Student Debt Giant Tells Borrowers They're On Their Own and More in Politics Today

It’s difficult to stay up-to-date on what’s happening in this country and to break through the clutter, so we’re here to make it easier. Here’s what we at Countable are reading today:

1.Student Debt Giant Navient to Borrowers: You’re on Your Own

Over the past several years, Jack Remondi, chief executive of student loan giant Navient Corp., has gone out of his way to tout the company’s devotion to helping Americans cope with student debt.

He’s mentioned it in meetings with investors, on calls with Wall Street analysts, in testimony before Congress, and even on his Medium blog.

But faced with a potential multi-billion dollar lawsuit by the federal government for not living up to that mantra, Remondi’s company, formerly an arm of student lender Sallie Mae, sang a different tune in court filings.

Read more at Bloomberg.

2. Hospitals fought to get visas for thousands of foreign medical residents ahead of Trump’s immigration changes

They've gotten through medical school. They've applied to residency programs, and been offered a job at a US hospital.

But for some of the 3,814 non-US citizens who graduated from foreign schools and who won coveted residencies in the United States, it's unclear whether they'll be able to start work on time in the summer.

That's because a program that allows employers to fast-track H-1B visa applications for their employees has been suspended as of Monday.

Read more at Business Insider.

3. FCC Reverses Another Obama-Era Rule With Charter Communications Decision

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission has voted to reverse a requirement imposed under the Obama administration that Charter Communications extend broadband service to 1 million households already served by a competitor, a source briefed on the matter said.

The decision was a win for a group representing smaller cable companies that petitioned to overturn the "overbuild" requirement and marked the latest reversal of Obama-era requirements by the new Republican-led FCC under President Donald Trump.

Read more at Forbes.

4.Via Trump’s HHS, states will revamp their Medicaid expansions with conservative twist

The future of Medicaid under Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price will soon become clear when the department decides whether Kentucky and Arizona can dramatically revamp their Medicaid expansion efforts.

Kentucky now wants an HHS waiver to impose a host of conservative policy changes, including work requirements for people using the program. Arizona’s waiver request seeks many of the same changes, plus a five-year lifetime limit on program benefits.

Read more at McClatchy.

5. Supreme Court hands victory to groups criticizing mandatory sentencing laws

The Supreme Court ruled unanimously on Monday that a court may consider whether a defendant has already been given a mandatory sentence for one crime when determining an appropriate sentence for another charge.

The verdict is a victory for groups opposed to mandatory minimum sentences that were arguing for more flexibility for courts.

Read more at The Hill.

6. China Learns How to Get Trump’s Ear: Through Jared Kushner

When President Trump welcomes President Xi Jinping of China to his palm-fringed Florida club for two days of meetings on Thursday, the studied informality of the gathering will bear the handiwork of two people: China’s ambassador to Washington and Mr. Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

China’s courtship of Mr. Kushner, which has coincided with the marginalization of the State Department in the Trump administration, reflects a Chinese comfort with dynastic links.

Read more at The New York Times.

— Asha Sanaker

(Photo Credit: Public Domain)