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More than 40,000 public comments were received on the new large-scale federal student loan forgiveness plan promoted by the Joe Biden administration. As of the 10th, 45,097 comments were received on the student loan forgiveness plan published in the Federal Register. There is a lot of interest as the public opinion collection period, which began after the official gazette notice on the 17th of last month, ends on the 17th. Mark Kantrowitz, a higher education expert, said, “The number of opinions posted like this is a record number,” and explained, “The public’s interest is strong as there are strong opinions for and against student loan forgiveness.”

The new student loan forgiveness plan proposed by President Biden last month is considered an alternative to the first forgiveness plan, which was blocked from implementation by the Supreme Court in June of last year. While the previous plan was to forgive student loan debt borrowed from the federal government, the difference in the new forgiveness plan is that it provides relief to borrowers who owe more than the loan principal amount due to interest. The new forgiveness plan forgives up to $20,000 of debt that has increased due to unpaid interest, regardless of the borrower’s income, for student loans registered in an income-based repayment plan such as SAVE and with an annual income of less than $120,000 for individuals and $240,000 for couples combined. In the case of loan borrowers, the goal is to write off all interest.

Additionally, the new forgiveness plan includes the automatic forgiveness of the remaining debt for those who took out student loans for a bachelor’s degree and repaid the debt for more than 20 years. In the case of graduate school, if repayments are made over 25 years, the remaining debt is automatically written off. In addition, debtors with a large financial burden, such as those who took out student loans to enroll in poor educational courses, those with medical debt or high childcare expenses, are also eligible for student loan forgiveness. If the new forgiveness plan is implemented, tens of millions of people are expected to benefit, but it is estimated that a budget of $84 billion will be needed for this, and conservatives, including the Republican Party, are strongly opposing it, citing the increased burden on taxpayers. Opinions submitted to the Federal Register also have strong pros and cons. In the case of those in favor, they state their positions such as ‘student loan debt follows us throughout our lives’, ‘cancelling debt will help the local economy’, and ‘resolving long-standing inequality’. On the other hand, the opposing side expressed positions such as ‘Putting an unfair burden on those who did not go to college or have already paid off all of their student loan debt’ and ‘President Biden is trying to buy votes with money.’

The Biden administration expects that if the forgiveness plan is finalized as proposed, some provisions, such as interest forgiveness, will be able to be implemented starting this fall. However, Republican-led state governments have announced legal action to block implementation of the new student loan forgiveness plan.

ABC News reported on the 12th that many regions in the United States, where shooting incidents are frequent, are planning to install surveillance cameras in schools that can identify people with guns using artificial intelligence (AI).

According to reports, the state of Kansas is pursuing a plan to allocate $5 million in grants to support schools installing firearm identification surveillance cameras, and all the governors must do is sign the related bill. Only schools that install products that meet the standards set forth by the state of Kansas can receive subsidies, and the only company that meets all the standards is Zero Eyes, which was founded by veterans.

When this company detects a firearm using an AI system and surveillance cameras, the system transmits the fact to the situation room, where employees with experience working in law enforcement or the military are stationed 24 hours a day. If staff determine that what the AI system propagates is a real threat, they will issue an alert to the school and local authorities. However, controversy is erupting as competitors claim that Kansas’ school support policy is a customized bill to help ‘Zero Eyes’.

They argue that the standards and specifications for products eligible for subsidies are in fact content that only ‘Zero Eyes’ can meet. ABC News pointed out that school security has become a multibillion-dollar industry following multiple shootings, and that in some states, companies are trying to persuade state legislators to include the products and services they sell in legislation.

ABC News reported that ‘Zero Eyes’ appears to be the only business that meets the standards set out in similar laws enacted by states including Michigan, Utah, Florida, Iowa, Colorado, Louisiana, and Wisconsin last year and this year.

As anti-Israel protests spread across college campuses across the U.S., controversy over overreaction was raised after the police opened fire during the crackdown on Columbia University. Concerns are rising as it has been confirmed that he is an outsider.

New York City and the New York Police Department (NYPD) announced on the 2nd that of the 282 people arrested at the two universities’ protest sites, 134, or 48%, were outsiders unrelated to the schools, not students, professors, or staff of the two universities.

In the case of Columbia University, 112 people were arrested, and 32 (29%) were outsiders. The arrest charges for those announced by the NYPD included trespassing, vandalism, theft, assault on a police officer, obstruction of government administration such as execution of official duties, resisting arrest, and disorderly conduct (obstructing vehicular and pedestrian traffic).

Mayor Eric Adams said, “As anti-Israel protests on campus intensify, it has been confirmed that a significant number of outsiders unrelated to the school participated in the Columbia University and CUNY protests,” adding, “Some of these people are teaching illegal response techniques to students and inciting violent protests.” It appears to be long. “New York City will not tolerate any hateful or violent protests,” he emphasized. NYPD Director Caban also said, “Through various testimonies and evidence collected, it is confirmed that outsiders unrelated to the school participated in the protest and professionally incited the students.” He added, “The NYPD puts public safety first and ensures the safety of the school, students, and citizens.” “I will focus on protecting it,” he added.

Meanwhile, right after the Columbia University and CUNY protesters dispersed on the 30th of last month, Mayor Eric Adams said, “The NYPD arrested and dispersed the protesters in an orderly manner,” but controversy over overreaction arose as it was belatedly confirmed that police had fired on protesters at Columbia University.

The mayor’s remarks came under fire on the 2nd when the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office confirmed the police shooting. In relation to this, the NYPD released a statement saying that at the time, a police officer was approaching the barricade on the first floor of Hamilton Hall when he used a flashlight attached to his gun. He explained that he accidentally shot the gun while trying to use it. It was around 9:38 p.m., about 10 minutes after the police entered Hamilton Hall. The police explained that there were other police officers around, but there were no students. The bullet was confirmed to have hit a picture frame on the wall several feet away.

The shooting scene was captured on the police officer’s body camera, and the data has reportedly been handed over to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.

Online media outlet Axios reported on the 5th, citing two Israeli officials, that the U.S. government put on hold a shipment of American ammunition that was scheduled to be sent to Israel last week.

Axos, however, did not disclose what type of ammunition the United States was withholding from shipment and how much it was. Axios reported that this is the first time that the Joe Biden administration has put a hold on weapons shipments that were intended to be provided to Israel since the Palestinian armed political group Hamas raided Israel on October 7 last year.

According to Axios, Israeli officials were scrambling to understand why the U.S. government suddenly withheld an arms shipment. As the Biden administration was previously criticized for the US government’s unilateral support and weapons support for Israel, it requested assurances from Israel in February that the Israeli military was using US-made weapons in the Gaza Strip in accordance with international law, and Israel responded in March. Axios reported that a signed warranty was delivered.

In relation to the Axios report, CNN cited a source and reported that the Biden administration had suspended one shipment of American ammunition to Israel, but the reason was unclear. The source did not disclose the reason for the decision but said the shipment hold was not related to Israel’s Rafah operation and would not affect the progress of other shipments. When asked about the shipment’s holdup, a spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council (NSC) noted that security assistance to Israel is ongoing, CNN reported.

An NSC spokesperson said that since the attack on Israel by the Palestinian militant group Hamas on October 7 last year, the United States has “increased security assistance to Israel by billions of dollars, passed the largest-ever supplemental budget for emergency aid to Israel, and strengthened Israel’s defense against Iranian attacks.” “He led an unprecedented coalition to defend.” “The United States will continue to do what is necessary to ensure that Israel can defend itself from threats,” the NSC spokesperson added. Previously, there was speculation that this measure by the Biden administration appears to be related to Israel’s unwavering intention to invade La Paz, the southernmost part of the Gaza Strip, where 1.4 million Palestinian refugees are concentrated.

The United States has been demanding that Israel make a careful decision regarding the Rafah attack due to concerns about large-scale civilian casualties. Additionally, in the United States, pro-Palestinian protests criticizing unilateral support and weapons support for Israel are taking place at universities across the country, and even within the Democratic Party, negative voices are being raised about weapons support to Israel, which is preparing to attack Rafah. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has revealed that he plans to attack Rafah to eliminate Hamas regardless of whether there is an agreement between Israel and Hamas on the release of hostages and a ceasefire currently in progress in Cairo, Egypt.

On the 1st, US Secretary of State Tony Blinken visited Israel and discussed the issue of the Rafah attack with Prime Minister Netanyahu, but Prime Minister Netanyahu did not bend his position on the Rafah attack, so they ran parallel paths.

At a talk hosted by the McCain Institute in Arizona on the 3rd, Secretary Blinken said that President Biden had requested Israel to have a credible plan to protect civilians in the Gaza Strip, saying, “If there is no such plan, we (the U.S. government) will not conduct a major military operation to Rafah.” “I cannot support it,” he repeatedly confirmed.

The number of traffic accident deaths in New York City in the first quarter was found to be the highest in 10 years since Vision Zero was implemented in 2014.

According to a report by Godamist on the 26th, the number of traffic accident deaths in New York City during the first quarter of this year (January to March) was counted at 60. This is an increase of approximately 13% from 53 people in the same period last year.

This is the highest number of deaths in the first quarter in the past 10 years since the introduction of the ‘Vision Zero’ policy for road safety in New York City in 2014.

According to a report released by road safety advocacy group ‘Transportation Alternatives’, 79% of pedestrian and cyclist deaths were caused by SUVs and large vehicles. This report came as the countdown to lowering New York City’s vehicle speed limit from the current 25 miles per hour to less than 20 miles per hour in accordance with ‘Sammy’s Law’ included in the New York State governments recently passed new budget has begun.

The effective date of the traffic congestion tax levied on vehicles entering the southern end of 60th Street in Manhattan has been officially confirmed as June 30. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) announced on the 26th, “Congestion tax collection in Manhattan will begin at 00:00 a.m. on June 30.”

MTA Chairman Jano Lieber said, “New York City is a city of public transportation. “The congestion tax will significantly improve New York’s public transportation and provide cleaner air and safer streets,” he said.

The Manhattan traffic congestion tax is levied only once a day, and the toll fee is $15 for cars, $24 for small trucks, and $36 for large trucks during daytime hours (5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends) based on Easy Pass payment. It was decided in dollars, etc.

For vehicles not equipped with Easy Pass, the fee will increase to $22.50 for passenger cars, $36 for small trucks, and $54 for large trucks. At night, there is a 75% discount on daytime tolls. For example, passenger cars are charged $3.75, a 75% reduction from $15. Taxis and shared service vehicles are not subject to the basic $15 congestion tax, but a surcharge is added to the basic fare paid by passengers.

Yellow Cab taxis charge a surcharge of $1.25 per ride, and shared service vehicles such as Uber and Lyft charge a surcharge of $2.50 per ride. In addition, during daytime hours, discounts are provided for each vehicle type for users of the Lincoln Tunnel and Holland Tunnel, which connect New Jersey and Manhattan, the Hucari Tunnel, which connects Brooklyn and Manhattan, and the Midtown Tunnel, which connects Queens and Manhattan. The discount is $5 for passenger cars, $2.50 for motorcycles, $12 for small trucks and buses, and $20 for large trucks and buses. However, discounts do not apply during night hours. Discounts do not apply at all to vehicles using the George Washington Bridge, which is not directly adjacent to 60th Street in Manhattan.

For low-income vehicles with an annual income of less than $50,000, a 50% discount on daytime tolls is provided up to 10 times a month, and emergency vehicles such as fire trucks, ambulances, and police cars, vehicles carrying the disabled, school buses, commuter buses, and city government-owned vehicles are eligible for transportation discounts. Exempted from congestion tax. On the 26th, the MTA opened a website (new.mta.info/tolls/congestion-relief-zone/discounts-exemptions) and began accepting applications for discounts and exemptions from congestion tax beneficiaries.

Although the MTA has confirmed the implementation date of the Manhattan traffic congestion tax, it is still in controversy, including a lawsuit filed by the New Jersey state government to prohibit implementation. Depending on the outcome of a lawsuit filed by the New Jersey state government, which is scheduled to come out as early as next month, the implementation of the congestion tax may be postponed or banned.

In addition, opposition movements are still strong, with bills being submitted to the Federal Assembly and the New York State Assembly to prevent the implementation of the traffic congestion tax.

The Joe Biden administration unveiled the so-called ‘Title 9′ amendment on the 19th to protect sexual minority students. Title 9, which was first enacted in the United States in 1972, is considered one of the key laws for protecting student human rights.

The amendment dramatically strengthened the protection of students’ human rights in areas such as gender discrimination, which had largely retreated under former President Donald Trump. The Federal Ministry of Education explained that the amendment focuses on providing guidelines for schools to effectively respond to all types of gender discrimination beyond sexual harassment.

It stipulated that the definition of gender discrimination include sexual orientation and gender identity, and that the 2020 Supreme Court ruling prohibiting discrimination against transgender employees was applied to educational settings. As a result, some Republican-leaning state laws that prohibit transgender students from using restrooms and shower facilities consistent with their sexual orientation are expected to be nullified.

Some room was left regarding the issue of transgender athletes participating in competitions, which was one of the key issues. The amendment basically prohibited schools from adopting policies that exclude transgender athletes, but allowed high schools and colleges to place restrictions on how transgender student-athletes play.

The revised bill also eased the proof of gender discrimination damage from presenting ‘clear and certain’ evidence to ‘preponderant’ evidence, and established protection regulations for pregnant faculty and students, such as provision of student breastfeeding facilities.

New York City has opened the way to lower vehicle speed limits to 20 miles per hour. On the 18th, New York Governor Cathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature agreed to include the so-called ‘Sammy’s Law’, which lowers New York City’s vehicle speed limit by 5 mph from the current 25 mph to 20 mph, in the final budget agreement.

As a result, the speed limit lowering has begun. However, roads where speed limits apply are limited to two-lane roads in one direction. “With this agreement, New York City and the City Council will have the authority to lower New York City’s vehicle speed limit to 20 mph,” the governor and state lawmakers said today. The ‘Sammy Bill’, first proposed by State Senator Brad Hoylman (Democrat, Manhattan) in 2021, did not see the light of day as its submission to the plenary session was canceled at the time. However, as the bill (S2422B/A7266A), which was re-introduced with the same content in the state legislature this year, was included in both the governor’s budget and the state Senate budget, attention was focused on its inclusion in the final agreed upon budget.

State Representative Linda Rosenthal (Democrat, Manhattan), who submitted a bill with the same content to the State House as Representative Hoylman, said, “Lowering the vehicle speed limit can prevent numerous losses of life.” “I hope that ‘Sammy’s Law’ will be implemented in New York City as soon as possible,” he said. The re-introduced bill includes a statement that the number of pedestrian deaths has decreased by 36% due to the Vision Zero (zero pedestrian deaths) policy that New York City implemented in 2014 by lowering the vehicle speed limit by 5 miles per hour from 30 miles per hour to 25 miles per hour.

According to statistics from the American Automobile Association (AAA), the risk of death for pedestrians hit by a vehicle traveling 23 miles per hour was only 10%. 9 out of 10 pedestrians (91%) hit by vehicles traveling 15 miles per hour did not suffer serious injuries, and there were almost no deaths.

On the other hand, the risk of death increased rapidly as the speed increased, such as 25% at 32 miles per hour, 50% at 42 miles per hour, 75% at 50 miles per hour, and 90% at 58 miles per hour.

Meanwhile, ‘Sammy’s Law’, named after Sammy Cohen Eckstein, a 13-year-old girl who died in a car accident near her Brooklyn home in 2013, aims to reduce vehicle speed limits in the city.

Former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, will stand trial starting this week on charges related to allegations that he paid hush money to prevent a sexual scandal ahead of the 2016 presidential election. This is the first time in U.S. history that a former president will stand before a jury in court as a criminal defendant, and the outcome of the trial is expected to have a significant impact on the direction of the presidential election in November.

According to US media reports, including NBC broadcast on the 14th, Judge Juan Mercan of the Manhattan District Court in New York will begin the schedule for the criminal trial in which former President Trump will be the defendant, starting with jury selection on the 15th. Former President Trump was indicted on 34 counts, alleging that he paid hush money through his personal lawyer Michael Cohen to block revelations of his past sexual relationship with former adult film star Stormy Daniels just before the 2016 presidential election, and then falsified company records related to the payments. It was handed over to trial in March last year. This case is one of four criminal trials facing former President Trump.

To date, this is the only criminal case scheduled for trial before the November presidential election. Former President Trump’s side made an all-out effort to postpone this trial until after his election, but this was not accepted. Former President Trump denies the charge of manipulating the company’s books and that he had a sexual relationship with Daniels, and claims that the incident was politically motivated ‘election interference’ by the Democratic Party.

Former President Trump, a defendant in a criminal case, must appear in court throughout the trial schedule, which is expected to last about six to eight weeks. Jury selection is scheduled to take place during the first week starting on the 15th. Trial times are expected to be from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and will be held four times a week, excluding Wednesdays.

As former President Trump, who is running for president, he must spend weekly time in court for about a month or two at a critical time when he must travel around the country and focus on election campaigning. The criminal facts contained in the indictment are that former President Trump paid $130,000 to Daniels right before the presidential election through his personal attorney, Cohen, to prevent the public from revealing extramarital sex, and that in the process of repaying the money to Cohen, it was disguised as legal consulting fees in the company’s books. That’s the key.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who prosecuted former President Trump, plans to focus on proving during the trial that former President Trump committed a serious crime by falsifying corporate documents with the intent to conceal and deceive other crimes. Prosecutor Bragg argues that although falsifying corporate documents alone is only a misdemeanor, it is a serious crime as it is an illegal act done with the intention of hiding unfavorable information that could interfere with the presidential election. To this end, the prosecution is expected to highlight that, in addition to the crimes related to Daniels listed in the indictment, former President Trump used the ‘catch and kill’ method of purchasing information unfavorable to the election and then burying it so that it would not be revealed to the public. do. A representative example is when Playboy model-turned-actress Karen McDougall tried to reveal that she had once had an affair with former President Trump ahead of the presidential election, the tabloid National Enquirer paid McDougal $150,000 to buy exclusive reporting rights and then buried the story.

The prosecution sees this. David Pecker, CEO of National Enquirer parent company AMI, is a friend of former President Trump. However, former President Trump denies having an extramarital affair with McDougall. National Enquire also paid $30,000 to a doorman at Trump Tower in Manhattan, New York, and bought the exclusive right to report on allegations that former President Trump had an extramarital affair, which he claimed. US media predicts that Cohen and Daniels, who are key figures in this case, as well as Pecker and McDougall, will testify at the trial as key witnesses.

Meanwhile, former President Trump is also scheduled to testify in court. At a press conference on the 12th, when asked by reporters whether he would stand as a witness in this trial, he announced, “I will testify and tell the truth.”

Following heavy rain on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, causing damage such as flooding and landslides, a flood warning was also issued on the islands of Maui and Oahu. According to Hawaii state authorities on the 14th, Governor Josh Green declared a state of emergency to respond to and provide support for heavy rain damage that occurred on the island of Kauai on the 11th and 12th and will conduct emergency relief activities until the 22nd.

Governor Greene said, “The severe weather on Kauai has caused damage to roads, bridges, and other infrastructure,” and added, “We will quickly provide assistance to residents affected by flooding and landslides.” According to the National Weather Service (NWS), up to 254 mm of rain fell on Kauai overnight. Derek Bro, a meteorologist at the NWS Honolulu office, told the Associated Press that the daily rainfall recorded at Lihue Airport, the island’s official observation point, was 93 mm, breaking the record set in 1996.

According to the County of Kauai, major roads, including the Kuhio Highway at the Wailua Bridge, were flooded, and closed. A pothole occurred and a utility pole fell near Haleco Road, and a small landslide occurred on Wawae Road. Several beach car parks were completely flooded and closed, while a local wastewater treatment plant overflowed and caused a wastewater spill. Fortunately, no casualties have been reported. The AP reported that Kauai’s unique mountainous terrain causes frequent rain, so residents are somewhat prepared for heavy rain.

The NWS forecast that heavy rain and thunderstorms will continue in most parts of Hawaii until the 15th and issued a flood warning for Maui and Oahu. The NWS warned, “A low pressure and surface pressure trough developing over northwest Hawaii will move east, producing heavy rain and thunderstorms over the western islands.” Hawaii is famous for its mild climate, but natural disasters due to abnormal climate have become more frequent in recent years.

Last August, a massive forest fire broke out on the Hawaiian island of Maui due to severe drought and a hurricane, killing 101 people.