Tues Blogcast: Student loan collection restarts; Union Station/RTD safety
May 6, 2025
Today's Guests
Brian Walsh is Head of Advice & Planning for SoFi. We'll discuss the resumption of collection on federal student loans that started yesterday.
SoFi: Banking, Loans, Invest, Credit Card, & Mortgages
Student loan collections restart for borrowers in default
.
Steve Martingano is Acting Chief of Police and Emergency Management for RTD. We'll discuss recent trends regarding safety at RTD locations, especially Union Station, and his plans to keep the improving trend going.
Incoming RTD police chief stresses safety after Union Station shooting - Axios Denver
.
Other Stuff:
Useful info although most folks will already be compliant: Is Your Colorado ID or Driver's License "Real ID" Compliant? | Westword
.
How big a discount do you get for a haunted house? Or does that make it worth more? Denver's historic — and haunted — Lumber Baron Inn is for sale - Axios Denver
.
This case took NINE YEARS to get to trial. Kim Kardashian will likely testify a week from today in what promises to be the media circus of the year.
I note that one of the defendants is dead and another one will be tried separately for health reasons and also that the stolen stuff was never recovered
Kim Kardashian: Man accused of Paris robbery 'regrets' $10m heist
Kim Kardashian robbery case: Ten stand trial in Paris over 2016 gunpoint jewel heist
.
Local politics are fascinating, and some will play out in an election today in Colorado: A handful of voters could seal fate of Cañon City’s pool project
.
The original bill may or may not have been a good idea but as usual Dems over-regulated, now regret it, and are not competent to fix it, leaving Colorado with a mess: Attempt to change or delay Colorado's controversial AI law killed
.
I shared the story yesterday of Warren Buffett announcing his retirement. I didn't get to this one note and I'll try to share it on the show today because I think it's really good: Why There Will Never Be Another Warren Buffett - WSJ
.
NY Times photographer wins Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography for a photo of bullet streaking past Donald Trump's head. It's a great picture, but not the best picture from that day which instead was from AP photographer Evan Vucci.
Doug Mills of The New York Times - The Pulitzer Prizes
The Trump Shooting - The New York Times
NYT photo here: mills-3-videoLarge.png (768×507)
AP photo here: 90 (1360×907)
.
Trump vs (some) higher education:
I get it but don't love it: Trump administration to halt new federal research grants for Harvard as battle over political ideology and academic freedom flares | CNN
I get it and do love it (in part because it seems to comply with existing law): Exclusive | Colleges With Rising Student Loan Default Rates at Risk of Losing Federal Aid, Trump Admin Threatens - WSJ
.
A surprising move, and one that I think is legally correct (and also good news) but will disappoint some of Trump's hardcore social-conservative base:
Trump administration asks judge to toss suit restricting abortion medication | AP News
The court filing: Microsoft Word - Alliance - MTD Reply FINAL
Josh Hawley is by far the worst Republican in the US Senate. He's basically an anti-abortion Democrat, much like JD Vance.
Josh Hawley’s attack on abortion pills is backed by bad data
Texas makes their extremely strict rule a little clearer: Texas Senate OKs effort to clarify medical exceptions under state's abortion ban | AP News
.
I expect that Trump has already approved this. I know it seems weird that a US president has that kind of power over another country's military actions but such is the relationship between the two nations. Also, this moves in the direction of Trump's stated desire to see Gazans moved out of Gaza. Frankly, I'd love that too but I don't see where you'd move them or who would take them. It's a region of terrorist-loving anti-Semitic brainwashed troublemakers and I can't imagine what Mideast nation would want lots of people like that (and a few of the countries there already have a lot of them, especially Jordan).
Israel cabinet approves plan to 'capture' Gaza - official
Israel plans to seize Gaza under a new plan, officials say | AP News
.
My take: hypothetically I can imagine that this would make sense just as other big organizations get too bloated at levels of management.
AND I suspect that Hegseth has no idea whether that is actually the case in the military right now.
Hegseth orders Pentagon to slash top ranks of military - POLITICO
.
UPDATE: Merz wins on second vote: Germany's Merz wins vote for chancellor after surviving historic defeat
This hasn't happened in German politics since the end of WWII: Friedrich Merz's bid to become Germany's chancellor fails in parliament in a stunning defeat | AP News
.
Wow, this is something I didn't know. It's interesting, and the argument for enforcing the law is sensible. But it also stands the risk of reducing the number of truck drivers, an already understaffed industry. Well, I guess the good news is that if Trump keeps going with his trade wars there will be a lot less work for truck drivers so maybe we won't need as many.
Enforcing Commonsense Rules of the Road for America's Truck Drivers – The White House
CVSA votes to put truck drivers with limited English out of service - FreightWaves
Enforcing Commonsense Rules of the Road for America's Truck Drivers – The White House
.
Offered without comment: What if the president tries to annex Greenland and Canada?
.
Everything old is new again: Lactose-free milk is more popular than almond and oat milk
.
Today's Video
I'm not exactly a serious polyglot, but there's enough German that's used in English just as plenty of French words (camouflage, beret, etc) are used in English that I enjoyed this:
No, not THAT K-car
Unanimous in both chambers!
text of the bill (soon to be law, I trust): Title Register & Drive Kei Vehicles | Colorado General Assembly
15 Kei Cars That Prove Japan Has it Right
Colorado Enthusiasts Seem To Win Battle Against One Of The Worst Proposed Car Bans - The Autopian