5 things to know Thursday

Biden expected to announce plan to cancel $10,000 in student loan debt

President Joe Biden is set to announce Wednesday he will forgive $10,000 in student loan debt for millions of borrowers who fall below an income cap, according to sources familiar with the plan. The cancellation would be limited to borrowers with household incomes of $125,000 or less, and would apply only to people with federal loans, not private ones. The action is also expected to include extending until January a moratorium on federal student loan payments – implemented during the coronavirus pandemic – set to expire at the end of this month. The White House would not confirm the upcoming announcement, first reported by the Associated Press. The president has said he would make a decision by Aug. 31. Biden faces increasing pressure from progressive Democrats to cancel an even larger share of debt for Americans who took federal loans to pay for college. But some Democratic economists worry about the risk of debt cancellation exacerbating 40-year-high inflation.

Uvalde school board to consider firing school district police Chief Arredondo

The Uvalde school board has called a special meeting for Wednesday to consider firing school district Police Chief Pete Arredondo for his role in the flawed response to the shooting massacre that left 19 students and two teachers dead at Robb Elementary School in May. A special Texas House committee tasked with investigating the shooting determined that the embattled school district police chief failed to act quickly enough to shoot and kill the gunman. The report, released in July, also determined that Arredondo held the role of incident commander at the scene and was responsible for directing law enforcement officers. Parents and community members have been calling for Arredondo to be fired along with the other five district officers who responded to the shooting.

Ukraine marks Independence Day, six months after start of war with Russia

Residents of Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital city, woke up to air raid sirens Wednesday as the nation observed its Independence Day, six months since the start of the Russian invasion that the whole world appears to be losing. Authorities in Kyiv banned large-scale gatherings until Thursday, fearing the national holiday might bring particularly heavy Russian missile attacks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged the public to be vigilant. “Russian provocations and brutal strikes are a possibility,” he said in a statement. Wednesday’s holiday commemorates Ukraine’s 1991 declaration of independence from the Soviet Union. The US State Department issued an alert Tuesday urging Americans to “depart Ukraine now,” citing concerns of possible Russian attacks. As Ukraine marks its holiday, the Biden administration is expected on Wednesday to announce an additional roughly $3 billion in aid to train and equip Ukrainian forces to fight for years to come, US officials told The Associated Press.

Closing arguments in Vanessa Bryant civil trial v. LA County continue

Closing arguments summarize Wednesday in the civil trial of Vanessa Bryant, the widow of NBA legend Kobe Bryant, against California’s Los Angeles County after learning that deputies and firefighters had shared photos of her husband and 13-year-old daughter Gianna’s remains after their death in a helicopter crash. Seven others were killedJan. 26, 2020, crash. Tuesday marked what would have been Kobe Bryant’s 44th birthday and the first time an attorney put a dollar amount on what he wants the jury to award Vanessa Bryant and Chris Chester, her fellow plaintiff: $75 million for past and future distress. The jury will be tasked with making a series of decisions about the case: First, did these county first responders violate Bryant’s and Chester’s constitutional privacy rights under the Fourteenth Amendment by publicly disseminating crash-scene photos? If so, is the county liable for it as an organization? Also, if that’s the case, how much should the jury award them in exchange for their past and future emotional distress?

Teen pilot poised to become youngest person to fly around the world alone

A Belgian-British teen on Wednesday could become the youngest person to fly around the world solo in a small plane. Mack Rutherford, who turned 17 during the journey, touched down Tuesday near the city of Charleroi, Belgium, where he originally learned to fly. He’s due to land in Bulgaria on Wednesday. His quest, which began March 23, took him through 52 countries over five continents, crossing the equator twice to conform to Guinness World Records requirements. Rutherford hopes to displace Travis Ludlow of Britain, who was 18 when he set the record in 2021.

Contributing: The Associated Press