Latest news with #PLUS
The Star
a day ago
- Automotive
- The Star
Contra flow at Second Link on July 23 for emergency response drill
ISKANDAR PUTERI: A contra flow will be activated on the Second Link crossing between Johor and Singapore to accommodate a bilateral chemical spill exercise on Wednesday (July 23). PLUS Malaysia Berhad (PLUS) said the contra lane will be activated from 4am to 2pm on Wednesday, covering KM1.70 and KM0.60 (northbound) between the Singapore Customs building complex and the Kompleks Sultan Abu Bakar Customs, Immigration and quarantine building. "This is to conduct an emergency simulation exercise for chemical spill response as part of the 14th Malaysia-Singapore Joint Committee on the Environment bilateral collaboration. 'The simulation aims to test the efficiency, response time, preparedness and coordinated actions of emergency responders and relevant agencies from both countries in managing emergency scenarios,' PLUS said in a statement on Tuesday (July 22). Highway users are encouraged to plan their journeys using the PLUS application to obtain the latest traffic information. 'They are also advised to obey all traffic signs and instructions issued by PLUS personnel when passing through the affected area. "We thank highway users for their patience and cooperation throughout the exercise," the statement read. Highway users can also obtain the latest traffic information through the Putri virtual assistant, on X @plustrafik, and electronic signboards at selected locations. They can also contact PLUSLine at 1800-88-0000 in the event of any emergencies.
The Star
4 days ago
- Automotive
- The Star
Upkeep on NKVE, Elite highways underway
KUALA LUMPUR: Users of the New Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE) and the North-South Expressway Central Link (Elite) highways are advised to plan their journeys as maintenance works are being carried out, says PLUS Malaysia Berhad. It said that maintenance works involving drainage systems and right lane closures in both directions on the NKVE are now underway until Oct 14. This encompasses the Damansara-Bukit Lanjan route at Km19.3 to Km20.0 as well as road diversions at locations activated to ensure the comfort and safety of highway users. Meanwhile, on the Elite Highway, maintenance works are scheduled from July 21 to 25, between 11pm and 5am. These works will affect the Putrajaya-Bandar Saujana Putra route, specifically from Km19.5 to Km18.0, in relation to the launching of bridge beams and the activation of contra lanes, reported Bernama. In a separate statement, PLUS announced that the Smart Lane route from Kulai to Sedenak at Km26.7 to Km33.7 (Northbound) will be closed starting tomorrow as part of ongoing efforts to improve the highway infrastructure. PLUS announced the closure to make way for the implementation of lane addition works in the area. 'During the period, the two existing lanes at the affected locations will be open as usual to maintain traffic flow and minimise disruptions to highway users,' it said. Meanwhile, the Smart Lane route from Senai to Kulai at Km19.0 to Km26.7 (Northbound) will operate as usual. 'Users can get the latest traffic information via the PLUS Application, PUTRI Virtual Assistant, X@plustrafik application, or electronic signage (VMS) at selected locations,' PLUS said. The public can call PLUSLine at 1800-88-0000 for emergency help.
The Hill
4 days ago
- Health
- The Hill
The ugly truth about the student loan caps in Trump's ‘big beautiful' law
New federal student loan caps pose an urgent and overlooked threat to the health of all Americans. These changes will severely undermine the graduate education pipeline for the clinician workforce — including both nurses and physicians— jeopardizing access to care, straining the workforce and, ultimately, harming patients. The bill, now signed into law, will cap graduate unsubsidized student loans at $20,500, with a $100,000 total cap on top of undergrad loans, and phase out Grad PLUS loans. These changes are especially detrimental for those pursuing clinician roles, such as nurse practitioners. Nurse practitioners play a crucial role, filling gaps in primary care — especially in rural and underserved communities. Their presence expands access, relieves pressure on healthcare systems and allows physicians to focus on the most complex cases. Graduate education is not optional for becoming a nurse practitioner. Nor is it optional for becoming faculty to teach the next generation of physicians and nurses. Weakening the pipeline of advanced practice nurses doesn't just hurt nursing, it threatens the entire care delivery system. For nursing, this is a moment where education is already strained. Nurses have left the profession en masse since the COVID-19 pandemic and older nurses are retiring. We urgently need more nurses and nurse educators in the pipeline. Yet in 2023, enrollment in bachelor's-level nursing programs grew by just 0.3 percent. Meanwhile, enrollment in master's and Ph.D. nursing programs declined by 0.9 percent and 3.1 percent, respectively. That same year, U.S. nursing schools turned away more than 65,000 qualified applications due to a lack of faculty, clinical placements and funding — not because of a lack of interest. Faculty shortages are especially dire. Nearly 2,000 full-time faculty vacancies remain unfilled nationwide, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. These positions require a master's or doctoral degree — precisely the kind of education now placed at risk by this legislation. Without nurse educators, we cannot train the next generation of nurses at any level. This law also directly contradicts the Make America Healthy Again initiative, which calls on healthcare systems to take on chronic disease through prevention. Nurses make up the largest segment of the healthcare workforce. Their education emphasizes prevention and whole-person care for people and communities. Nurses are central to the shift from reactive 'sick care' to proactive prevention, so restricting their ability to enter the profession is not just shortsighted, it's self-defeating. A diminished nursing workforce will trigger a familiar cycle: reduced access, longer wait times, more chronic disease and an even more overwhelmed workforce. And these consequences won't be limited to nurses — they will affect physicians, hospitals, insurers and, most of all, everyday Americans. This is a national health issue. While the bill has passed, it is not too late to mitigate its harm. Policymakers must find alternative solutions, from scholarship expansion to loan forgiveness, to ensure access to graduate nursing education remains within reach. We cannot solve a workforce shortage and a chronic disease crisis by cutting off the professionals trained to fix it.
The Sun
5 days ago
- Automotive
- The Sun
Maintenance on NKVE, ELITE: Users urged to plan journey
KUALA LUMPUR: Users of the New Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE) and the North-South Expressway Central Link (ELITE) are advised to plan their journeys as maintenance works are being carried out. PLUS Malaysia Berhad (PLUS) in a statement today announced that maintenance works involving drainage systems and right lane closures in both directions on the NKVE will begin today until Oct 14. This involves the Damansara-Bukit Lanjan route at Kilometre (KM)19.3 to KM20.0 as well as road diversions at locations activated to ensure the comfort and safety of highway users. Meanwhile, on the ELITE, it will begin on July 21 to 25 from 11 pm to 5 am involving the Putrajaya-Bandar Saujana Putra route at KM19.5 to KM18.0 following the bridge beam launching works as well as the activation of contra lanes. 'Highway users are advised to plan their journeys during the period. They are also advised to obey all traffic signs and instructions issued by PLUS personnel when passing through the affected areas. 'Highway users can also get the latest traffic information via the PLUS Application, PUTRI Virtual Assistant, X@plustrafik Application or Electronic Signage (VMS) at selected locations,' the statement said. The public can also contact PLUSLine at 1800-88-0000 if they wish to seek emergency assistance. In a separate statement, PLUS announced that the Smart Lane route from Kulai to Sedenak at KM26.7 to KM33.7 (Northbound) will be closed starting next Monday (July 21), as part of ongoing efforts to improve the highway infrastructure. PLUS announced the closure to make way for the implementation of lane addition works in the area. 'During the period, the two existing lanes at the affected locations will be open as usual to maintain traffic flow and minimise disruption to highway users,' it said. Meanwhile, the Smart Lane route from Senai to Kulai at KM19.0 to KM26.7 (Northbound) will operate as usual. - Bernama
Business Insider
5 days ago
- Business
- Business Insider
Trump is beginning to implement his sweeping student-loan repayment changes
Student-loan borrowers will soon start seeing changes to the way they borrow and pay off their loans. After President Donald Trump signed into law his tax and spending bill, which included major changes to student-loan repayment, the Department of Education announced it was beginning to implement some of the new provisions. The department wrote in a July 18 letter that "many" of the changes in the spending law will be implemented on July 1, 2026, including the creation of two new income-driven repayment plans. However, the department said it is working with student-loan servicers to roll out a series of changes before then: No longer requiring borrowers to have partial financial hardship to qualify for an income-based repayment plan; Expanding options for borrowers who took out parent PLUS loans to enroll in an income-based repayment plan; Reducing the amount a student can borrow if they're enrolled in a program that is not full-time; And delaying the implementation of former President Joe Biden's borrower defense to repayment and closed school discharge regulations. If a borrower believes they were defrauded by the school they attended, they can apply for borrower defense, and if their claims are approved, their loans will be forgiven. Biden's administration attempted to make the process easier for borrowers to navigate, but it was blocked in court and never implemented. Acting Undersecretary James Bergeron said in a Friday statement that Trump's spending bill "delivers for student borrowers in a big way — simplifying the student loan repayment system, funding the $10.5 billion shortfall in Pell Grant funding left by the previous administration, supporting short-term career focused programs that train workers for in-demand jobs, and holding colleges accountable by eliminating student loan eligibility for programs that leave students worse off than if they had never enrolled." "Today's announcement is the first step in the implementation process, and we look forward to building the President's vision for education and training beyond high school," Bergeron said. The department's letter also said that it is amending the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, which forgives student debt for government and nonprofit workers after 10 years of qualifying payments, to allow payments made under a new income-driven repayment plan to count toward forgiveness. Trump's spending bill eliminates existing income-driven repayment plans and replaces them with two options: a standard repayment plan and a new Repayment Assistance Plan, which sets borrowers' monthly payments at 1% to 10% of their income, with any remaining balance forgiven after 30 years. The options are less generous than the SAVE plan, which the bill eliminates. SAVE would have allowed for cheaper monthly payments with a shorter timeline to debt relief. The department announced on July 9 that interest charges will restart on the balances of the 8 million borrowers enrolled in the SAVE plan. The department said more information on changes to repayment from the spending bill will be announced in the coming weeks and months. They come as the administration is working to dismantle the Department of Education; the Supreme Court ruled on July 14 that Trump can proceed with firing department staff.
