This is an excerpt from Incoming, BuzzFeed News’ morning newsletter dedicated to making sense of this chaotic world we live in. Join the club here.
With new abortion restrictions, pregnant immigrant minors must cross state borders for medical aid
New abortion restrictions across the US have made it nearly impossible for immigrant minors in government custody to access the procedure in some states. Consequently, unaccompanied immigrant children who want to end a pregnancy are being moved to states that allow abortions.
"It's yet another layer of how tenuous abortion access is for a very vulnerable population," Brigitte Amiri, deputy director of the ACLU's Reproductive Freedom Project, said.
After Texas's six-week abortion ban went into effect in October, the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Refugee Resettlement said staff should prioritize placing pregnant unaccompanied immigrant children in a facility outside the state. But that directive only covers Texas, and advocates are urging ORR to expand that policy now that Roe has fallen.
Abortion is banned with limited exceptions in Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Texas. In other states like Florida, Georgia, Idaho, North Carolina, Ohio, and Tennessee, abortion is still legal but has strict timing restrictions.
What’s happening at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant?
Occupied by Russian forces, Europe's largest nuclear plant was disconnected from Ukraine's energy grid on Thursday. The Zaporizhzhia plant was maintained by emergency backup systems, the Washington Post reports, but officials fear that continued conflict in the area could lead to major power outages across Ukraine — or nuclear catastrophe.
Russia and Ukraine have both accused each other of destabilizing the nuclear plant. Ukrainian authorities also fear that Russia could be trying to divert the plant's electric sources to Russian territories, CNN reports.
SNAPSHOTS
Ghislaine Maxwell's lawyers are suing her for $878,302 in unpaid legal fees. Maxwell's ability to pay for representation had apparently long been a concern of the law firm, which at one point threatened to drop her as a client.
Mike, a new show about Mike Tyson, is an indictment of rape culture. Over the last two decades, Tyson’s persona has undergone a transformation, writes Albert Samaha. His menacing arrogance and cold intensity gave way to reflection, silliness, and warmth. But the redemption arc feels uncomfortable because it is incomplete.
Harry Styles's acting in a newly released clip from Don't Worry Darling has caused a stir online. Viewers asked whether his character was supposed to be British or American in the movie.
Do you qualify for Biden’s student loan forgiveness?
Do I qualify or nah?
If you’re someone earning less than $125,000, you can get up to $10,000 in federal student debt forgiven.
If you’re married, you can each get $10,000 forgiven if your combined income is less than $250,000.
If you’re under the income cap and you’re a recipient of a Pell Grant, then you can get up to $20,000 of student debt forgiven.
What kinds of students qualify for debt forgiveness?
If you're a current student, as long as you took out your loan before July 1 of this year, you still qualify for debt forgiveness.
If you took out loans for grad school, that counts too — so long as you meet the other criteria (i.e., they’re federal loans and you make below $125,000).
If you never graduated but have federal loans, you still qualify for debt forgiveness.
If you’ve previously defaulted on your loans, you’ll automatically be put in good standing with a “fresh start.”
When will forgiveness occur? Do I need to do anything?
Officials estimate that roughly eight million borrowers had already shared income information with the Department of Education, meaning that for these people the relief will be automatic. For everyone else (or if you’ve forgotten whether you shared your income info), officials say that within the next few weeks they will develop an application for you to fill out.
The exact timing of when forgiveness will happen is still a little murky, as Biden is likely to face legal challenges from opponents that will slow down this process.
If you have a question that wasn’t answered in this excerpt, read reporter David Mack’s full Q&A for more information.
Inside Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's adoption of a rescue beagle
Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex (aka Meghan Markle), adopted a 7-year-old beagle named Mamma Mia, who was rescued from a breeding facility that was shut down over alleged animal abuse.
Shannon Keith, the president and founder of the Beagle Freedom Project, told BuzzFeed News that earlier this month, she received an email asking if she had time for a call with a “VIP donor,” and she agreed without knowing the person to whom she’d be talking.
“I was enthralled by her,” she said. “The entire time I was thinking, Whoever this person is, she’s amazing, she’s our people.”
And when Meghan and Harry came to meet Mia in Los Angeles, volunteer Malina Shirley said that she knew it was “something special” and “meant to be” as soon as the couple walked into the house. “Mamma Mia was so super excited, just so happy.”
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