127 Comments
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Laurieanne's avatar

We are forever grateful for your strength in speaking the truth. Rachel Maddow wants to have a channel to speak truth. I see you and her as a brilliant team.

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Murray Smart's avatar

If you hear ANYTHING coming out of the mouth of a Republican remember they are ALL, EVERYONE OF THEM a LPOS!!! Do NOT trust them! Think JUST THE OPPOSITE and then you will have the TRUTH!!

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m.f.'s avatar

I'm angry, too, and I agree that we should stay vigilant to avoid falling into the propaganda trap, but this feels inflammatory and dehumanizing in the same way Republicans dehumanize everyone else, from LGBTQ+ to Palestinians.

I'm not saying we should tolerate intolance, just that it might not be wise to regurgitate their same language.

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Murray Smart's avatar

I'm not suggesting being what they are. But, I am suggesting to stand your ground and not let them continue to get away with LIES and FALSEHOODS! Example - there are multiple upon multiple examples of you know who saying that he will not touch Medicaid. That is an ABSOLUTE LIE!! And today LIES are just common place with Republicans.......

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m.f.'s avatar

You're absolutely right! They've been lying nonstop and they shouldn't get away with it.

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Richard Waddell's avatar

A lie repeated is the same lie. The divisions within our nation are not as bad the regime wants to believe, so their leader creates chaos and the resulting calamities - THOSE are induced and have NOTHING to do within how well our country has been working up until a few months ago. Justifying the use of military forces within our own borders is not normal, is not necessary, and brings to mind the fraud-waste-abuse spin cycle that was used as a cudgel on our country by many in need of a prisoner's status.

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Stephanie Gibbs Dunlap's avatar

WELL SAID Sir🧐

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Stephanie Gibbs Dunlap's avatar

Trump has DESTROYED the Party of RED! 😡🤬💥🥊

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JMassa's avatar

Yes! I agree. We need to do better.

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Paula Smeltekop's avatar

When one lying finger points, there are three pointing back.

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Nori's avatar

Thank you Aaron for everything you do!

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Pamela Beckford's avatar

Keep explaining this bill on repeat.

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Lilli Gross's avatar

I just upgraded to paid because you are invaluable. My only ask is when you say “breaking” could you PLEASE clarify the date? The other day there was a breaking story of Corey Booker and Hakeem Jefferies starting a sit-in at the Capitol, but it was unclear if this was a new sit-in or from last month. And since there are so many protests breaking out it’s confusing keeping up. Mahalo

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Rebecca Martin's avatar

I have the same problem! I would really appreciate it, if you could add the date to all your pieces of work!

I listen to you every day! Thanks Aaron! And thanks to all the people that leave comments and answer questions- that is very useful for me!!

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KCM's avatar

I agree with this comment. It would be helpful to date these reports, especially if we need to refer to them in the future.

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E Shelton's avatar

And please add the time to your pieces, with the date!

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Zin Lackey's avatar

I agree, dearest Aaron. That’s a complaint I have with substack in general, actually.

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JMassa's avatar

I agree Lilli. Most posts dont seem to be dated. I look at the comments because they list "3 days ago m" or 1 week ago" Sometimes that's the o ly hint.

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Madison's avatar

Well f*ck me then. I didn’t vote for this, but I’ll be deeply impacted by this. Great!😀

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Jill's avatar

You sound very much like my daughter, whose name is also Madison.

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Madison's avatar

She sounds awesome!😎

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Jill's avatar

She absolutely IS!

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Adam Stoler's avatar

Start loudly BLAMING CONGRESS

ignore the blathering idiot

repeat ad nauseum

where the f is the DNC sitting on their hands?!

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An Mcgreevy's avatar

Too many Americans hate any talk of loan forgiveness or income based policy - they are jealous and think only of black and brown people getting degrees as no one they know cares a hoot for education.

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E Shelton's avatar

Know why protests can go days, weeks, in Europe? Because they know they have something they want to keep.

And it’s called democratic socialism: it’s what kept communism at bey, and what gets them voting.

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Leslie Goodman-Malamuth's avatar

Pell Grants are being gutted, which helped me graduate from Berkeley.

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Teresa JV's avatar

This regime and the republikkkans want a populous that is uneducated therefore they will do anything to keep people from seeking knowledge and becoming experts in various fields. They are starting with dumbing down the education in elementary schools through school “choice”. Thank you keeping us educated and informed!!!

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Ev Wo-Po's avatar

I wish all people no matter the party read your work. The problem is only left leading people read it and the right stays the same and continues to believe the same BS.

Thanks always Aaron 🙏🏼

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Marie's avatar

Does this void already existing loans? How can they just change stuff with existing loans? Genuine question.

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Claire Read, PhD's avatar

Marie, they can change the loan terms anytime they want and have done so in the past both to our detriment and advantage depending on the administration My advice to both of us and anyone else with loans in repayment and/or forbearance is to keep an eye on your lender's website. I am visiting mine daily. So far no changes. If it were not for Reagan, we would not have expensive education and interest bearing student loans. We are unlike any other country in the world. Sux.

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Shannon Franklin's avatar

I don’t think that’s actually true. I just pulled out my master promissory notes and the IBR and other options are listed in the promissory notes. I know Trump doesn’t think contracts mean anything but they do. If my contract says I’ll have the option for income based repayment, then I’ll have that option. You can’t change the terms ex post facto without my agreement. Loan terms of any sort aren’t changeable after the fact (with the exception of something like an ARM)z My mortgage company can’t come back and say oh just kidding we’ve decided to change the terms of your contract. We shouldn’t be throwing our hands up and assuming that what they’re trying to do is legal. So much of what they’re doing is not and they’re just seeing what they can get away with.

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Marie's avatar

That's what I was thinking... I mean if we don't just get to change the interest rate or terms of a contract, why should they? Earlier when they were talking about making a different dept be taking over the loans, that in and of itself was a violation of contract. We have an agreement with the DOE not with HHS or wherever they were shunting it

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ITSNOTSAFE's avatar

I have noticed a pattern found in every tenet handed down by Trump. Confusion. Every change is clouded in confusion. The end game, however, and the reason for the confusion is you lose even more than you can imagine which is something discovered trying to figure it all out in the midst of the ceaseless and unrelenting confusion.

The Medicaid rules for example requiring employment. This has already been tried and in those states where this has been tried the end game is people who are indeed eligible cannot get coverage because of all the confusion in proving you are employed. It is dystopian but it is also our new reality.

There will be no figuring out at the polls whether people are "eligible", and part of the requirements deem any poll worker who allows the ineligible to vote can face prison time; so, what would you do as a poll worker? Deny, deny, deny. It's safer to deny than grant a right under those terms and under that threat.

College loans. People are scrambling right now trying to figure out their status because the rules and guidelines are so confusing. Educated people some holding degrees such as Ph.D. are left thoroughly confused and finding no source to end their confusion. No where to turn for good orderly direction.

Democracy died and autocracy was birthed on July 4th, 2025. And confusion will be part of the fabric of our new reality. Confusion will be built into the system paired with fear. The most vulnerable of us will simply die on the vine while the population as a whole will be scrambling to survive.

Cruelty will be ignored. Compassion will be exhausted. And our norm will be “every man for himself” with no concern for anyone else. And our experience of being ruled under an autocracy will in fact be rule not by any single man other than a puppet such as Trump but by corporations, the very monsters we have fed so faithfully, owned by oligarchs.

Ours is now a police state with ICE having more funding than the military in Israel and more resources than the FBI. And misinformation partnered closely with blatant lying by word and in print from The Regime and from our institutions such as the emailed notification I received this weekend from Social Security filled with misinformation is our today; not our future; our today.

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Claire Read, PhD's avatar

Shannon, I hope you are right. We’ll see. I have had mine changed before, though. I was on IDR and got switched to deferment somehow. So I’d say we just need to keep checking to be on the safe side. What are your thoughts?

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Marie's avatar

Wow that stinks. I'm lucky enough not to have any but my hubby does. Been paying on it 15 years and it has barely been going down.

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Linda Healey's avatar

Your reporting is excellent and is really I,portent. I’. Proud to be able to support your work

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Claire Read, PhD's avatar

Aaron, thanks for the update with crucial information I needed because of my own status. I keep an eye on my own account because I am pretty sure things are going to change quickly.

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Janice Owens's avatar

In the richest most powerful country in the world, why in God's name is ANY student having to pay for higher education much less going broke trying to pay for it for their whole dang lives!

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ITSNOTSAFE's avatar

That boat has sailed. This weekend we surrendered to an autocracy that is ruled by corporations that are owned by oligarchs and education is no longer a right but can be purchased at a price, or you can go to the underfunded resource deprived public school if you wish. Yep! That boat and in fact a whole fleet of boats has sailed.

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James Murphy's avatar

This is one of the most complex issues I have observed. For years “free money” promises sucked in hopeful students who naively thought that it would be a breeze to pay back. That did not happen. It is a football issue now filled with politics. Both side lie lie and lie more. There are so many victims here. One solution ( not great ) is to plan for bankruptcy and the 7 year fallout but freedom for the rest of your life. ( not sure that this would actually work but my POV from one well beyond college) Thanks Arron.

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Liane Townsend's avatar

Congratulations! You have worked so diligently, and we applaud your success. Keep up the great work. We appreciate and admire you. Thank you!!!

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