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In the news today: Cardinals have set a date for Pope Francis’ funeral after meeting in the Vatican; the Education Department says student loans in default will be referred to debt collectors; and more Democratic lawmakers are visiting El Salvador. Also, a horse therapy program in Namibia brings joy to children with learning disabilities. |
Pope Francis's body is laid out in state inside his private chapel at the Vatican, Monday. (Vatican Media via AP, HO)
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Cardinals set Pope Francis’ funeral for Saturday morning
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Cardinals met Tuesday for the first time since Pope Francis’ death to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose his successor. Read more. |
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The cardinals have taken their first decisions following the death of Francis, setting the funeral for Saturday at 10 a.m. in St. Peter’s Square. Ordinary faithful will be able to pay their final respects starting when his casket is brought into St. Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday. After the funeral, there are nine days of official mourning, known as the “novendiali.”
Francis died Monday at age 88 after suffering a stroke that put him in a coma and led his heart to fail. He had been recovering in his apartment after being hospitalized for five weeks with pneumonia. He made his last public appearance Sunday, delivering an Easter blessing and making what would be his final greeting to followers.
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When a pope dies, a period known as the “sede vacante,” or the “vacant See,” is declared, giving everyone time to assemble. The conclave must begin 15-20 days after the “vacant See” declaration, although it can start sooner if the cardinals agree. Once the conclave begins, cardinals vote in secret sessions in the Sistine Chapel to choose the next head of the Catholic Church.
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Student loans in default to be referred to debt collection
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Beginning May 5, the Education Department will begin involuntary collection on student loans that are in default, including the garnishing of wages for potentially millions of borrowers, officials said Monday. Currently, roughly 5.3 million borrowers are in default on their federal student loans. Read more. |
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Borrowers who don’t make payments for nine months go into default, which is reported on their credit scores and can go to collections. Along with the borrowers already in default, around another 4 million are 91 to 180 days late on their loan payments. Less than 40% of all borrowers are current on their student loans, department officials said.
The Trump administration’s announcement marks an end to a period of leniency that began during the COVID-19 pandemic. No federal student loans have been referred for collection since March 2020, including those in default. “American taxpayers will no longer be forced to serve as collateral for irresponsible student loan policies,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said.
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Under President Joe Biden, the Education Department tried multiple times to give broad forgiveness of student loans, only to be stopped by courts. The decision to send debt to collections drew criticism from advocates, who said borrowers had experienced whiplash and confusion with the changing student loan policies between the Biden and Trump administrations.
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More Democratic lawmakers are visiting El Salvador on Abrego Garcia’s behalf
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Four House Democrats have traveled to El Salvador to call attention to the plight of a man the Trump administration deported to a Salvadoran prison and has refused to help return. The group said they hoped to continue to pressure authorities for his release, and that their petition to meet with Kilmar Abrego Garcia was denied. Read more.
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Rather than debate President Donald Trump’s hard-line immigration policy or the merits of the administration’s invocation of national security to carry out deportations, Democratic lawmakers are zeroing in on the issue of due process, with some noting that the Supreme Court and lower court federal judges found Abrego Garcia was deported without a proper hearing.
Administration officials have said in court filings that Abrego Garcia was deported in error. Despite a Supreme Court ruling that ordered the Trump administration to facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return, the administration has said it has no power to bring him back, a position being scrutinized by federal courts as potentially in violation of judicial rulings.
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Abrego Garcia’s protected legal status prohibited him from being deported to El Salvador. He was deported on one of three planes filled with migrants accused of being gang members. Chris Newman, a lawyer representing the deportee, added that his primary concern was Abrego Garcia’s access to counsel. “We know nothing of Mr. Abrego Garcia’s whereabouts since the staged photo op on Thursday with Senator Van Hollen,” Newman said. “We demand to immediately know where he is and to have access to him.”
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Children in the "Enabling Through the Horse" therapy program ride horses outside Windhoek, Namibia, Feb. 2025. (AP Photo/Dirk Heinrich)
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A horse therapy program in Namibia brings joy to children with learning disabilities
One woman in the southern African country of Namibia has found a way to harness the power and gentleness of horses to help children with learning disabilities and conditions like attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism. |
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