Student loan forgiveness, healthcare strike, and how to buy happiness.

Happy Thursday! Today’s edition is 1,239 words, a 4 minute read.

First time reader? Sign up here!

🇺🇸 ⚖️ 

US News, Politics, & Government

The US is forgiving more federal student loans in a bid to tackle ‘unsustainable debt’ for borrowers

President Biden announced a new round of federal student loan forgiveness on Wednesday, just as payments restart after a three-year pause that began during the COVID-19 pandemic. $9 billion in debt will be erased for 125,000 borrowers. In total, 3.6 million borrowers will have had $127 billion in student debt wiped out since Biden took office. (More)

U.S. sending seized Iranian ammunition to Ukraine

The Pentagon has given over 1 million rounds of ammunition seized from Iran to Ukraine. The arms will alleviate some of the shortages facing the Ukrainian military while the U.S. and its other allies deliberate on whether to provide more money and equipment. The weapons were originally seized by U.S. Navy forces while they were en route from Iran to militants in Yemen. (More)

Biden administration to allow border wall construction in Texas

The Biden administration waived 26 federal laws in South Texas to allow border wall construction on Wednesday. The announcement highlighted the “acute and immediate need to construct physical barriers and roads” in Star County, Texas which is part of a busy Border Patrol sector seeing “high illegal entry.” The region has recorded 245,000 illegal entries so far this year. The new extension of the wall will run through part of the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge and has already sparked criticism from activists. (More)

🌍️ 

World

Pakistan announces mass deportation of ‘illegal immigrants’ including Afghans

Pakistan is launching a mass deportation of 1.7 million undocumented immigrants. The country is giving them until Nov. 1st to leave voluntarily, or they will be forcibly deported. The majority of these immigrants are Afghan refugees who have fled violence in their own country. Many crossed into Pakistan to escape after the Taliban retook Afghanistan in 2021, and advocacy groups are especially concerned about the fate of those that will be forced to return. (More)

Driver may have fallen ill before fatal Venice bus crash

A bus carrying tourists in Venice, Italy crashed on Wednesday, killing 21 people and injuring 15 others. The electric bus crashed through a guardrail and plunged off an overpass while transporting tourists back to a campsite after a day out in the historic city. Officials believe the driver may have suddenly fallen ill but will conduct a comprehensive investigation into the incident. (More)

Certificate to own car in Singapore rockets to $106,000

To have the right to own a car in Singapore, a buyer must bid for a certificate that now costs $106,000. Singapore has a 10-year “certificate of entitlement” (COE) system to control the number of vehicles in the small city-state of 5.9 million people that can be driven across in less than an hour. Including COE, registration fees, and taxes, a new standard Toyota Camry Hybrid costs $183,000 in Singapore, compared to $28,855 in the U.S. (More)

💵 📈 

Business & Economy

Daily stock market update

US stock markets closed higher on Wednesday (S&P +0.81%, Nasdaq +1.35%, Dow +0.39%) ~ The Dow broke a three-day losing streak as Treasury yields cooled from multiyear highs following the release of much weaker-than-expected jobs data. (More)

GM secures new $6 billion credit line to brace against UAW strike

General Motors secured a $6 billion line of credit as it prepares for additional strikes by the United Auto Workers union. So far, the strike has cost GM $200 million during the third quarter. The automaker believes the line of credit is necessary because the UAW leadership has said they intend to prolong the strike for months. (More)

Popeyes overtakes KFC as No. 2 chicken chain, but Chick-fil-A stays on top

Popeyes is now the No. 2 chicken chain in the US, knocking KFC into third. Chick-fil-A has dominated the fast chicken industry lately and has become a major player on the national stage, trailing on McDonald’s and Starbucks in annual sales. While Popeyes leapfrogged its rival, both chains lost ground to Chick-fil-A, which saw its market share grow to 45.5% over the past year. (More)

🏈 🎬️ 

Sports & Entertainment

2030 World Cup to be hosted by three continents for first time

The 2030 World Cup will be played in Europe, Africa, and South America, marking the first time the tournament has been hosted by three continents. Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay will serve as hosts and also receive automatic entry to the 48-team tournament. (More)

Julia Ormond sues Harvey Weinstein, Disney, CAA and Miramax

Actress Julia Ormond is suing former film producer Harvey Weinstein for battery and sexual assault she says occurred in 1995. She is also suing Disney, Miramax, and Hollywood talent agency CAA for negligence and breach of fiduciary trust. Ormond claims that she had planned to have dinner with Weinstein, but he insisted on returning to her apartment and then assaulted her. Weinstein has denied the allegations. (More)

MLB Wild Card week ends in four sweeps

All four of the 2023 MLB postseason Wild Card series ended Wednesday. In the American League, the Rangers beat the Rays in back-to-back games, and the Twins did the same to the Blue Jays. Later in the National League the Diamondbacks knocked off the Brewers and the Phillies eliminated the Marlins. Each of the four teams only needed two games to advance to the next round. (More)

🔬💊 💻️ 

Science, Health, & Tech

NASA plans to build a house on the moon by 2040

NASA has awarded a construction company $60 million to build a house on the moon by 2040. The house will not only be accessible to space explorers but also to the general public. The firm plans to send a 3D printer to the moon, which will utilize lunar concrete, made from rocks and moon dust, to build the house’s foundation. NASA is in the process of designing other components like doors, tiles, and furnishings for the lunar dwelling. (More)

75,000 Kaiser nurses, pharmacists and other workers have walked off the job

Healthcare workers at hundreds of Kaiser Permanente hospitals and medical facilities went on strike on Wednesday. Over 75,000 workers walked off the job in California, Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Virginia, and Washington D.C., making it the biggest healthcare strike in U.S. history. The strike is driven by a short-staffing crisis that has created tough working conditions, as well as a decline in the quality of care for Kaiser’s patients. Most workers plan to strike for three days — except those in Virginia and Washington D.C., who will be on strike for 24 hours. (More)

This AI company wants to help you control your dreams

Prophetic is a tech startup building what the company calls the “world’s first wearable device for stabilizing lucid dreams.” Lucid dreams occur when a sleeping person becomes aware that they are dreaming and may be able to control parts of the dream. Prophetic’s wearable headpiece aims to utilize focused ultrasounds to stimulate the user’s prefrontal cortex, which regulates thoughts and actions, during the dream state. By stimulating or “waking up” the prefrontal cortex while a user is dreaming, the user could potentially control what’s happening in the dream. (More)

🎁 

Bonus Material

Three ways to buy happiness.

Why your morning coffee is so darn expensive.

Which countries take the most sick days.

Alaska’s annual Fat Bear Week kicks off this week.