Student Loan Setbacks, Involuntary Hospitalizations, Rat Czar
Ep. 98 w/ show notes
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Ravi and Rikki start with the fierce legal challenges halting President Biden’s student loan relief plan, before turning to New York’s controversial solution to a hard problem to solve: involuntary hospitalizations for the mentally ill. Finally, we stay here in New York – sorry – to talk about an exciting new opportunity in the city’s government: the “Rat Czar.”
Ravi evaluates the practical, political, and legal merits of Biden’s student loan relief plan and the many court battles threatening to ensure it never takes effect. [4:09]
Rikki makes the case for why New York has turned to an unpalatable solution – involuntary hospitalizations – in response to the city’s dual crises of homelessness and mental health. [20:34]
Finally, in-house researcher Joe G. pitches himself as the city’s new “Rat Czar” to City Council Member Chris Marte. [40:36]
Sources Used/Mentioned
Student Loans
Supreme Court to Hear Student Debt Forgiveness Case (NYT, 12/1/22)
Republican-Led States Sue to Block Biden’s Plan to Erase Student Loan Debt (NYT, 9/29/22)
Six States File Lawsuit Challenging Biden Student Debt Cancellation Program (Reason, 9/29/22)
What's Next in the Fight Over Student Loan Forgiveness (Time, 10/25/22)
Supreme Court likely to rule that Biden student loan plan is illegal, experts say. Here’s what that means for borrowers (CNBC, 12/5/22)
Is $20K Student Debt Forgiveness Still Going to Happen? (Nerdwallet, 12/1/22)
Court will review legality of Biden’s student-debt relief, but plan remains on hold for now (Scotusblog, 12/1/22)
The Lost Debate Ep. 63 | Climate Change, Military Recruiting, U$D in €urope, AZ Teachers (Lost Debate, 7/21/22)
Supreme Court Will Hear Case on Legality of Biden Loan Forgiveness Plan (Reason, 12/1/22)
NYC Involuntary Hospitalizations
New York City to Involuntarily Remove Mentally Ill People From Streets (NYT, 11/29/22)
Amid homeless crisis, New York to step up forced hospitalization of mentally ill (Reuters, 12/1/22)
How the forced hospitalization of 'mentally ill' people in need will work in NYC (ABC, 11/30/22)
A Snapshot of Homelessness Policies Around the U.S. and the World (NYT, 11/30/22)
Mental Health Involuntary Removals (NYC.gov 11/28/22)
California governor OKs mental health courts for homeless (AP, 9/14/22)
Grading the States: An Analysis of U.S. Psychiatric Treatment Laws (Treatment Advocacy Center)
New York mayor orders some homeless people involuntarily hospitalized for mental illness (PBS, 12/1/22)
Basic Facts About Homelessness: New York City (Coalition for the Homeless, 11/22)
What Adams’ mental illness push gets badly wrong (Daily News, 12/5/22)
A hard look at New York’s controversial new approach to the homeless (CNN, 12/3/22)
Too Few Psychiatric Beds: Psychiatrists' Group Takes Aim at Ongoing Crisis (U.S. News, 8/17/22)
The Regressives Ep.6 | The Progressives Pull From Public Infrastructure (Lost Debate, 6/27/22)
What Twitter’s Suppression of Hunter Biden Laptop Story Tells Us About Media (The Reason Roundtable, 11/5/22)
Rat Czar
New York City wants to hire a ‘rat czar’—and could pay them $170,000 per year (CNBC, 12/2/22)
Rats Have Ruled New York for 355 Years. Can a Mystery Bucket Stop Them? (NYT, 9/5/2019)
The stirring story of how Alberta became the first place in the world to banish the rat (National Post, 8/24/2018)
Five rat control solutions cities have used to be rid of the pests, though not always successfully (South China Morning Post, 7/18/2018)