Major alert for defaulted student loans: A new policy shift impacts more than 5 million people

By
Monica Pop
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Payments on student loans were paused during Donald Trump’s first presidency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic when a huge number of businesses closed and triggered massive job losses.

However, the Education Department announced Monday it will resume involuntary repayment of federal student loans that are in default.

They expect this decision to affect over 5.3 million people starting as soon as next month.

During Biden’s presidency, he sought to offer forgiveness of the loans but faced opposition from the courts. In 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled his plan to forgive the loans as unconstitutional due to lack of congressional approval.

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The main issue with the decision by the Education Department is the short notice borrowers will receive, with only two weeks’ time to prepare.

“Beginning May 5, the department will begin involuntary collection through the Treasury Department’s offset program, which withholds payments from the government — including tax refunds, federal salaries and other benefits — from people with past-due debts to the government,” the Education Department announced.

According to UNILAND, “Loans go into default when borrowers do not make payments for nine months.” Once they report this on the credit scores, it can go to collections.

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At the time being, less than 40 percent of student loan borrowers are up to date on their loans.

The rest makes the borrowers in default and additional 4 million borrowers who are 91 to 180 days late on their loan payments.

“American taxpayers will no longer be forced to serve as collateral for irresponsible student loan policies,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said.

“The Biden Administration misled borrowers: the executive branch does not have the constitutional authority to wipe debt away, nor do the loan balances simply disappear.”

“Going forward, the Department of Education, in conjunction with the Department of Treasury, will shepherd the student loan program responsibly and according to the law, which means helping borrowers return to repayment — both for the sake of their own financial health and our nation’s economic outlook.”

BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images

Natalia Abrams, the president of the Student Debt Crisis Center believes the government should intervene and help those who have student loans the way it assisted investors, banks, and automakers during past “bailouts.”

Further, she argued that the Department of Education’s move against borrowers in default might bypass a federal program called Income-Driven Repayment. This program allows borrowers to make payments based on their income. At the time the Department of Education released their decision on resuming involuntary repayment of federal student loans, the program received and processed applications.

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Pope Francis’ final words before passing aged 88

By
Monica Pop
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Pope Francis “returned to the home of the Father.”

He died on Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, at the age of 88 at his residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta.

Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, served as the 266th pope.

“His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church,″ Cardinal Kevin Ferrell, the Vatican camerlengo, said.

“He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with faithfulness, courage, and universal love, especially for the poorest and most marginalised.

“With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite, merciful love of God, One and Tribune.″

Vatican revealed the cause of Pope Francis’ death was a stroke and a heart failure. The pontiff suffered health issues since February, when he was admitted to the hospital where he stayed for 38 days, longest during his 12 years of service.

The news of his passing prompted an outpouring of grief from Catholics across the globe.

On Sunday, he greeted crowds at the Easter Sunday Service and gave his ‘Urbi et Orbi’ benediction from a balcony facing the Piazza.

He addressed the crowds with the words, “Brothers and sisters, Happy Easter!”

He did not lead the Easter Mass outside in the piazza. Instead, he gave that responsibility to Cardinal Angelo Comastri, who is retired but was once in charge of St. Peter’s Basilica.

Following the Mass, he spent around 20 minutes on the loggia balcony above the basilica entrance.

Despite the health issues, Pope Francis remained active until the very last day. In September 2024, he visited Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Singapore on his 12-day tour of south-east Asia and Oceania.

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He was known for his liberal views and stances. He showed tolerance for divorces and allowing priests to wed same-s** couples in some situations. His stance on ab**ion, however, remained firm, with him calling the act “an extremely dangerous crisis of the moral sense.”

Pope Francis’ death has prompted a nine-day period of mourning called Novemdiales.

Vatican released images of the pope’s body in an open casket dressed in a red robe with the papal mitre on his head and a rosary in his hands. His body will be taken to St Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday morning. The public can pay tribute to him until his funeral on April 26.

In accordance with his wishes, Pope Francis will be buried at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome.

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Resurfaced video captures holocaust survivor challenging ICE director

By
Monica Pop
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Bernard Marks, a holocaust survivor, challenged US ICE Acting Director Thomas Homan in 2017 during a public forum on immigration. Now, the video of the confrontation have resurfaced.

Marks, who was 88 at the time, passed away a year later. However, his words pointing to President Donald Trump’s top immigration enforcer remain relevant today when the administration reinforces strict immigration policies.

Among the rest, Marks reminded Homan that history was not on the administration’s side.

“When I was a little boy in Poland, for no other reason but for being Jewish, I was hauled off by the Nazis,” Marks read from a piece of paper.

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He then opened up about his entire family being killed and him being the sole survivor. Marks was in two concentration camps, Auschwitz and Dachau. He was taken there at the age of just seven, when the Nazi occupied his hometown of Lodz, Poland. He stayed there until April 27, 1945, when American troops liberated the camp. When he was finally freed, Marks was 13 years old.

“And I am a survivor of Auschwitz and Dachau,” he continued his speech before turning to the organizer of the event, Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones, and warned him against working with Homan and Trump’s administration agenda regarding immigrants.

“I spent five and a half years in concentration camps, for one reason and one reason only: because we picked on people,” he said, CBS Sacramento reported.

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“And you, as the sheriff, who we elected as sheriff of this county, we did not elect you for sheriff of Washington, D.C. It’s about time you side with the people here.

“History is not on your side.”

Following the speech of this holocaust survivor who challenged ICE director, the audience erupted in cheers.

“I feel horrible when I see or hear that a father or a grandfather is being picked up. And just because they get a traffic ticket, according to ICE they’re criminal,” Marks added.

The words of this holocaust survivor resonate with many during these times when the government continues the uncontested deportation of large numbers of migrants under contentious wartime legislation.

He believed our country could do better. “I think the more of us who like to speak up, maybe we can have a better country. A country without hate,” he said.

The comments under the resurfaced video show great support for the bravery of Bernard Marks to speak up.

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Pope Francis’ shocking net worth at his time of death

By
Monica Pop
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With the words that Pope Francis “returned to the home of the Father,” Cardinal Kevin Farrell announced the passing of the first Latin American pontiff.

“His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church,″ Cardinal Farrell continued.

“He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with faithfulness, courage, and universal love, especially for the poorest and most marginalised.

“With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite, merciful love of God, One and Tribune.″

Pope Francis, who was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, died early Monday morning at the age of 88. The news of his passing stirred emotions throughout the Catholic world.

He experienced ill health in recent months, suffering a respiratory infection and chronic bronchitis which later developed into pneumonia. In February, he was admitted to Gemelli Hospital where he had spent 38 days, the longest during his 12 years of papacy.

What left many stunned was the net worth of Pope Francis, revealed following his passing.

Reports suggest that he was worthy nearly $16 million at the time of his death despite not receiving salary since 2013, when introduced as the 266th pope.

Being a pope, Francis could choose to live in the Papal Palace, just like many of his predecessors, but instead, he chose a more modest accommodation, a smaller two-room suite within the Domus Sanctae Marthae guesthouse.

Also, he was taking his meals in the communal dining room.

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Pope Francis vowed to lead a simple life on the day of his election, and he honored that vow until the very end.

According to the Economic Times, the Catholic leader’s wealth accumulated from “royalties, donations, and access to a discretionary fund of $385,000 per year as head of the Roman Catholic Church.”

Pope Francis’ last public appearance was on Easter Sunday, just a day before his passing.

He blessed thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square. Before that, he met with US Vice President JD Vance.

Vance was among those who paid their tributes.

“I just learned of the passing of Pope Francis. My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him,” Vance posted on the social media.

“I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill. But I’ll always remember him for the below homily he gave in the very early days of COVID. It was really quite beautiful.”

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Simulation reveals harsh effects of Ozempic on the body

By
Monica Pop
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The desire to look attractive has always been present. However, this urge has increased drastically with the rise of social media and influencers who promote idealized beauty standards.

Achieving the perfect looks isn’t easy. It usually takes a lot of exercise and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including sticking to a balanced diet. Having said that, there are plenty of individuals who opt for a “shortcut” in order to achieve the perfect weight.

Most recently, many turn to Ozempic for weight loss, including celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Rebel Wilson, and Amy Schumer.

However, not everyone is aware of its effects on the body.

Ozempic/ freemalaysiatoday.com

The main purpose of this drug is to help manage Type 2 diabetes, and although it hasn’t been FDA-approved for weight loss, people use it for that exact purpose because it does help them lose a significant amount of weight – but at what cost?

A YouTuber by the handle @ZackDFilms revealed the grim realities of what Ozempic does once injected in the body.

According to him, “Once Ozempic enters your bloodstream, it triggers the brain’s satiety center, making you feel full and naturally decreasing your appetite.”

From that point, it balances your blood sugar and helps reduce constant food cravings.

While this sounds nice and rather appealing, Ozempic comes with side effects.

Dr Ben Bickman, a scientist and professor at Brigham Young University in Utah, stated that the drug can cause muscle loss.

“You have a substantial amount of lean mass that’s getting loss as the person is losing weight. To make that clear, for every ten pounds of weight loss, only six is fat – four of it is coming from non-fat sources like muscle and bone,” he told Thomas DeLauer.

Dr Bickman added: “While muscle and bone mass might never return, the body has no trouble regaining fat mass.

“What’s more, one study found that one version of these drugs, actually stimulates the production of new fat cells.”

He continued: “This becomes a problem because when a person start to regain fat mass after stopping Ozempic, with more fat cells comes a greater potential to gain more fat.

“As a result, even though a person may still weight less than they did before starting the drug, they may be fatter, with a higher percentage of body fat.”

One thing we should all be aware of is that Ozempic, as well as other weight loss drugs, aren’t a magic bullet.

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Chilling final words of matador gored to death by a bull

By
Monica Pop
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36-year-old Ivan Fandiño was a renowned matador, known for his courage to face bulls dubbed too dangerous by others.

Unfortunately, his passion for bullfighting ultimately cost him his life.

In 2017, Fandiño, originally from the Basque country, was taking part in the Aire-sur-l’Adour bullfighting festival in southwest France.

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At one point, the matador got tangled in his cloak and fell to the ground, resulting in him being gored by the half-ton bull.

When he was taken out of the ring, he bled heavily. Emergency services transported him to the hospital, but he had suffered a heart attack and died.

Reportedly, on the way to the hospital, Fandiño said, “Hurry up, I’m dying.”

His internal organs, including his lungs were damaged from the bull attack.

At one point, the matador got tangled in his cloak and fell to the ground, resulting in him being gored by the half-ton bull.
Matador Ivan Fandiño/ LUIS ROBAYO/AFP via Getty Images

Matador Juan del Alamo, who later killed the bull, said at the time: “I can’t believe it. None of us understand how it could have happened; it was all so fast. The bull knocked him down with its hindquarters and he fell face down.”

Prior the fatal incident, Fandiño had been injured twice during a bullfight. In 2015, he was thrown into the air by a bull in Spain, and a year later, he was left unconscious in Bayonne, France.

Fandiño was the first matador to die in France since 1921, when matador Isidoro Mari Fernando lost his life in the arena in Béziers.

At one point, the matador got tangled in his cloak and fell to the ground, resulting in him being gored by the half-ton bull.
Matador Ivan Fandiño/ DANIEL VELEZ/AFP via Getty Images

The number of bulls losing their lives in these fights in France is around 1,000.

The Spanish royal family and prime minister honored Fandiño, with King Felipe saying he was a “great bullfighter figure.”

Bullfighting is considered a controversial and cruel practice. Back in 2010, the Catalan regional government in Barcelona voted for a ban, but the decision was overturned by the Spanish constitutional court in 2016, calling bullfighting a “cultural heritage.”

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El Salvador president’s harsh response on returning father wrongfully deported to the ‘world’s worst prison’

By
Monica Pop
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Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia was among the Venezuelan immigrants transported to the Center for Terrorism Confinement (CECOT) in El Salvador, also known as the “world’s worst prison” by Trump’s administration.

His deportation took place despite immigration officials admitting to making an administrative error when arresting him.

Garcia was indeed an illegal immigrant who arrived in the Sates in 2011, but a judge ruled in 2019 that he shouldn’t be deported back to his homeland due to threats by gangs.

Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia was among the Venezuelan immigrants transported to the Center for Terrorism Confinement (CECOT) in El Salvador.
Kilmar Ábrego García/ Reuters

Upon acknowledging the mistake, a Supreme Court ruled that Trump’s administration must ‘facilitate’ Garcia’s return.

Garcia’s wife, Jennifer Stefania Vasquez Sura, has been vocal of his situation. She speaks of the injustice that has been done to him and his family.

“I will not stop fighting until I see my husband alive. Kilmar, if you can hear me, stay strong. God hasn’t forgotten about you. Our children are asking when you will come home … they miss their dad so much,” she said.

Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia was deported due to an ‘error’ (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

However, following an alleged meeting between Trump and El Salvador’s leader, Nayib Bukele, it was determined that Garcia’s potential return to US is up to Bukele, who isn’t willing to do such a thing.

“I hope you’re not suggesting that I smuggle a terrorist into the United States. How can I smuggle a terrorist into the United States? Of course I’m not going to do it. The question is preposterous,” the El Salvador leader said.

“We just turned the murder capital of the world to the safest country the western hemisphere. And you want us to go back into the releasing criminals, so we can go back to the murder capital of the world, and that’s not going to happen.”

Nayib Bukele and Donald Trump’s meeting at the White House (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Attorney General Pam Bondi stated that returning Kilmar Garcia to the Sates from El Salvador isn’t a decision that can be made by the US.

“That’s up to El Salvador if they want to return him. That’s not up to us,” Bondi said. “The Supreme Court ruled that if El Salvador wants to return him … we would facilitate it: meaning, provide a plane.”

Trying to explain how the mistake could happen in the first place, acting ICE field office director, Robert Cerna, explained that Garcia was “not on the initial manifest of the Title 8 flight to be removed to El Salvador,” but was an “alternate.”

He simply dubbed it an “oversight.”

Wife of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

According to The Telegraph, the US government claimed Garcia is a wife abuser, not an “upstanding Maryland” resident.

This came after documents of his wife asking for a restraining order against him in the past have come to light.

She, however, claims things between her and Garcia never escalated and they didn’t take the matter to court.

In fact, she only asked for a civil protective order in case things escalated, acting out of caution after an argument because she had experienced domestic violence with another partner in the past.

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The reason tourists are rethinking trips to the US and which places they are choosing instead

By
Monica Pop
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A visit to the United States of America has long been a dream of millions of foreign tourists, and we can see why. The country offers a plethora of iconic landmarks and attractions, including the Statue of Liberty, the Grand Canyon, Times Square, and Disney World among the rest.

At the same time, US is a favorable destination because of the diverse landscapes and the cultural influence it has on other countries.

In 2023, US welcomed 66.5 million visitors, but according to a recent research by the Tourism Economics these numbers may drop sharply in 2025.

According to the publication, a number of potential visitors are rethinking their plans to travel to the States which will result in potential $18 billion reduction in tourist spending.

Tourists are rethinking trips to the US.
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BBC reports that the main reason for this ‘phenomena’ are the decisions made by the Trump’s administration, including imposing tariffs to nearly every country in the world.

“The nation’s stricter border enforcement has recently led to the detention of Canadian and European tourists, prompting Germany, the UK, Denmark, Finland and Portugal to issue travel warnings and advisories for the country,” the publication writes.

Justin Trudeau, the former prime minister of Canada, urged the people of his country to choose Canada.

Until now, around 20 million Canadians visited the States annually, but with the tariffs and Trump’s threats to annex the nation and make it part of the US, the numbers are expected to drop significantly.

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As reported by Statistics Canada, border crossing were down by 20% in February of this year. While some Canadians decide to avoid US as a tourist destination because of Trump’s politics, other say they don’t feel safe traveling there.

It is the same with other European countries. A majority of people in Britain (53%), Germany (56%), Sweden (63%), and Denmark (74%) find the US unfavorably.

The number of people authorities are detaining due to different issues, mainly their visas, has grown in recent months.

A number of countries have advised their non-binary and transgender citizens to declare their biological sex at birth on their visa applications. This comes after Trump signed an executive order that only recognized two genders, male and female.

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Reportedly, Bermuda and a number of European countries became preferable destinations, with the number of Canadians who made reservations at Bermuda hotels and resorts increasing for 20%. Those at European countries jumped to 32% compared to 2024.

Visa and entry restrictions are likely to impact major US events, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Olympics.

US workers and small businesses will mostly feel the impact by the US travel boycotts, many believe. Hundreds of thousands of jobs will be at risk since tourism is a significant contributor to US economy.

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