The University of Texas System will expand its Promise Plus program, offering free tuition and fees to undergraduate students from families earning $100,000 or less annually, starting fall 2025. This expansion builds upon a previous endowment, resulting in a significant decrease in student debt across the system. The move positions UT as a leader in affordability among U.S. universities, mirroring a similar initiative announced by MIT. This initiative aims to make higher education more accessible to a wider range of students.
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Thousands of customers using fintech savings apps like Yotta lost access to hundreds of millions of dollars after a dispute between the fintech middleman Synapse and its banking partner, Evolve Bank. A bankruptcy trustee discovered up to $96 million in missing funds, leaving customers with minimal returns despite FDIC-insured accounts. This highlights the risks of relying on third-party fintechs that don’t provide direct bank relationships, resulting in significant financial losses for ordinary individuals. The situation exposed failures in the regulatory oversight of these systems, leaving affected individuals with little recourse to recover their savings.
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Six foreign tourists, including two Australians and a British woman, have died in Vang Vieng, Laos, from suspected methanol poisoning. The victims, who were among a larger group of those who fell ill, had reportedly consumed free shots at a local hostel before becoming unwell. A transnational police investigation is underway, focusing on the hostel despite the manager’s claim that many others consumed the same drinks without incident. While the risk of methanol poisoning is known to some, many travelers remain unaware of the danger.
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Alice Brock, the inspiration behind Arlo Guthrie’s iconic song “Alice’s Restaurant,” passed away shortly before Thanksgiving. Brock, along with her husband Ray, owned and operated Alice’s Restaurant in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, where Guthrie and a friend were arrested for illegal dumping in 1965, an event immortalized in the famous song. This incident, coupled with Guthrie’s draft deferral story, propelled “Alice’s Restaurant” to international fame. Guthrie later purchased the Brock’s former church and established The Guthrie Center.
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A listeria outbreak linked to Yu Shang Food, Inc.’s recalled ready-to-eat meat and poultry products has resulted in one infant death and at least 10 illnesses across four states. Over 72,000 pounds of potentially contaminated products, including chicken feet, duck necks, and beef shanks, have been recalled nationwide. Nine of the eleven individuals affected required hospitalization, highlighting the severity of listeria infection. Consumers are urged to discard or return recalled products and thoroughly sanitize affected surfaces.
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The Texas State Board of Education approved optional Bible-infused lesson plans for elementary schools, with schools receiving additional funding for adoption. These plans, supported by Governor Greg Abbott and created by the Texas Education Agency, will potentially be implemented as early as next year. While proponents argue the Bible is integral to American history and enriches learning, critics express concerns about alienating students of other faiths and potential First Amendment violations. This decision follows similar, though legally challenged, efforts in other Republican-led states to increase religion’s presence in public schools.
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CVS Health, UnitedHealth Group, and Cigna filed a lawsuit against the FTC, arguing the agency’s administrative court proceedings regarding insulin pricing violate their Fifth Amendment due process rights. The companies contend the FTC’s claims, alleging a “perverse” rebate system inflates insulin costs, should be litigated in federal court, not the agency’s internal process. They argue the FTC’s structure lacks democratic accountability, deeming the process fundamentally unfair. The FTC responded that the companies’ constitutional challenge is a distraction from accusations of harming patients through inflated insulin prices. This action follows earlier recusal requests based on alleged commissioner bias.
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A Dublin High Court jury found Conor McGregor liable for raping Nikita Hand in a Dublin hotel in December 2018, awarding her €248,603.60 in damages. McGregor, who maintained the encounter was consensual, will appeal the verdict. Hand’s case against another man involved in the incident was dismissed. The substantial damages reflect both the physical and psychological harm Hand suffered, including PTSD and the loss of her job and home.
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A substitute bus driver in Douglas County, Colorado, was fired after dropping off approximately 40 elementary school children at the wrong stop, miles from their homes, prompting a police investigation. Parents reported the driver’s erratic behavior, including yelling at the children and driving erratically before abandoning them at a busy intersection in cold weather. Several children were picked up by strangers, and many are now afraid to ride the bus again. The school district is cooperating with the investigation but cannot release bus video footage at this time.
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Two transgender women were brutally attacked at a Minneapolis light rail station, with bystanders cheering the assault rather than intervening. The victims, Dahlia and Jess, suffered injuries including a broken nose and contusions, highlighting a climate of rising transphobia. This incident follows a recent trans refuge law in Minnesota, yet fears of increased violence are escalating amidst the aftermath of a recent election. Community organizers are now offering self-defense classes and gun safety training in response to the growing threat.
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John Q. Hosedrinker