Biden to make long-awaited student loan debt announcement on Wednesday, reports say

COLOMBO (News 1st); Private Maheesh Theekshana who was part of Sri Lanka Cricket Teram that won the 2022 Asia Cup in Dubai was elevated to the rank of Sergeant by Lieutenant General Vikum Liyanage, Commander of the Army.The Army-groomed sportsmen and sportswomen who shone distinctively in the field of international sports were invited this morning (20) to the Commander’s office at the Army HQ to receive appreciative compliments and cash incentives.Lieutenant General Vikum Liyanage, Commander of the Army after meeting those sport stars who brought fame to the country and the Army alike commended their achievements and talked to each one of them in the presence of the Director Sports of the Army.Those international achievers included Sergeant M.M Theekshana, a member of the Sri Lankan Cricket team who won the Asia Cup Championship – 2022, Corporal T.T Algama, Corporal K.B.Y De Silva and Corporal M.A.I.J Perera, all of them in the Sri Lankan National Netball team who won the Asian Netball Championship – 2022 and the Bodybuilder, Corporal R.A.D.P Rajapaksha who won the Bronze Medal in the Asian Bodybuilding Championship – 2022.At the same time, the Army Chief in recognition of their achievements instructed respective authorities to promote the above achievers in rank in an attempt to stimulate them further.Accordingly, Private M.M Theekshana was elevated to the rank of Sergeant, Private T.T Algama, to the rank of Corporal, Private K.B.Y De Silva to the rank of Corporal and Private M.A.I.J Perera to the rank of Corporal during the same occasion.The Commander of the Army, appreciative of their international achievements afterwards awarded financial incentives to Sergeant M.M Theekshana, Netball Team Members and Bodybuilder

An exterior view of a Family Dollar store near Bloomsburg. (Photo by Paul Weaver/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) Dozens of items have been recalled by Family Dollar because they were stored outside of temperature requirements. The items included are various over-the-counter medical products, such as condoms, pregnancy tests, toothpastes, and denture cleaners.

India reported 4,510 fresh Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, according to an update by the Union health ministry on Wednesday. As a result, active cases currently stand at 46,216. The active caseload comprise 0.10 per cent of the total infections.

Also Read: US tourist visa waiting period goes over 2 years for India The removal of the vaccine requirement, according to infectious disease expert Dr. Andrew Morris, should have been done way back. According to him, there is no value to making sure individuals are immunised because it neither prevents cases nor variants from spreading.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Ministry of Agriculture says that a bundle of urea fertilizer will be sold for Rs.10,000/- in the Maha season as well as in the Yala season.The Ministry said that President Ranil Wickremesinghe approved the request made by Minister Mahinda Amaraweera.Also, 50kg of Urea fertilizer will be sold at Rs.15,000/- for tea cultivation and maize cultivation.Arrangements have been made to provide Bandi fertilizer apart from Urea fertilizer.In the meantime, Minster Amanraweera has also advised that after the paddy cultivation of the Yala season is completed, districts such as Ampara, Batticaloa, Mullaitivu, Jaffna, Anuradhapura, and Monaragala should immediately provide the fertilizer needed for the Maha season.The paddy cultivation activities of the Maha Season in the above districts are to commence at the beginning of October.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Health Ministry noted that it has made arrangements to conduct tests to determine the existence of heavy metals in imported food items including rice.The Director of the Environmental & Occupational Health and Food Safety Unit Dr.Thilak Siriwardana says that previously, selected food items had to undergo the testing process.He further says that fifteen containers of rice were recently shipped back as they were unfit for human consumption.

MEDFORD, N.J. - A dispute over a beloved mural on the exterior wall of a New Jersey sweets shop has the community rallying around a small business owner. Candy Thibeau, owner of Maggie Moose Bakery in Medford, said she received a letter from the township on Monday that claimed the mural violates local sign codes due to its artwork. The bright pink wall adorned with sprinkles and the shop's moose mascot is considered a sign, not artwork, according to the township officials.Thibeau was given two choices to rectify the mural in order to bring it up to the township's standards, including one option that involves painting over the moose mascot.MORE LOCAL HEADLINES"Medford is saying the pink wall is fine, and the sprinkles are fine to leave up," Thibeau told FOX 29's Hank Flynn. "Our mascot is part of our signage, they consider it part of our signage because it's in our logo."Thibeau could hire a lawyer and spend money on legal fees for the possibility of a variance, but she believes everyone's time and energy is best spent on something more meaningful than a playful drawing of a cartoon moose. "It just seems so silly," Thibeau said.

ASTON, Pa. - Parents of students at a Delaware County high school are demanding action from school leaders after they say fights and bullying have spiraled out of control. Just days into the new school year, videos of brutal beat downs at Chichester High School have been posted to social media. One of the recordings shows a 9th grader being pummeled on the school bus, other fights have erupted inside school stairwells and classrooms. Jennifer Frazier, a mother of two at Chichester High School, told FOX 29 that her daughters are currently being bullied by classmates.

PHILADELPHIA - A large group gathered in North Philadelphia on Tuesday night to say goodbye to a sister, daughter, friend, and mother of two, who lost her life in a double shooting on Sunday morning."Her little boys are gonna miss her. Her family, you know, so sad," says Serena Stokes, of Mount Airy. Police say a fight broke out just after 5:30 Sunday morning on Lehigh Avenue. Authorities say someone opened fire, critically wounding a man in his 30s. Then, the fight spilled over to 17th and York Streets where investigators say 32-year-old Jones lost her life.Jones’ sister, Vanessa, said she wanted to honor her sister in a way that she would be proud of, so friends and family gathered, bearing white and yellow balloons."I know everybody loved her.

PHILADELPHIA - As recovery efforts resume in Puerto Rico after a direct hit from Hurricane Fiona, natives in Philadelphia are nervously awaiting to hear from family and loved ones. Hurricane Fiona dumped nearly 30 inches of rain on Puerto Rico over a two-day period. Over the weekend, the storm knocked out power and water to most of the island, and National Guard troops rescued hundreds of people who got stranded."I was watching the news and see the one bridge they just fixed, and it washed away," Joe Jarvis, a North Philadelphia resident with family in Puerto Rico, said.

PHILADELPHIA - Two Philadelphia business owners woke up shocked on Sunday morning when they realized their three-week-old food truck had vanished. Philadelphia police say at around 5:30 Sunday morning, someone drove a U-Haul truck onto a private lot in Bridesburg and left with the Lui's Kitchen Food Truck attached to its trailer. Kris and Trisha Dogiewicz, owners of the food truck, say they poured money, time, and energy into their mobile restaurant for months until it came to fruition just three weeks ago. "We're trying to make some good Philly food with a southern twist," said Kris Dogiewicz.Lui's Kitchen Food Truck, named after Kris and Trisha's one-year-old daughter, is a popular stop among locals as the couple says they sold out of all their food at an event the day before it was stolen. "It was very, very promising. We were on a high on Saturday night, and we were like, 'This is great." Then, Sunday morning it came crashing down on us," said Trisha Dogiewicz.MORE HEADLINES: Gloucester County man, 51, arrested for animal cruelty, police sayPennsylvania man caught selling baby kangaroo for $5,000 on Facebook, officials sayPolice: Wawa offering $5,000 reward after armed robberies in Philadelphia neighborhoodsA surveillance video obtained by FOX 29 shows the U-Haul truck drive onto the private lot of the Arsenal Campus on Tacony Street.

WASHINGTON - A man is in custody after vandalizing the Washington Monument. FOX 5's Katie Barlow took pictures of the damage Tuesday night. There is red paint splashed on the side of the monument with words painted next to it. U.S.

Authorities say a woman was hit by gunfire when she unknowingly drove through a street shootout between two groups. PHILADELPHIA - Police say they are investigating a shooting that left one woman injured as she was driving home from work in North Philadelphia on Tuesday night. At around 7:10 p.m., police say they received a call about a shooting on the 3100 block of North 22nd Street. After arriving to the scene, police say they located a woman in a car who was suffering a gunshot wound. Authorities say the victim was traveling north down 22nd Street when she came across large crowds of people running in the area.

FILE - Actor and co-founder of Water.org, Matt Damon, speaks at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) 2022 Meeting on Sept. 20, 2022, in New York City.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The resolution to constitute the Parliament Committee designated “National Council” in connection with the concept of an all-party Government, which was a major demand that emerged from the people's protests; the Aragalaya, was passed within the Parliament without a vote on Tuesday (20)However, several parties objected to the move, stating that it is not a mechanism that fulfills people's expectations.According to the resolution passed today, the members of the National Council will be chaired by the Speaker, while the members constitute of the Prime Minister, the Leader of the House of Parliament, the Leader of the Opposition, and the Chief Organizer of the ruling party.Apart from that, not more than 35 members decided by the Leaders of the political parties should be appointed for the council.The assembly will be entrusted with setting common priorities to guide the formulation of short, medium and long-term national policies, agreeing on short- and medium-term common minimum programs in relation to economic stabilization and organization of special meetings attended by ministers, chairpersons of special committees and youth observers of youth organizations.The council will also posses the ability to call reports from current functioning committees.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Department of Meteorology says that a few showers will occur in the Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces and Galle and Matara districts.Showers or thundershowers will occur at a few places in the Uva province and Ampara and Batticaloa districts during the evening or night.Mainly fair weather will prevail elsewhere over the island.The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.Condition of Rain:A few showers will occur in the sea area off the coast extending from Colombo to Matara via Galle.Winds:Winds will be south-westerly and wind speed will be (25-35) kmph.Wind speed may increase up to (45-55) kmph at times the sea area off the coast extends from Puttalam to   Kankasanturai via Mannar and from Matara to Pottuvil via Hambantota.State of Sea:The sea areas off the coast extending from Kankasanturai to Pottuvil via Puttalam, Colombo, Galle, Matara, and Hambantota may be rough at times.

WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 29: U.S. Air Force Space Command Gen. John "Jay" Raymond stands next to the flag of the newly established U.S.

Ministry of Health Deputy Director-General and head of the Public Health Agency, Dr Andrew Old, will hold a media briefing today in Auckland at 12 noon today to provide an update on the COVID-19 response.

migrants flown to the upscale Massachusetts island of Martha's Vineyard sued Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his transportation secretary Tuesday for engaging in a "fraudulent and discriminatory scheme" to relocate them.The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Boston, alleges that the migrants were told they were going to Boston or Washington, "which was completely false," and were induced with perks such as $10 McDonald's gift certificates."No human being should be used as a political pawn," said Ivan Espinoza-Madrigal, executive director of Lawyers for Civil Rights, which is seeking class-action status in the lawsuit filed on behalf of several migrants who were aboard last week's flights and Alianza Americas, a network of advocacy groups.DeSantis' office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit, which also names Secretary of Transportation Jared W.

Halloween spending will reach a new record this year as participation in the holiday spikes despite the tumultuous economy. The nation's largest retail trade group projected that Halloween spending will reach a new record this year as participation in the holiday spikes despite the tumultuous economy. Total spending, which includes costumes, decorations and parties, is expected to notch a record $10.6 billion, outpacing last year's record figure of $10.1 billion, according to the National Retail Federation’s (NRF) annual survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics. The trade group projected that participation in Halloween activities will reach pre-pandemic levels, with 69% of consumers planning to celebrate, the NRF reported. Last year, Halloween participation was 65% but in 2019, it was around 68%.

The puppies found in the suitcase. (Credit: Guilford County Animal Services) GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. - A bizarre scenario played out in North Carolina that led to the rescue of four puppies. The Guilford County Animal Services said on September 17, some good Samaritans saw a suitcase that was "moving" along the side of the highway and stopped. They noticed the luggage was zipped except for one small part.

CLEVELAND, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 18: Owner Jimmy Haslam watches the game against the New York Jets from the sideline at FirstEnergy Stadium on September 18, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) BEREA, Ohio (AP) - A fan was arrested for allegedly throwing a plastic water bottle and hitting Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam during the closing moments of Sunday's 31-30 home loss to the New York Jets.Cleveland police said Tuesday that Jeffrey Miller, 51, of Rocky River, was charged with assault, disorderly conduct and failure to comply.

LOS ANGELES - In an exclusive interview with FOX 11's Elex Michaelson, Los Angeles mayoral candidate and Congresswoman Karen Bass discussed her two guns being stolen from her home.Bass, who called the incident "very traumatic," told Michaelson her guns were registered, locked in a safe box, and stashed away in a closet before they were stolen by the suspects over the weekend.Bass revealed two suspects have since been arrested. The Los Angeles Police Department later confirmed the two men were 42-year-old Patricio Munoz and 24-year-old Juan Espinoza.PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Karen Bass says two guns stolen from her house during break inFollowing the burglary, FOX 11 filed a public record request in hopes of gaining more information on the incident.

COVID-19 vaccine mandate at the border, a senior government source has told Global News.However, the source said the plan still needs to be “finalized” by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau before it can be officially announced. ArriveCAN: A look at the federal government’s plan for the contentious app A spokesperson for Transport Canada referred questions about the decision to the Public Health Agency of Canada, which did not immediately reply to an email.The current border measures are set to expire on Sept.

Niagara Falls, Ont., says he keeps dreaming of an event with the prime minister and Ontario’s premier cutting a “massive ribbon” at the Canada-U.S. border signaling Canada is once again open for business.Jim Diodati made that suggestion as a number of Canadian MPs and border-city mayors published another open letter to Ottawa demanding the elimination of all remaining COVID-19 restrictions still in effect along the northern border.“It’s been a long haul, especially in a border community that relies on tourism specifically,” Diodati told 900 CHML’s Bill Kelly Show.

Wawa offering reward after robberies.  PHILADELPHIA - Wawa is taking action in the search for an armed robber in Philadelphia.Police say the man in his 50s stole $250 from a Wawa on Castor Avenue on September 8.Just three days later, the same suspect reportedly stop;e $200 from a different Wawa on Roosevelt Boulevard.MORE HEADLINES:Police say he was armed with a handgun during both robberies.A $,5000 is being offered by Wawa for any information leading to the suspect's arrest.

Christopher Pozzi, 51, was arrested by West Deptford Police and charged with animal cruelty after he was caught on camera physically abusing a cat. WEST DEPTFORD, N.J. - West Deptford Police arrested a man who they say caused extensive injuries to a cat at an apartment complex in Gloucester County.On Sunday, at around 10:14 p.m., West Deptford Police say they responded to the area of Forrest Creek Lane in the Forrest Creek Apartment Complex in West Deptford to speak with a woman who they say had a doorbell camera video of a man abusing a cat. Patrol Officer Madeline Brunck says the video shows a man picking up the cat over his head and violently throwing it onto the concrete floor several times.

Chad Kroeger, frontman for Canadian rock band Nickelback, has revealed that everyone has been pronouncing his last name wrong all of these years.Speaking to Loudwire on a recent podcast, Kroeger explained that his surname is often butchered; people have been saying Kroh-ger, like the U.S. grocery store chain.However, the Hanna, Alta.-born musician insists it should be pronounced the same as Freddy Krueger, the terrifying Nightmare on Elm Street serial killer.“It’s Kroo-ger, don’t trust the internet,” the musician said.He says he’s been slow to correct people because he doesn’t want to come across the wrong way.“If I just stop and go, ‘Actually, it’s Kroeger,’ I’m gonna look like such a d**k.

(Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images) A new Gallup poll shows nearly 50% of Americans — and probably more — are "quiet quitting" while on the job. Quiet quitting is continuing to work but doing the bare minimum in order avoid burnout and keep collecting a paycheck.In addition, Gallup said in the second quarter of 2022, the number of engaged workers remained at 32% but the number of disengaged workers increased to 18%, making the ratio of engaged to actively disengaged employees at 1.8 to 1, the lowest in almost a decade.Researchers added the drop in engagement began in the second half of 2021 citing "clarity of expectations, opportunities to learn and grow, feeling cared about, and a connection to the organization's mission or purpose" as contributing factors to the friction between employees and their bosses. RELATED: 'Quiet quitting' is nothing newLeah Gorham spoke with FOX Television Stations about pivoting to a new career.Notably, Gallup found that the drop in engagement and employer satisfaction was among the remote Gen Z population and younger millennials who are 35 years old and younger. The number has gotten worse during the COVID-19 pandemic. Key takeaways from the poll found:Gallup does offer tips for companies to resolve the quiet quitting crisis.

FERNLEY, NEVADA, UNITED STATES - 2022/05/30: American flags seen at a veterans cemetery. People attended a Memorial day event at a veterans cemetery.

GEORGETOWN, De. - A small Delaware airport was flooded on Tuesday with state leaders and local non-profit organizations in preparation for a possible plane full of migrants being sent from Texas. Delaware Costal Airport in Georgetown was reportedly the latest destination for migrants being shipped by southern Republican governors to northern Blue states. This comes just days after Texas Governor Greg Abbott sent two buses with about 100 migrants to Vice President Kamala Harris' residence at the Naval Observatory in Washington D.C.Some who were at the airport on Tuesday believe that the sending migrants northbound is part of a political stunt being carried out by Republican leaders ahead of the midterm elections. MORE ON IMMIGRATION"They’re using our people for political stunts, It’s just sad and tragic," Rossana Arteaga-Lopenza from non-profit Casa de Venezuela Delaware told FOX 29. Earlier this year, Abbott announced new directives as part of the state's border security efforts, including an order that directs the Texas Division of Emergency Management to charter buses of migrants to Washington D.C. Philadelphia officials began preparing to receive buses of migrants if Abbott targeted the city, but Delaware, where President Joe Biden grew up and attended college, looks to be the next destination.The normally quiet runway at Delaware Costal Airport was abuzz on Tuesday amid reports of a possible plane full of migrants from Texas.

NEW DELHI : Credit Suisse Global Wealth Report released on Tuesday showed that the Gini coefficient for India hit a peak of 82.3 in 2020 and remained the same at the end of 2021. The Gini coefficient is a measure of inequality with a higher figure denoting higher levels of inequality. The Gini remained unchanged in 2021 from 2020 even as the household wealth in India saw a sharp jump for the same period.

Ashley Biden and Joe Biden attend Gilt x Livelihood Launch Event at 6 St. John's Lane on February 7, 2017 in New York City.

rebound case of Covid-19 infection, her deputy communications director Kelsey Donohue said in an official statement as quoted by ANI. She tested negative during a routine test on Tuesday. However, Jill Biden again tested positive with an antigen test in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware on August 24, as per CNN reports quoted by ANI.

WASHINGTON - The Biden administration is tying its authority to cancel student debt to the coronavirus pandemic and to a 2003 law aimed at providing help to members of the military. Legal challenges are expected.Skeptics of the administration's ability to act on its own, without new legislation, had once included President Joe Biden himself and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.But in a legal opinion released Wednesday, the Justice Department said that the HEROES Act of 2003 gives the administration "sweeping authority" to reduce or eliminate student debt during a national emergency, "when significant actions with potentially far-reaching consequences are often required."RELATED: Student loan forgiveness: Biden unveils plan to cancel $10K in student debtThe law was adopted with overwhelming bipartisan support at a time when U.S.

WASHINGTON (AP) - First lady Jill Biden has tested positive for COVID-19 again in an apparent "rebound" case, after she initially tested negative for the virus over the weekend.President Joe Biden, three days with his wife at their Rehoboth Beach, Del. vacation home, continues to test negative, the White House said.

Students, faculty and others walk down a campus path amidst a mostly empty University of California-Irvine campus Friday, Jan. 7, 2022.

WASHINGTON - With the freeze on student loan payments set to expire soon and pressure from Democrats to provide broader relief, President Joe Biden is prepared to deliver on his campaign promise to provide up to $10,000 in debt cancellation.Details of the plan have been kept closely guarded by the White House, but borrowers who earn less than $125,000 a year would be eligible for the loan forgiveness, according to the Associated Press, citing three people familiar with the decision.Biden is also set to extend a pause on federal student loan payments through January, the AP reported. More than 43 million Americans owe a combined $1.6 trillion in student debt held by the federal government, according to data from the Education Department. That includes more than 7 million borrowers who have defaulted on student loans, meaning they are at least 270 days late on payments.With inflation at its hottest level in four decades, a shrinking U.S.

US President Joe Biden's Covid advisor Anthony Fauci, America's top infectious disease expert who became the face of the country's fight against the pandemic, has announced that he will step down in December.

US First Lady Jill Biden waves before boarding Air Force One to depart Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on August 10, 2022. (Photo by NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images) First Lady Jill Biden will end her isolation after testing negative for COVID-19 for two consecutive days, the White House said.The first lady first tested positive Tuesday, while the Bidens were vacationing in South Carolina.

ATLANTA - Rudy Giuliani arrived in Atlanta on Wednesday to testify before a special grand jury that is investigating attempts by former President Donald Trump and others to overturn his 2020 election defeat in Georgia.Giuliani stepped out of a black SUV at around 8:30 a.m. in front of the Fulton County courthouse. He declined to discuss the investigation with reporters waiting outside prior to being questioned by jurors."I'm not going to comment on the grand jury investigation until I know more about it," Giuliani said.President Donald Trump's personal counsel is expected to testify for the grand jury investigating allegations of interference in the 2020 Election.It’s unclear how much the former New York mayor and attorney for Trump will be willing to say now that his lawyers have been informed he’s a target of the investigation.

WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden will sign Democrats’ landmark climate change and health care bill on Tuesday, delivering what he has called the "final piece" of his pared-down domestic agenda, as he aims to boost his party’s standing with voters less than three months before the midterm elections.The legislation includes the most substantial federal investment in history to fight climate change — some $375 billion over the decade — and would cap prescription drug costs at $2,000 out-of-pocket annually for Medicare recipients. It also would help an estimated 13 million Americans pay for health care insurance by extending subsidies provided during the coronavirus pandemic.The measure is paid for by new taxes on large companies and stepped-up IRS enforcement of wealthy individuals and entities, with additional funds going to reduce the federal deficit.The House on Friday approved the measure on a party-line 220-207 vote.

KIAWAHA ISLAND : President Joe Biden will sign Democrats' landmark climate change and health care bill on Tuesday, delivering what he has called the “final piece" of his pared-down domestic agenda, as he aims to boost his party's standing with voters less than three months before the midterm elections. The legislation includes the most substantial federal investment in history to fight climate change — some USD 375 billion over the decade — and would cap prescription drug costs at USD 2,000 out-of-pocket annually for Medicare recipients. It also would help an estimated 13 million Americans pay for health care insurance by extending subsidies provided during the coronavirus pandemic.

US First Lady Jill Biden has testified positive for COVID-19, her communications director Elizabeth Alexander confirmed.

Jill Biden has tested positive for COVID-19 while vacationing in South Carolina with her family, including President Joe Biden, and is experiencing mild symptoms, the White House said Tuesday.Elizabeth Alexander, the first lady's communications director, announced the positive test, saying she will remain in South Carolina until she receives two negative COVID-19 tests. «After testing negative for COVID-19 on Monday during her regular testing cadence, the First Lady began to develop cold-like symptoms late in the evening,» Alexander said in a statement. «She tested negative again on a rapid antigen test, but a PCR test came back positive.

Days after US President Joe Biden recovered from COVID, his wife and the First Lady Jill Biden has now contracted the virus. As per doctors, she has developed 'mild' symptoms of the infection. After testing negative for COVID-19 on Monday during her regular testing cadence, the first lady began to develop cold-like symptoms late in the evening.

FILE - U.S. first lady Jill Biden delivers remarks with President Joe Biden while hosting the Congressional Picnic on the South Lawn of the White House on July 12, 2022, in Washington, D.C.