Another $415 million in student loan debt forgiven by Biden administration
The loans are being forgiven under a legal provision known as borrower defense to repayment. The borrowers benefiting from the loan cancelations attended schools including DeVry University, Westwood College, ITT Technical Institute’s nursing school and Minnesota School of Business/Globe University. You can get the application for the program through the Education Department’s borrower defense portal at https://studentaid.gov/borrower-defense/, Forbes said. Wednesday’s action marks the first time the Education Department approved borrower defense claims for a currently operating school: DeVry University, CNN said. The department estimated that about 1,800 former DeVry students are eligible for about $72 million in loan discharges.
mlive.comFacebook oversight board reviewing 'XCheck' system for VIPs
Facebook's semi-independent oversight board says it will review the company's “XCheck," or cross check system following an investigation by The Wall Street Journal into the use of an internal system that has exempted high-profile users from some or all of its rules.
An unwelcome prank: Volkswagen purposely hoodwinks reporters
Several news organizations, including The Associated Press, USA Today, CNBC and The Washington Post, had reported the original press release as real news, some after being assured specifically that it was no joke. It was a similar story at USA Today, where a reporter specifically asked if it was a joke and was told “no,” said the newspaper's spokeswoman, Chrissy Terrell. “We are disheartened that the company would choose this type of disingenuous marketing.”The USA Today reporter who was initially lied to was more blunt. “About that plan to change Volkswagen of America's name.” wrote USA Today's Mike Snider. AdGlover said the company landed millions of dollars in publicity from a press release.
Report: DOJ investigating Visa over debit card business
Visa is under investigation by the Department of Justice's antitrust division over whether the company pushes merchants into more expensive forms of debit card payments, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday, March 19, 2021. The investigation is focused on how merchants route debit card transactions when a consumer makes an online transaction, according to the Journal, which cited anonymous sources. The investigation is focused on how merchants route debit card transactions when a consumer makes an online transaction, according to the Journal, which cited anonymous sources. However debit card fees are strictly regulated after Congress passed the Dodd Frank Act following the 2008 financial crisis, in what's known as the Durbin amendment. AdMerchants are supposed to be given the option to run debit card transactions on lower-cost networks instead of running it on Visa's or Mastercard's network.
Another ex-aide calls Cuomo's office conduct inappropriate
In this image taken from video from the Office of the NY Governor, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks during a news conference, Wednesday, March 3, 2021, in Albany, N.Y. (Office of the NY Governor via AP)NEW YORK – Another woman who worked for Gov. Andrew Cuomo is describing conduct she felt was inappropriate for the workplace. Liss told the Journal she initially thought of Cuomo’s behavior as harmless, but it grew to bother her. Cuomo’s workplace conduct has been under intense scrutiny in recent days as several women have publicly told of feeling sexually harassed, or at least made to feel demeaned and uncomfortable by the Democrat.
NY officials removed fuller tally of nursing home deaths
About a third of the state's nursing home fatalities were excluded from the report as a result of the change. Impeach,” tweeted Queens Assembly member Ron Kim, who said Cuomo bullied him for criticizing how Cuomo withheld nursing home data. AdState officials acknowledged even then that the true number of deaths was higher because the report was excluding patients who died in hospitals. State officials insisted Thursday that the edits were made because of concerns about accuracy. The administration initially released data about how many nursing home residents died at both hospitals and nursing homes, but quietly stopped in early May.
Report: Algorithm question complicates TikTok sale
The Journal report stated the algorithms were considered part of the deal negotiations up until Friday. That's when the Chinese government introduced export restrictions on artificial intelligence technology that appear to cover content-recommendation algorithms such as the one powering TikTok. The move followed President Donald Trump's effort to force a sale of TikTok's U.S. operations by Sept. 20. Those export restrictions mean that TikToks Chinese owner, ByteDance Ltd., would have to obtain a license to export any restricted technologies to a foreign company. The Journal report said both the prospective buyers and the seller, ByteDance, are trying to figure that out.
Report: Trump surveyed donors on freeing Blagojevich
Trump asked for a show of hands at a fundraiser at Chicago's Trump International Hotel of those who supported clemency for the 62-year-old Democrat. Most of the 200 to 300 attendees raised their hands, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing several people at Monday's event. On the same day, Trump told Chicago's WLS-TV that despite bringing up the possibility of freeing Blagojevich in August and then appearing to back away from the idea Blagojevich shouldn't abandon hope of an early release. Blagojevich's wife, Patti, has lobbied the Republican president hard on her husband's behalf. Trump first publicly mentioned the idea in May 2018, saying Blagojevich was convicted for "being stupid, saying things ... many other politicians say."
Huawei laying off more than 600 people in US
Ethan Miller/Getty Images(CNN) - Huawei is laying off more than 600 workers in the United States as the Chinese technology giant continues to struggle with new restrictions from the Trump administration. That action directly targeted China and Huawei, a leader in 5G technology and a global business with revenue of more than $100 billion. Huawei doesn't have a big presence in the United States, but the company is a sole provider of networking equipment to many rural American internet providers. The United States' actions against Huawei are taking a serious toll on the company's bottom line. Huawei recently said it will miss sales forecasts by about $30 billion over the next couple of years.
FTC reportedly approves $5 billion settlement with Facebook
Justin Sullivan/Getty ImagesThe Federal Trade Commission has reportedly approved an approximately $5 billion settlement with Facebook, suggesting a lengthy investigation into the social media company's data privacy practices could be nearing an end. The FTC is said to have voted 3-2 in favor of the settlement, along party lines, according to reports from The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post on Friday. The FTC and Facebook declined to comment to on the reports. Facebook stock ended Friday up nearly 2% after the Journal report was released. The-CNN-Wire & 2019 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company.