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Payment pause extended again

Laura L. Davis   | Paste BN
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The United States and European Union announced stiff new sanctions against Russia. And a mysterious person known as the "I-65 killer" was finally identified.

👋 It's Laura. It's Tuesday. Here's all the news you need to know.

But first, a peek into the other side of van life. 🚐 What's learned and what's left behind when you give up creature comforts.

The Short List is a snappy Paste BN news roundup. Subscribe to the newsletter here or text messages here.

Student loan payment pause extended

For millions of Americans, student debt limbo will continue for a few more months. President Joe Biden plans to again extend the moratorium on federal student loan payments through Aug. 31, the Associated Press reported, citing a federal official. It's the fifth extension since the pause took effect in March 2020. This time, inflation is climbing and gas prices are soaring amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. All the while, the nation’s $1.7 trillion student loan debt portfolio continues to grow, with no firm direction for the indebted. Though borrowers likely will appreciate the extra wiggle room, many have grown frustrated with the continued extensions without a plan for widespread forgiveness. 

New sanctions on Russia

The United States and the European Union plan to impose new sanctions against Russia in retaliation for Russia’s “war crimes” in Ukraine after revelations of atrocities in towns near Kyiv. The European Union’s executive branch on Tuesday proposed a ban on coal imports from Russia, in what would be the first sanctions targeting Moscow's lucrative energy income for its war in Ukraine. The coal imports amount to an estimated $4.4 billion per year. The U.S. is also planning to team up with its European allies on further penalties, including a ban on new investments in Russia. Earlier Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the U.N. Security Council the U.N. must bring war crimes charges against Russian leaders, calling for soldiers who savagely attacked civilians – and those who issued the orders – to face trial for the apparent massacre by Russian forces in and around Kyiv and other major cities.

What everyone's talking about

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A decades-long mystery is solved

For decades, the identity of an elusive figure dubbed the "Days Inn" and "I-65" killer evaded police as investigators tried to solve the slayings of three women in Indiana and Kentucky in the late 1980s. But on Tuesday, law enforcement officials said they've solved the case. Indiana State Police, along with several federal and local agencies, said investigators determined that Harry Edward Greenwell, who is now dead, was responsible for the rapes and murders of Vicki Heath, Margaret "Peggy" Gill and Jeanne Gilbert. The women worked as clerks in motels along the I-65 corridor. Investigators have also linked Greenwell through DNA analysis to a sexual assault of a woman in 1990 in Columbus, Indiana, and noted there's a "distinct possibility" he could be linked to more unsolved cases. Greenwell died of cancer in Iowa in 2013 at age 68.

Fixing the 'family glitch'

President Joe Biden on Tuesday proposed a way to increase the number of dependents who can get subsidized insurance under the Affordable Care Act, a fix to what's been called the "family glitch." The proposal: If a workplace plan for a whole family costs more than 10% of a family's income, then the worker's spouse and children could get help purchasing a private plan through the Obamacare marketplace. "The Affordable Care Act is stronger than it’s ever been," Biden said at a White House event attended by former President Barack Obama. "And today, we’re strengthening it even further." According to the White House, the change, which would go into effect as early as next year, could allow an estimated 200,000 people without insurance to gain coverage, and about 1 million people might be able to switch to a more affordable plan.

Real quick

'Kennel cough' spreading among dogs in South Florida

With COVID-19 still on the mind of many Americans, there's another virus spreading around South Florida affecting a different segment of the population: dogs. Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease Complex, also known as "kennel cough" or "canine cough," is caused by a group of viruses and bacteria, including the flu, that affects the respiratory tract of dogs. It can also be easily spread, whether dogs live in a home or are awaiting adoption. Miami-Dade County health officials noticed an increase in dogs infected with CIRDC in March, spurring animal services on March 23 to indefinitely suspend dog adoptions, adoption events and wellness clinics. Maria Serrano, chief veterinarian at the Miami-Dade County Animal Services, said the quick response to the disease helped contain it.

⛈ Wicked weather: Severe storms battered the South on Tuesday, with golf-ball-size hail and howling winds. Tornadoes were reported in two states ahead of a couple of days of wild weather expected across the nation. Check the forecast in your neck of the woods here.

A break from the news

This is a compilation of stories from across the Paste BN Network. Want this news roundup in your inbox every night? Sign up for The Short List newsletter here.

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