The week’s most impactful stories aren’t always the ones with the most clicks. Stay informed about what’s happening with student loans, the landmarks you can save and more.
- Student debt nightmare returns as collections resume: Uncle Sam is coming for your wallet again as student loan collections restart May 5 after a five-year pause. The Trump administration’s timing—amid DOE staff cuts—means tax refunds, wages, and benefits are fair game for the government to snatch if you’re behind on payments. With 10 million Americans soon facing default, your escape options include consolidation, rehabilitation agreements, or even strategically enrolling in community college classes to trigger automatic deferment. Read more.
- REAL ID is finally here: The REAL ID deadline finally stuck. May 7, 2025, has come and gone, and so has your ability to get through TSA checkpoints without a REAL ID, mostly. After 20 years of delays, this post-9/11 security measure requires a star or flag symbol on your ID to fly domestically. Don’t have one yet? Head to the DMV ASAP (passport works too). The new rules requiring proof of citizenship or residency status are raising concerns for immigrants, though foreign passports will still get you through security. Your old ID works for driving and voting, but without a REAL ID or alternative, you’ll be watching planes take off without you. Read more.
- Trump’s “new” HBCU initiative? Obama already did that: Trump’s executive order for HBCUs is basically Obama’s 2010 plan with fresh packaging. The key difference? Trump wants White House control while gutting the Education Department that previously managed these funds. Meanwhile, HBCUs face funding cuts under his anti-DEI agenda, forcing schools like Morgan State to self-fund programs after Navy contracts were terminated. Read more.
- Our ancestors left landmarks. We should keep them: The National Trust’s 2025 endangered list spotlights threatened cultural landmarks that deserve saving. From the Hotel Casa Blanca (where Aretha Franklin once stayed) to America’s oldest reservation literally sinking underwater, these sites tell powerful stories of resilience. Other endangered treasures include a whimsical “Mystery Castle” in Phoenix, remnants of a Japanese American fishing village in LA, and a Texas hotel central to anti-Mexican violence history. Without immediate action, these irreplaceable pieces of our heritage will disappear. Read more.
- Blues is dying where it was born. Guess who’s holding the pillow?: Ever notice how your grandma’s blues records hit different than today’s playlists? In Mississippi’s Delta, young Black folks are abandoning their musical birthright while white tourists cash in on poverty nostalgia. As Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” hits screens, locals fight to reclaim what’s rightfully theirs. Read more at Capital B.
