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15 minute inquiry

OBBBA student loan caps take effect, ending Grad PLUS for new borrowers

On July 1, 2026, the most sweeping changes to federal student lending in a generation took effect. Congress buried them in a 940-page budget bill, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), signed by President Trump on July 4, 2025. As of today, the federal Grad PLUS Loan Program no longer exists for new borrowers. Parent PLUS loans are capped at $20,000 per year per child. Every student faces a $257,500 lifetime ceiling across all federal borrowing combined.

Sourcesgovtrack.usH.R. 1fsapartners.ed.govGEN-25-04 Dear Colleague Letter

Story date
2026-07-01
Questions
10
Sources
8

15 minute inquiry

Senators ask Fed watchdog to probe Bowman Wall Street dinner

On July 1, 2026, Senators Elizabeth Warren, Jack Reed, and Chris Van Hollen wrote to Federal Reserve Inspector General Michael Horowitz asking him to investigate whether Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman broke central bank rules at a closed-door Bank of America client dinner held during the FOMC blackout period. The dinner took place June 17, hours after the FOMC announced its first rate decision under new Chair Kevin Warsh, while the blackout period was still in effect. Fed rules bar officials from sharing views on monetary policy with anyone who could profit financially during that window. Bowman said she did not discuss monetary policy, but public reporting said she discussed Fed topics including the Standing Repo Facility. Former Philadelphia Fed President Patrick Harker said the rules left no room for interpretation: attending a bank-hosted client dinner during the blackout period was simply not done. The case puts a spotlight on who gets exclusive access to the nation's most powerful bank regulator and whether the Fed's ethics framework needs new teeth.

SourcesSenate Banking CommitteeWarren, Reed, Van Hollen Call On Fed Watchdog To Invest…ReutersUS Senator Warren calls for Fed watchdog review of Bowm…

Story date
2026-07-01
Questions
10
Sources
8

15 minute inquiry

DOJ sues California to halt Glock ban and handgun roster

On July 1, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a federal lawsuit against California to block two gun laws from taking effect: Assembly Bill 1127, which bans dealers from selling Glock pistols and other striker-fired handguns with cruciform trigger bars, and the state's existing Handgun Roster, which limits which handguns dealers can legally sell. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon filed the suit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, naming California and Attorney General Rob Bonta as defendants.

SourcesDepartment of Justice Civil Rights DivisionComplaint: United States v. California and Robert Bonta…DOJ Office of Public AffairsJustice Department Sues California to Halt Glock Ban

Story date
2026-07-01
Questions
10
Sources
8

97 minute inquiry

US declines to renew USMCA, begins annual reviews of $2 trillion trade deal

On July 1, 2026, the United States declined to renew the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) in its current form, setting off a legally distinct process of annual reviews that can continue until the agreement expires in 2036. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer hosted a virtual trilateral meeting with Mexico and Canada and announced that the US "did not agree to renew the USMCA in its current form." The agreement, which replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and entered into force on July 1, 2020, requires a joint review by the three countries every six years. Under USMCA Article 34.7, nations that decline to confirm extension enter a period of annual reviews instead.

SourcesTrade RepresentativeAmbassador Greer Issues Statement on the USMCA Joint Re…ustr.govUSMCA Agreement Text Final Provisions Chapter 34

Story date
2026-07-01
Questions
10
Sources
8