Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
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Live from NPR News in New York City, I'm Dwahlisa Kautel.
Chapter 2: What recent changes are happening with student loan garnishments?
The Department of Education is poised to resume wage garnishment for some student loan debts. The move comes after a years-long pause due to the pandemic, as NPR's Sequoia Carrillo reports.
The Trump administration says it will resume seizing pay from student loan borrowers in default in January. The administration previously said it would resume garnishing tax refunds and social security benefits from qualifying borrowers last May, but backtracked a month later.
A department spokesperson says the first notices will be sent out the week of January 7th to approximately 1,000 defaulted borrowers. The notices are expected to increase on a monthly basis throughout the year. Student loan experts say the timing of the move, colliding with rising health care costs, will put added strain on low and middle income borrowers. Sequoia Carrillo, NPR News.
Chapter 3: Why are staff members leaving the Heritage Foundation?
More than a dozen top staff members at the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation have left. to join a new group, Advancing American Freedom, or AAF. This group is founded by President Trump's first vice president, Mike Pence. His longtime advisor, Mark Short, explained to NPR Today that their group will advance true conservative policies.
The reality is that there's a big reason why a lot of staff are coming to be a part of our organization. We can earn steadily. The size of our budget continues to grow exponentially. And I think there's a hungering to have conservatism back. And I think that that's what this is about.
Heritage Foundation's president, Kevin Roberts, wrote in an all-staff email, we wish them well, though the manner of their departure speaks volumes.
Chapter 4: What new weight loss drug has the FDA approved?
The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first version of a popular new class of weight loss drugs that can be taken as a pill. NPR's Rob Stein reports.
The FDA approved a new form of the weight loss drug Wegovi that people can take as a daily pill. Until now, these so-called GLP-1 drugs for obesity could only be taken as weekly injections. The Wegovi pill seems to work about as well as the Wegovi shot. The pill will become available early next month.
The starting dose will cost about $149 a month for patients paying out of pocket, which is less than the shots. GLP-1 drugs mimic a natural hormone that makes people feel full and have revolutionized the treatment of obesity. A competing GLP-1 pill is expected to be approved soon. Rob Stein, NPR News.
Chapter 5: What security changes are being implemented at Brown University?
A federal judge has extended a temporary order to prevent Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the man who was wrongly deported to a mega prison in El Salvador in March, from being re-detained for now. His attorney Simon Sandoval-Moschenberg said another hearing is set for this Friday. This is NPR News from New York.
Brown University has placed its campus police chief on leave in the wake of the deadly shooting there earlier this month, and it comes as the federal government says it will investigate the school's response. Ocean State Media's Jeremy Bernfeld reports.
Brown University President Christina Paxson says the school's vice president for public safety and emergency management is on leave. That's while the school works on an after-action review of the shooting. In the meantime, she hired a former Providence police chief to step in. The leadership change comes as the U.S.
Department of Education said that it would investigate Brown in response to the shooting.
Chapter 6: What tragic event occurred involving a Mexican naval plane?
A statement from the agency cited concerns about security at the school and the university's emergency notification system. Paxton also told the university community that a team is working on upgrades to campus security. The plan is to have them in place before the start of the spring semester. For NPR News, I'm Jeremy Bernfeld in Providence, Rhode Island.
The Mexican nonprofit foundation Micho y Mau posted on its official social media a condolence message honoring the victims of yesterday's crash near Galveston, Texas. A Mexican naval plane carrying one of the foundation's child burn victims to a hospital was flying in dense fog, crashed, killing at least five people.
A local yacht captain who assisted in the recovery efforts said he took two police officers to the wreckage site where they helped to rescue two people. One person is still missing, according to Mexico's Secretariat of the Navy. I'm Dwali Saikautal, NPR News from New York City.