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Student loan borrowers face an ominous deadline as Labor Day approaches. The Trump administration announced earlier this year that it planned to resume collections for borrowers behind on their student loan payments, setting a deadline of later this summer. In May, the Education Department began sending an estimated 195,000 student loan borrowers default notifications that their federal benefits would be subject to collections, starting in June. The agency said that later this summer, all 5.3 million defaulted student loan borrowers would receive notices that their wages could be garnished. The Trump administration hasnt announced an official date, but with summer almost over, student loan holders should expect the changes imminently. Student loan payments were paused early in the COVID-19 pandemic to provide financial relief as Americans weathered an uncertain economy. The student loan relief was originally intended to last for just a few months but was repeatedly extended, first by the Trump administration and then by former President Biden during his time in office. American taxpayers will no longer be forced to serve as collateral for irresponsible student loan policies, Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in April. Going forward, the Department of Education, in conjunction with the Department of Treasury, will shepherd the student loan program responsibly and according to the law, which means helping borrowers return to repaymentboth for the sake of their own financial health and our nations economic outlook. During his time in office, Biden sought broad forgiveness for student loans, but ultimately, his most far-reaching plans were struck down in court. Between the mixed messages from the current and former White House, its been a lot for borrowers to keep track of. Payments on federal student loans officially resumed in October 2023, with interest kicking back in around the same time, though many student loan borrowers were likely hoping that Biden-era student debt relief proposals might override those changes. The most important change right now will be an unpleasant one for any student loan holders in default. Borrowers behind on their loan payments may again see their paychecks reduced as the federal government claws back its cash. Anyone at risk of wage garnishment can expect a 30-day notice, but its best to contact the government to get on a repayment plan or into a similar program before wage garnishments kick in.
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E-Commerce
Theres a new moon on the block. A research team peering into unexplored corners of space revealed this week that our solar system harbors a secret moon that’s tucked away near Uranus. The moon was discovered by a research team using NASAs James Webb Space Telescope, the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope. Like the Hubble Telescope, the Webb Telescope was designed to snap images of deep space, helping scientists pursue some of the universes enduring mysteries. The new moon was discovered in a set of 40-minute-long exposure images taken by the Webb Telescope’s near-infrared camera, which allows it to image fainter and more distant objects than the Hubble. While the Webbs main mission is to explore the origins of the universe and the formation of the earliest galaxies, its sensitive cameras make many other kinds of discoveries possible along the way. Its a small moon but a significant discovery, which is something that even NASAs Voyager 2 spacecraft didnt see during its flyby nearly 40 years ago, Maryame El Moutamid, a lead scientist at Colorados Southwest Research Institute, said of the discovery. The newly found moon is estimated to be 6 miles in diametera diminutive size that likely helped it elude the Hubble. It orbits Uranus from within the orbit of that planets larger moons, which include Miranda, Ariel, Umbriel, Titania, and Oberon. The discovery brings the total number of moons known to orbit Uranus up to 29. No other planet has as many small inner moons as Uranus, and their complex inter-relationships with the rings hint at a chaotic history that blurs the boundary between a ring system and a system of moons, said Matthew Tiscareno, a SETI Institute scientist on the research team. Moreover, the new moon is smaller and much fainter than the smallest of the previously known inner moons, making it likely that even more complexity remains to be discovered, he said.
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E-Commerce
Companies have several ways to increase their bottom lines. The first way is to raise the prices of products. But doing so can lead to fewer sales. Instead, some companies reduce the amount of product inside a package (or increase the size of the package without increasing the amount of product) while keeping the price the same, which helps reduce upfront costs. This practice is known as shinkflation, and its one that frequently annoys customers. But customers occasionally fight back. A group of California consumers brought a shrinkflation-related class action lawsuit against Amazon-owned Whole Foods Market, and the grocery store chain’s local subsidiary has agreed to settle, offering cash payments to those affected. Heres what you need to know. Whats happened? Whole Foods Market was hit with a class action lawsuit in California alleging that the company misled customers by selling two items that contained less product inside the packaging than the customers were led to believe based on the packagings size. Those two products were: 12 oz cannister of 365 Organic Hot Cocoa Rich Chocolate Flavor Mix 12 oz cannister of 365 Everyday Value Organic Hot Cocoa Rich Chocolate Flavor Mix The products were sold under Whole Foods 365 Organic brand. According to a website run by the settlement administrator, the claimants allege that Whole Foods mislabeled the Product by selling the cocoa mix in large and opaque cannisters that contained non-functional empty space and that California consumers, in reliance on the size of the cannister, believed they were purchasing more cocoa powder than they got for the price they paid.” Whole Foods Market in California has opted to settle the lawsuit. Fast Company reached out to the grocery chain for comment. Slack-fill and shrinkflation The class action lawsuit refers to “slack-fill,” which is essentially the empty space inside a package of product. Companies sometimes use this space in ways that lead consumers to believe that the package contains more product than it actually does. Slack-fill misuse is more commonly known as shrinkflation by the general public. While companies have no doubt engaged in shrinkflation for decades, the practice has gained significant attention in the last 10 to 15 years, largely due to the rise of social media. Consumers could finally share their shirnkflation findings and grievances with the wider populationand post photos of shirnkflation in action. And its not just consumers who despise shirnkflation. The previous Biden administration called the practice out as companies engaged in it during times of inflationary pressures. Many fear shrinkflation will rear its ugly head again in full force as companies look for ways to recoup costs incurred by President Trumps tariffs. Of course, manufacturers are not alone in engaging in shrinkflation. Restaurants, for example, have been caught putting less food on plates. Given the disdain that consumers have for shirnkflation, its little surprise that the alleged practice would result in legal action. The Whole Foods shrinkflation settlement In settling the class action lawsuit brought against it, Whole Foods has agreed to pay $650,000 while admitting no wrongdoing (something that is common for class action settlements). However, the class action lawsuit settlement only covers people in California who bought the affected products between November 3, 2017, and March 13, 2025. And while $650,000 might sound like a lot, the actual amount the average claimant is expected to get is just a few bucks. According to the class action website, the prorated settlement check amount will be approximately $2.90 for members of the settlement class. You can find full details on the settlement and whether you are entitled to part of it on the class action settlement website here. All claim forms must be submitted by October 14, 2025.
Category:
E-Commerce
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