An Ignoble Experiment: Biden to meet with congressional leadership as debt default looms

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Tuesday 05.09.23

In the case of canceled flights, most airlines will offer alternative travel recommendations and apologize for the inconvenience — but passengers are often left to figure out the rest. This can leave travelers footing the bill for unexpected expenses like meals and hotels. In response, the Biden administration announced a new rule that will mandate airlines compensate passengers and cover these costs when they've caused a cancellation or significant delay. Here's what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On With Your Day.

By Alexandra Meeks

President Joe Biden talks with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy as they leave an annual St. Patrick's Day luncheon at the Capitol on March 17, 2023.

Debt limit

President Joe Biden is set to meet with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and congressional leadership today amid a stalemate to raise the debt ceiling. The White House has said it will not negotiate on the matter, and it remains to be seen whether the parties involved will agree to establish a process for earnest negotiations before the US potentially defaults on its obligations as soon as June 1. House Republicans want to attach spending reductions to a debt ceiling increase and have passed a debt limit plan that does just that. But Biden and congressional Democrats are insisting on passing a clean increase on the debt limit before addressing a framework for spending. Meanwhile, the White House continues to maintain that Biden will not change course in his belief that Congress must raise the debt limit without conditions to avoid a catastrophic default.

Texas shooting

Authorities have released heartbreaking new details about some of the victims killed in the Texas outlet mall shooting over the weekend. Two families lost multiple loved ones in the massacre, including a 6-year-old boy who lost his parents and his only brother. Two sisters in elementary school were also killed in the shooting, and their mother remains hospitalized in critical condition. Eight people were shot dead and at least seven others were wounded before the gunman was killed by a police officer who was already at the site on an unrelated call, police said. Law enforcement officials do not yet feel they have a "complete picture" of the shooter's past to determine a motive, but they are continuing to dig into his background and his potential links to right-wing extremism to find answers for the grieving families.

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Bus stop crash

A candlelight vigil is planned today in Brownsville, Texas, to honor the eight victims killed when a vehicle plowed into a group of people at a bus stop outside a migrant shelter over the weekend. While the victims have not yet been publicly identified, authorities say several immigrants were among those killed when an SUV hit the group on Sunday. Seven others remain hospitalized with various injuries, officials said. The driver was charged with eight counts of manslaughter and 10 counts of aggravated assault. It remains unclear whether the crash was intentional, officials said. The crash comes as Brownsville and other border towns brace for a migrant surge when the public health emergency measure known as Title 42 expires on Thursday.

Ukraine

The US is set to announce a $1.2 billion aid package for Ukraine as early as today, according to an official familiar with the package. The additional aid will include drones, artillery ammunition and air defense missiles, the official said, as Ukraine prepares for its counteroffensive against Russian forces. With the new package announcement, the US will have committed $37.6 billion in military aid to Ukraine since the beginning of the Biden administration. Separately, Russian President Vladimir Putin led a pared-down Victory Day parade in Moscow today, an annual exhibition of patriotism marking the Soviet Union's role in defeating Nazi Germany in World War II. Putin's parade aimed to demonstrate the country's military prowess — but it was seemingly toned down due to insufficient military weapons available for display.

Student loans

Nearly 610,000 student loan borrowers have received loan forgiveness since October 2021, when the Biden administration temporarily expanded eligibility. The Public Service Loan Forgiveness program promises to wipe away remaining federal student loan debt after an eligible government or nonprofit worker makes 10 years of monthly payments. Altogether, those cancellations will total $42 billion of federal student debt, the Department of Education said Monday. However, Biden's separate, one-time student debt forgiveness program, which promises up to $20,000 of debt relief for some borrowers, is currently blocked by federal courts. The Supreme Court is expected to issue its decision on the case in late June or early July.

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150,000

That's about how many migrants may be waiting in northern Mexican states as Thursday's expiration of Title 42 looms. The Trump-era policy allowed the government to quickly turn away certain migrants at the border, citing Covid-19 concerns. US officials fear the expiration of the restriction this week will spur a surge of migrants and strain processing facilities that are already over capacity.

While we're excited to start production with our amazing cast and crew, it is not possible during this strike.

— Matt and Ross Duffer, the co-creators of "Stranger Things," announcing they are putting a pause on filming the final season of the popular Netflix show due to the writers' strike. More than 11,000 members of the Writers Guild of America went on strike last week for the first time in 15 years, demanding better compensation and other concessions from studios and streamers amid a changing media landscape. Analysts predict the strike could go on for months as studio executives insist their bank of streaming content can withstand writers temporarily stopping the flood of content.

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