New federal data from the Department of Education confirm retirement-age borrowers are struggling to repay their federal student loans. About 60% of borrowers over age 62 have been making federal student-loan payments for more than 15 years. Tia Caldwell is a policy analyst with the Education, Opportunity and Mobility Initiative at the nonprofit New America - who said she suspects many other borrowers have been paying even longer. .
The Bentonville School Board has taken a significant step to address Northwest Arkansas pressing issue of affordable housing for teachers and staff members. It has approved a proposal to donate ten acres of land to build housing, so educators can live in the community they serve. Bentonville Schools Superintendent Debbie Jones said, in recruiting new teachers, the number one roadblock has been housing - which led them to partner with the nonprofit Excellerate Foundation on a housing development plan. .
By Victoria Lim for WorkingNation.Broadcast version by Edwin J. Viera for Virginia News Connection reporting for the WorkingNation-Public News Service Collaboration It s not uncommon for state and local governments to focus on economic development. Attracting businesses and developing industries can provide infrastructure, housing, schools, and more. .
Conservation groups in Michigan and the Great Lakes region say they ll keep calling for an orderly shutdown of the Line 5 oil pipeline, despite the latest green light from the Michigan Public Service Commission. The commission has ruled Enbridge Energy can install a new 30 inch diameter pipeline segment in its Great Lakes Tunnel. But Beth Wallace - the manager of the Great Lakes Freshwater Campaign at the National Wildlife Federation - warned that an oil spill in the Straits of Mackinac would threaten wildlife, just as groups like hers are working to restore habitat in the Great Lakes region, including for endangered species like the piping plover. .
The "smart toy" market is now a more than $16 billion industry, and is expected to double by 2027. This holiday season, experts are warning parents to check the safety and privacy features of toys purchased for children. U.S. .