and February are likely to bring drier-than-average conditions to southern states and wetter-than-average weather for areas such as the Great Lakes and Pacific Northwest. Officials say wildfires will remain a risk.
Truss leaves, but UK political and economic turmoil persists
British Prime Minister Liz Truss resigned on Thursday after a tumultuous and historically short term in office in which her economic policies rocked financial markets and a rebellion in her political party eroded her authority. Truss became the third Conservative prime minister to be ousted in as many years, widening the instability that has rocked Britain since it left the European Union and leaving its leadership in limbo as the country faces a cost of living crisis and a looming recession. . Financial markets calmed, but bitterly divided Conservative Party lawmakers have just days to agree on a successor or face another leadership contest.
Russian and Ukrainian troops prepare for a major battle in Kherson
Russian and Ukrainian troops appear poised for a major battle over the strategic southern industrial port city of Kherson. This is in a region where Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared martial law, after illegally annexing it. Fighting and evacuations were reported in the region as Moscow tried to subdue the invaded country with more missile and drone strikes on critical infrastructure. Putin declared martial law in the Kherson, Luhansk, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions on Wednesday in a bid to assert Russian authority in the annexed areas as he faced setbacks on the battlefield, a troubled troop mobilization and the increase in national and international criticism and sanctions. Ukrainian forces launched 15 attacks against Russian military strongholds in Kherson.
Report: Elon Musk plans to cut 75% of Twitter workforce
Elon Musk plans to lay off most of Twitter’s workforce if he becomes owner of the social media company. This is according to a report by The Washington Post. The report says Musk told potential investors in his Twitter purchase that he planned to cut nearly 75% of San Francisco-based Twitter’s employee base of 7,500, leaving the company with a skeleton crew Twitter and a representative for Musk’s attorney, Alex Spiro, did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment. Experts, nonprofits and even Twitter’s own staff have warned that cutting back on investments in content moderation and data security could hurt Twitter and its users.
Shetland is cut off from the world after the submarine cable breaks
Shetland, the Scottish archipelago across the sea from Norway and more than 100 miles north of mainland Britain, was already far away. It did so even more on Thursday, officials said, when an undersea cable broke, cutting communications for the thousands of people who call the islands. Shortly after midnight, a fishing vessel likely damaged an undersea cable connecting Shetland to the Scottish mainland, said Páll Vesturbú, head of infrastructure at Faroese Telecom, a company that owns and operates the fiber cable network. underwater optics affected.
By cable sources
