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The Biden administration cuts $2M for student loan servicers after a bungled return to repayment

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:52:42 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is docking more than $2 million in payments to student loan servicers that failed to send billing statements on time after the end of a coronavirus pandemic payment freeze.The Education Department said Friday it will withhold payments from Aidvantage, EdFinancial and Nelnet for failing to meet their contractual obligations. The servicers failed to send timely statements to more than 750,000 borrowers in the first month of repayment, the agency said.Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said his agency will continue to pursue “aggressive oversight” and won’t give loan servicers “a free pass for poor performance.”It’s the latest attempt to straighten out a process that has been marred by errors after student loan payments restarted in October. Tens of thousands of borrowers have received billing statements late or with incorrect amounts as servicers scrambled to jumpstart the process.The department previously withheld $7.2 million from loan serv...

Rays shortstop Wander Franco faces judge as prosecutors accuse him of having sex with a 14-year-old

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:52:42 GMT

PUERTO PLATA, Dominican Republic (AP) — Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco appeared in a Dominican court Friday to face allegations that he had a brief relationship with a 14-year-old girl and gave her mother a small car and thousands of dollars in exchange for her consent, according to court documents obtained by The Associated Press.The 22-year-old All-Star is accused of commercial sexual exploitation and money laundering. A judge who is scheduled to issue a ruling in the case on Friday has several options: release Franco on bond, temporarily arrest him, prevent him from leaving the Dominican Republic or demand that he make occasional appearances until the investigation or a trial has ended.The girl’s mother faces the same charges as Franco. The AP is not naming the woman in order to preserve her daughter’s privacy. Franco, who was detained Monday in the northern province of Puerto Plata, hasn’t been charged with any crimes. The judge has received a nearly 600-page docum...

Actor David Soul, one half of 'Starsky and Hutch,' dies at 80

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:52:42 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Actor David Soul, who earned fame as the blond half of crime-fighting duo “Starsky & Hutch” in the popular 1970s television series, has died at the age of 80.His wife, Helen Snell, said Friday that “David Soul – beloved husband, father, grandfather and brother – died yesterday after a valiant battle for life in the loving company of family."“He shared many extraordinary gifts in the world as actor, singer, storyteller, creative artist and dear friend," she said in a statement. “His smile, laughter and passion for life will be remembered by the many whose lives he has touched.”Soul portrayed detective Ken “Hutch” Hutchinson alongside Paul Michael Glaser as detective David Starsky in “Starsky & Hutch.” It ran on ABC between 1975 and 1979, and grew so popular it spawned a host of children's toys.At the height of his fame, Soul also hit the music charts with the single “Don’t Give Up on Us.”Soul had lived in Britain for many years, performing in several stage roles...

4 women injured after Jeep rollover crash in Little Italy

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:52:42 GMT

CHICAGO -- Four women are in fair condition after a Jeep struck a poll and rolled over in the city's Little Italy neighborhood overnight.According to police, a woman was driving a Jeep at a high speed near the 800 block of West Roosevelt Road around 1:45 a.m. when she lost control of the vehicle and struck a barricade and pole. Attempted carjacking ends in crash on Northwest Side Police said the crash caused the Jeep to rollover to its roof before coming to a stop. Four women, including the driver, were transported to Stroger Hospital in fair condition. There were no other injuries reported.

Post-holiday 'hangover'? How to get financially in shape for 2024

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:52:42 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Many Americans are still struggling with a holiday "hangover."“We are speaking of finances, not eggnog,” said Rod Griffin, the Senior Director of Public Education and Advocacy for Experian.Financial experts say Americans had $1.08 trillion in credit-card debt before the holidays and one-third said they went into debt over the holiday season with an average of $1,028, according to a Lending Tree poll. Experian, one of the big three credit reporting agencies did some research of its own.“We recently did a survey and for the first time in five years, more than half of the respondents told us that they are including a financial New Year's resolution,” said Griffin.If you are trying to recover from a post-holiday financial hangover, Griffin said first step is to set a budget.“Most of us hate that word. So, call it a spending plan, whatever you'd like. But we need to write down and track where our money is coming in and where it's going out so we know what's happening,” s...

Gophers to hire Bob Ligashesky as special teams coordinator

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:52:42 GMT

The Gophers are close to hiring Bob Ligashesky as its next special teams coordinator, a source confirmed to the Pioneer Press.The hiring of Ligashesky, which was first reported by ESPN, would replace Rob Wenger, who stepped down after seven seasons at Minnesota under head coach P.J. Fleck.Ligashesky has nearly 40 years of coaching experience, most recently at Syracuse in 2022-23. He previously worked for six NFL teams across 12 years, including in roles as special teams coordinator.Ligashesky has also been on college staffs at Illinois, Pittsburgh and Bowling Green.Related ArticlesCollege Sports | Gophers football: Quindario Lee backs off pledge to the U College Sports | Gophers special teams coach Rob Wenger done at the U College Sports | Gophers football: Athan Kaliakmanis transfers to Rutgers College Sports | 2023 in photos: The Pioneer Press captures life in and around St. Paul College Sports | Gophers fo...

Judge gives St. Paul deadline to produce Summit Ave. bikeway records

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:52:42 GMT

An opponent of a planned 4.7-mile bikeway along St. Paul’s historic Summit Avenue filed an injunction against the city last March, arguing that no work should move forward until the city releases copies of thousands of internal emails, text messages and planning documents.City officials have maintained for months they’ve done just that, though bikeway opponent Robert Cattanach has argued that the city’s review of its own records was incomplete.On Dec. 21, Ramsey County District Court judge Patrick Diamond issued a 28-page order calling for the city to fully comply with Cattanach’s information requests within 45 days, which would put the deadline in early February.Among the issues considered by Diamond, a drop-down menu on the city’s online information portal allows users to make information requests of particular city departments, such as St. Paul Public Works or St. Paul Parks and Recreation, but that does not necessarily trigger a keyword search withi...

Join the Clark Art Institute for a fun-filled Sunday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:52:42 GMT

WILLIAMSTOWN, M.A. (NEWS10) -- The Clark Art Institute is offering an afternoon of fun-filled enjoyment with the theme of Reflections on Sunday, January 7 from 1-4 p.m. This event is a part of the Institute's Fun on First Sunday program with free admission to the galleries and exhibitions through March 2024. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! The Institute wants you to start your year with reflection, imagination, and art. At this event, you will be able to design your own journal and use writing prompts that encourage you to reflect on the past year as well as create a plan for the year ahead. In addition to making a journal, you can utilize the opportunity to try your hand as a sculptor and create a self-portrait out of modeling clay. The galleries are open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday with free admission from now until March and then there is a $20 fee from March through December for non-Clark members. Join the Cla...

I-25 north closed south of Colorado Springs due to crash after overnight snowstorm

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:52:42 GMT

Interstate 25 northbound is closed in Fountain south of Colorado Springs due to a crash as overnight snow caused dangerous road conditions in the state’s south and southeast.The interstate’s north lanes are closed between the U.S. 85 exit and the Mesa Ridge Parkway, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.1/5/24 update from Troop 2C. #cowx #TravelUpdate pic.twitter.com/zsyltEMP6V— CSP La Junta&Lamar (@CSP_LaJunta) January 5, 2024Traffic can be seen on CDOT cameras backed up for several miles.Colorado State Patrol troopers in a video posted on X warned drivers in the southeast that road conditions are dangerous and advised drivers to stay off the roads or take precautions.Related ArticlesTransportation | Northbound I-25 reopens north of Mead after crash Transportation | Two lanes of westbound I-70 near Morrison closed for emergency roadwork Transportation | Roads reopen after blizzard conditions on Tuesda...

Colorado funeral home owner accused of abandoning nearly 200 bodies may be close to leaving jail

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:52:42 GMT

An owner of a Colorado funeral home accused of abandoning nearly 200 bodies in a building for years was worried as far back as 2020 about getting caught, a prosecutor said Thursday at a hearing where the prosecution objected to lowering his bond.“My one and only focus is keeping us out of jail,” said one text message allegedly written by Jon Hallford that a prosecutor read in court.Arguing for maintaining a high bond for Hallford, Senior Deputy District Attorney Rachael Powell said Hallford wrote that text in May of 2020. Some of the decomposing human remains in the Return to Nature Funeral Home facility in the Rocky Mountain town of Penrose were labeled as dating to 2019, four years before the bodies’ discovery by authorities this past October.In November, police arrested Hallford and his wife, Carie Hallford, in Oklahoma after they allegedly fled Colorado to avoid prosecution. They are accused of abusing corpses, stealing, laundering money and forging documents and were jailed on ...