Efforts to reverse a July 1 increase on subsidized student loans failed in the Senate on Wednesday, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education. The bill, backed by President Barack Obama and most Senate Democrats, proposed returning interest rates on subsided loans to 3.4 percent for one year to give lawmakers additional time to devise a more lasting solution to the issue. Interest rates on subsidized loans, which account for approximately 25 percent of government student loans, increased twofold last week after lawmakers failed to reach an agreement that would have tied loan rates to financial markets. If Congress takes no action to return loan rates to 3.4 percent, seven million students nationwide will face higher borrowing costs, averaging $2,600 more over a 10year repayment period. The average monthly increase in repayment costs will total seven to nine dollars per payment.
Duke University increased its expected sanctions for undergraduate students found guilty in sexual assault cases, the Duke Chronicle reported. While the university does not have minimum sanctions for any conduct violations, sanctioning guidelines will now list expulsion as the preferred outcome of sexual assault cases. Previously, most sexual assault cases were met with suspension for three to six semesters. The change follows the university's recent elimination of the statue of limitations on sexual misconduct reporting as well as greater emphasis placed on bystander intervention and anti-hazing initiatives. The change was approved unanimously by students on the Office of Student Conduct Student Advisory Group this spring and finalized by the Appellate Board. Expulsion is not the guaranteed outcome of every individually reviewed case, but will become the university's expectation in such scenarios.
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the surviving suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings, pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to the 30 federal charges presented in his terrorism indictment, the New York Times reported. The charges could result in a death sentence or life imprisonment if he is convicted. Tsarnaev was asked to enter a plea to criminal charges regarding his supposed role in killing three people and wounding more than 260 others near the finish line of the marathon in April. The courtroom was packed with victims, family members and police officials involved in Tsarnaev's capture, who remained relatively composed throughout the trial. After the hearing, victims and their family members expressed anger and raw emotion. Presiding judge Marianne Bowler set the next court date for Sept. 23. The trial is expected to last three to four months and to call upon 80 to 100 witnesses.
