Biden's big student loan plans; the ozone layer bounces back; Damar Hamlin comes home

Plus, how the Paycheck Protection Program became a chaotic free-for-all. [View this email online]( [NPR]( by Suzanne Nuyen Good morning. The [Golden Globes are attempting a TV comeback]( tonight. Will anyone watch? Here's what we're following today: First up LA Johnson/NPR The Biden administration has big plans for your student loans this year. It's unveiling an [ambitious new income-driven repayment program]( today that will be more generous, flexible and forgiving than previous plans. But the Federal Student Aid agency is in a funding crisis, and it's unclear when the plans will be implemented. The ozone layer is making a comeback. The U.N. says the thin atmospheric shield that protects us from UV radiation is [on track to recover in 40 years]( thanks to decades of work getting rid of ozone-damaging chemicals. Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin is back in Buffalo. He was discharged yesterday, one week after suffering cardiac arrest on the field. [Hamlin thanked his fans]( on Twitter, saying "The same love you all have shown me is the same love that I plan to put back into the world [and] more. Bigger than football!" ➡️ Hamlin is selling "Did we win?" T-shirts, inspired by the question he asked doctors after waking up from his coma. He's [donating the proceeds]( to first responders and the UC trauma center. The attack on Brazil's congress yesterday showed many parallels to the insurrection at the U.S. capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Social media pointed to possible violence before the event, and in addition to [aiming to subvert an election]( some of the same U.S. voices that amplify former President Donald Trump are echoing Brazil's former president, Jair Bolsonaro. ➡️ Bolsonaro wasn't even in the country when the attack happened. He's been [lying low in Orlando, Fla.]( where he's been residing since late December. Analysts say his move to the U.S. could shield him from legal consequences he could face back home. --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- Picture show [Audrey Grinker receives a visit from her doctor after friends found her on the floor of her apartment, she had mixed up her medications and became very ill. She was acting out in the hospital, trying to escape, sitting on the floor near the nurses' station, and walking into other patient's rooms. Aventura Hospital, Miami, Fla., March, 2017.]( Lori Grinker Photographer Lori Grinker struggled to get along with her mother all of her life. When she moved in with her to help with her cancer and dementia, [old wounds melted away](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Food for thought [An NPR analysis of data released Jan. 8 by the Small Business Administration shows the vast majority of Paycheck Protection Program loans have been forgiven, despite rampant fraud in the program.]( Getty Images/Mark Harris for NPR An NPR analysis shows the vast majority of Paycheck Protection Program loans have been forgiven, even though the program was rampant with fraud. The well-intentioned pandemic program quickly became a [chaotic free-for-all]( when it was announced. 💰 Companies only had to say that the pandemic threatened their business to qualify for a loan. 💰 Later, the rules for loan forgiveness became so lenient that 90% of all borrowers could get the full loan amount forgiven just by promising they had used the money correctly, with no supporting documentation needed. 💰 Congress made the rules increasingly lax primarily because that's what businesses lobbied their elected representatives for. Then-Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said he hoped businesses that truly needed the money would self-select, but conceded the program was being abused. 💰 For companies that flourished during the pandemic and may not have needed the money, a PPP loan sometimes added profit on top of profit. 💰 Still, Small Business Administration official Patrick Kelley says the program was a mighty feat that did more good than harm. --------------------------------------------------------------- Before you go Jo Zixuan Zhou for NPR - Looking to make a career change in the new year? It can be daunting, but NPR audio producer Keisha "TK" Dutes breaks down [how she made her own switch]( and how you can too. - More storms are rolling across Calfornia. Biden has approved an emergency declaration as [parts of the state issued evacuation orders]( and school districts closed after intense downpours. - The Georgia Bulldogs are college champions again after [beating TCU 65-7](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. [Find a Station]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can [sign up here](. Looking for more great content? [Check out all of our newsletter offerings]( — including Music, Politics, Health and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Daily News emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( [NPR logo]