Daily Briefing: Summer school stress
Some incoming college students face an unforgiving timeline if they rely on federal dollars to attend school this summer. Closing arguments on Tuesday in former President Donald Trump's New York criminal trial will be crucial to frame the testimony and evidence for jurors. The Boston Celtics are headed to the NBA Finals.
🙋🏼♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. Are you reading this on public transit?
Some colleges scramble to get financial aid to students
As the process for colleges to appeal government financial aid calculations remains in limbo, some low-income students enrolled in summer classes could fall through the cracks.
The background: This year, a congressional mandate to streamline the process of applying for college financial aid threw the whole system into disarray. Students across the country reported widespread troubles filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, while the government botched crucial data that colleges needed to make aid offers.
- The situation has improved in recent months. But many colleges are still behind their typical schedules.
- Students with the most need are the most affected: The disorder has forced schools, in some cases, to rely on their own systems to calculate costs for certain students who want to enroll this summer and are eligible for Pell Grants, a need-based federal financial aid program.
- How a small Kansas college is faring: After lots of back and forth with the Education Department, one summer-enrolled student at Southwestern College just received a federal financial aid estimate Friday. Summer classes already started earlier this month.
Lawyers to give closing arguments in Trump trial
Former President Donald Trump's historic criminal hush money trial will reach a critical peak on Tuesday when the prosecution and defense will present their closing arguments to the jury. Each side will weave together five weeks of evidence and testimony to make a case for the first-ever conviction or acquittal of a former U.S. president. These are the key questions the closing arguments will address and jurors will be asked to decide.
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- Which states will have abortion on the ballot in November?
- On today's The Excerpt podcast, how some brands are pulling back on Pride Month merch and promotions. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your smart speaker.
What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here.
More than 20 dead after Memorial Day weekend storms
A wave of severe storms caused at least 22 deaths in four states over the holiday weekend. Parts of Texas and the mid-South are still reeling from the devastating weekend in extreme heat. At least eight people died in Arkansas, seven in Texas, five in Kentucky and two in Oklahoma amid twisters and storms that demolished hundreds of homes, authorities said. Meanwhile, a rancher in Colorado and 34 of his cattle died in a lightning strike. Read more
Netanyahu vows to keep fighting
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed late Monday to continue fighting in Gaza "until we raise the flag of victory," after an airstrike triggered a massive fire in a tent camp in Rafah, killing at least 45 people. The Israeli airstrike, which took place Sunday, was one of the deadliest single incidents in the eight-month-old war. Medics and witnesses described scenes of horror as the fire tore through the camp. Read more
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A county's ambitious plan to tackle medical debt
The nation's most populous county launched one of the most ambitious efforts in the nation to tackle medical debt, targeting hospitals for their role in feeding a $2.9 billion problem. For over a year, Los Angeles County has worked on a comprehensive plan to track patient debt and hospital collection practices; boost bill forgiveness for low-income patients; and buy up and forgive billions in medical debt. LA County isn’t the first to confront this crisis, but what sets it apart is how it casts medical debt not as a political issue, but as an urgent public health threat. Read more
Photo of the day: Boston Celtics return to NBA Finals
Boston swept Indiana, wrapping up the series with a 105-102 victory in Game 4 on Monday. The Celtics reached the Finals for the 23rd time, giving them an opportunity to win their 18th championship.
Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at Paste BN, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com.