Former students of the Art Institutes are approved for $6 billion in loan cancellation

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration says it’ll cancel $6 billion in student loans for people who attended the Art Institutes, a system of for-profit colleges that closed the last of its campuses in 2023 amid accusations of fraud. The Education Department says the Art Institutes chain lured students with lies. The department said Wednesday it’ll automatically erase loans for 317,000 people who attended any Art Institute campus between Jan. 1, 2004, and Oct. 16, 2017. The Education Department says it’s taking action after reviewing evidence from the attorneys general of Massachusetts, Iowa and Pennsylvania. The Democratic administration says in total it has approved the cancellation of almost $160 billion in student loans through a variety of existing programs.

Trump awarded 36 million more Trump Media shares worth $1.8 billion

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Donald Trump has secured another $1.8 billion worth of shares in Trump Media, according to a regulatory filing this week. Based on the company’s stock hitting certain price benchmarks, Trump was awarded an additional 36 million shares in the company that owns his social media platform Truth Social. That brings his total ownership to more than 114 million shares, which based on Tuesday’s closing price, are worth $5.7 billion. For now, the value of those shares is considered “paper wealth.” Trump is prohibited from selling any shares for six months after Trump Media went public without securing a waiver from the company’s board.

Ford recalls Maverick pickups in US because tail lights can go dark

DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) — Ford is recalling nearly 243,000 Maverick small pickup trucks in the U.S. because the tail lights may not illuminate. The company says a computer can falsely detect too much current on one or both of the lights, causing them to stay dark while the trucks are moving. That can increase the risk of a crash. The recall covers certain pickups from the 2022 through 2024 model years. Ford says it has no reports of any crashes or injuries due to the problem. Dealers will update software to fix the problem at no cost to owners, who will be notified by letter starting May 20.

Florida’s 6-week abortion ban takes effect as doctors worry women will lose access to health care

BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) — Florida’s ban on most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy has gone into effect, and some doctors are concerned that women in the state will no longer have access to needed health care. Fertility specialist Dr. Leah Roberts says the anti-abortion laws being enacted by Florida and other red states are being vaguely written by people who don’t understand medical science. Many women don’t even know they are pregnant by six weeks. The ban went into effect Wednesday and affects not just women who want to terminate viable pregnancies because of personal choice, but also nonviable pregnancies for women who want to have babies.